When reading, one of the most important bullets to keep me invested in a novel is proper use of imagery. If a fantasy novel can keep me so entirely engrossed simply by description, I will be satisfied as a reader.

I’ve recently been reading the second book in the Malazan series, Deadhouse Gates. I’m currently about halfway through, and a simple description of coffee made me remember one of the worst examples of imagery in a book I have ever read. Not that Deadhouse Gates’s picture of this cup of joe was bad, far from it in fact. It was exactly the perfect description of our familiar drink that could be asked for in an unfamiliar world.

In context, the historian, Duiker, is awakened and handed an unfamiliar drink, which we readers recognize as coffee.

“Careful, sir, it’s hot.”

The historian stared down at the dark brown liquid. “What is it?”

“Don’t know, sir. Something Wickan.”

He took a sip, wincing at the scalding, bitter taste.

…

He felt himself becoming alert, glancing down again at the drink and took another sip. “This one of Sormo’s brews? It’s got my nerves jumping.”

Deadhouse Gates, Steven Erickson, Chapter 10, page 347

Absolutely perfect. In the quoted text, all of my experience as a reader jumps to coffee.

Now, in stark contrast, from Heir to the Empire.

“This?” Luke glanced down to his cup. “It’s just something Lando taught me how to make a while back.”

…

“It’s really quite good,” Luke told him. “It’s called hot chocolate.”

Heir to the Empire, Timothy Zahn, Chapter 2, page 22

While these lines aren’t a great representation of the book, which is quite good for a Star Wars novel, the delivery of calling the drink ‘hot chocolate’ with no build-up or descriptors lands like a sucker punch on the reader. Upon my first attempt of the book, I couldn’t help putting it down, I was so taken aback.

Overall, I believe it’s fine for characters in a fantasy world to enjoy drinks that we would have in our own world. It all depends on the imagery and dialogue to deliver the picture to the reader.

In addition, Star Wars is fantasy, not science fiction. Fight me.