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Climate change, income disparity, terminal illnesses and continued wars all plague our world. The means by which we typically understand such phenomenon is through science. We have created vast canons of academic texts in fields like psychology, sociology, and other social sciences. Even politics is now