The viewpoints of this blog
January 7th 2009 19:03
So, what is fantasy? A tough question to tackle, since so many people have their own definitions. Many scholars have tried to define this bloated genre, but their efforts were like trying to stop the universe from expanding by putting it in a box. So I'll just outline some of my basic criteria for this monstrous mode of thought.
Firstly, and most importantly to me, the Fantasy genre deals with the explicitly impossible. Authors and readers both know that the events and worlds portrayed in fantasy novels and stories are completely and irrevocably fictitious. When the author believes, or his or her readers believe, that events and phenomena in the author's story(ies) might exist, or have the possibility of existing, then the story spills into the realm of science-fiction.
Secondly, there must be a pervasive sense of wonder and mystery, which is increasingly hard to pull off in today's informed, educated, skeptical, and overly empirical age. Fantasy hearkens back to a time when some things were dismissed as inexplicable, un-proveable by logic, reason, science, or any machinations of the human mind. Take magic, for example. In a fantasy story, a wizard might levitate someone in the air or set something on fire at will. How exactly does this work? What's the cause of it? A fantasy might say that a wizard uses a lost language of creation, or that he has a spiritual bond with the unseen forces of the universe. Very poetic and vague. A sci-fi story might explain these things through technology like nanobots, or genetic engineering, or quantum physics, or something logical like that. This is a key difference to me between fantasy and everthing else.
Those are the two main criteria for something to qualify as Fantasy to me. Everything and anything else goes, as is shown in Fantasy's multiple subgenres which often spill over into other areas of literature and art.
Now let's talk about literary versus commercial fantasy. Simply put, literary fanasy is character-driven and commercial fantasy is plot-driven. Commercial fantasies are what get made into movies and 'pop culture phenomena' the movies of which turn into video games and action figures and rake in lots of dough. There's lots of violence, epic battles, and fantastic spectacles. Literary fantasy is much deeper and poetic; it can still have spectacle and battles, but those things are on the backburner in relation to good, well-rounded, believable, wholly fallible characters who are forced to make life-and-world-altering decisions.
An example of a commercial fantasy is the novel Eragon: fun plot, exciting battles, nice spectacle etc. but rather cliche and cardboard characters.
An example of a literary fantasy is the Earthsea Cycle (NOT counting the atrocious movie they made of it): likeable, memorable, well-rounded characters, wisdom and insight into earthly life even though the story is in a fantastic world.
This isn't a criteria for all fantasy, but for me, a memorable fantasy must have a journey of some sort. It doesn't have to be a "quest" per se, but a long journey for some reason or other...it could be a physical journey like a pilgrimage across the world, or a spiritual journey of enlgihtenment. The keyword here is change. Changes of scenery, changes in circumstance, and changes in character.If fantasy doesn't have these things, then I find it boring and forgettable.
As far as this blog goes, I'm going to give it a definite structure. I'll lay out the schedule of the blog now:
Sundays: Updates on my own fantasy writing.
Mondays: "Magical Mondays", talking about magic in fantasy, different authors' interpretations and systems, as well as my own. This is also when I'll talk about fantasy cliches and formulas to avoid.
Tuesdays: Fantasy in the Media: talking about extra-literary fantasy, like art, film, and music, games, and its impact on culture.
Wednesdays: "Wordy Wednesday", talking about specific words associated with fantasy, their etymology, what they mean, why they're important to fantasy, etc.
Thursdays: Talking about fantasy I've read/am reading. Not a book review per se, since I'll be talking about episodes and pieces of books that I'm reading instead of the book as a whole.
Friday: "Factual Friday": this is when I'll talk about various facts, mostly about life in Medieval Europe, that help bring a dose of reality to a lot of fantasy which is set in a medieval type of setting, as well as other ways to make fantasy feel grounded in (un)reality.
I love fantasy, but I'm lazy and a procrastinator, so I also am writing this blog to kick myself in the butt and write consistently for my several projects. Maybe other fantasy fans/writers will get a kick in the butt from this blog too! I'll be back tomorrow to start talking about R. Scott Bakker's "The Prince of Nothing" trilogy, a great (and highly disturbing) read. Only recommended for those with strong stomachs!
Firstly, and most importantly to me, the Fantasy genre deals with the explicitly impossible. Authors and readers both know that the events and worlds portrayed in fantasy novels and stories are completely and irrevocably fictitious. When the author believes, or his or her readers believe, that events and phenomena in the author's story(ies) might exist, or have the possibility of existing, then the story spills into the realm of science-fiction.
Secondly, there must be a pervasive sense of wonder and mystery, which is increasingly hard to pull off in today's informed, educated, skeptical, and overly empirical age. Fantasy hearkens back to a time when some things were dismissed as inexplicable, un-proveable by logic, reason, science, or any machinations of the human mind. Take magic, for example. In a fantasy story, a wizard might levitate someone in the air or set something on fire at will. How exactly does this work? What's the cause of it? A fantasy might say that a wizard uses a lost language of creation, or that he has a spiritual bond with the unseen forces of the universe. Very poetic and vague. A sci-fi story might explain these things through technology like nanobots, or genetic engineering, or quantum physics, or something logical like that. This is a key difference to me between fantasy and everthing else.
Those are the two main criteria for something to qualify as Fantasy to me. Everything and anything else goes, as is shown in Fantasy's multiple subgenres which often spill over into other areas of literature and art.
Now let's talk about literary versus commercial fantasy. Simply put, literary fanasy is character-driven and commercial fantasy is plot-driven. Commercial fantasies are what get made into movies and 'pop culture phenomena' the movies of which turn into video games and action figures and rake in lots of dough. There's lots of violence, epic battles, and fantastic spectacles. Literary fantasy is much deeper and poetic; it can still have spectacle and battles, but those things are on the backburner in relation to good, well-rounded, believable, wholly fallible characters who are forced to make life-and-world-altering decisions.
An example of a commercial fantasy is the novel Eragon: fun plot, exciting battles, nice spectacle etc. but rather cliche and cardboard characters.
An example of a literary fantasy is the Earthsea Cycle (NOT counting the atrocious movie they made of it): likeable, memorable, well-rounded characters, wisdom and insight into earthly life even though the story is in a fantastic world.
This isn't a criteria for all fantasy, but for me, a memorable fantasy must have a journey of some sort. It doesn't have to be a "quest" per se, but a long journey for some reason or other...it could be a physical journey like a pilgrimage across the world, or a spiritual journey of enlgihtenment. The keyword here is change. Changes of scenery, changes in circumstance, and changes in character.If fantasy doesn't have these things, then I find it boring and forgettable.
As far as this blog goes, I'm going to give it a definite structure. I'll lay out the schedule of the blog now:
Sundays: Updates on my own fantasy writing.
Mondays: "Magical Mondays", talking about magic in fantasy, different authors' interpretations and systems, as well as my own. This is also when I'll talk about fantasy cliches and formulas to avoid.
Tuesdays: Fantasy in the Media: talking about extra-literary fantasy, like art, film, and music, games, and its impact on culture.
Wednesdays: "Wordy Wednesday", talking about specific words associated with fantasy, their etymology, what they mean, why they're important to fantasy, etc.
Thursdays: Talking about fantasy I've read/am reading. Not a book review per se, since I'll be talking about episodes and pieces of books that I'm reading instead of the book as a whole.
Friday: "Factual Friday": this is when I'll talk about various facts, mostly about life in Medieval Europe, that help bring a dose of reality to a lot of fantasy which is set in a medieval type of setting, as well as other ways to make fantasy feel grounded in (un)reality.
I love fantasy, but I'm lazy and a procrastinator, so I also am writing this blog to kick myself in the butt and write consistently for my several projects. Maybe other fantasy fans/writers will get a kick in the butt from this blog too! I'll be back tomorrow to start talking about R. Scott Bakker's "The Prince of Nothing" trilogy, a great (and highly disturbing) read. Only recommended for those with strong stomachs!
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
I've commented in a couple other places, but I just thought I'd give you an official welcome. Welcome to Orble. Your blogs look fascinating, especially this one, as I myself write fantasy-dark fantasy, to be precise.
I hope you keep up your schedule. I had one of those, and I didn't keep the schedule for too long; my mind just doesn't work with schedules.
Looking forward to reading more,
~Dianna
Comment by Andrew Kerstetter
A New Poetics
Inkwing
Cinemuscle
Thanks for the welcome! Yeah I know it will be really difficult to keep on schedule, especially with my studies and all. But I feel that the actual writing of the blogs isn't the hard part, but just sitting down to do it. I can be an awfully lazy procrastinator.
I've read some of your Fictional Worlds posts, haven't left any comments yet...looking forward to more of that blog!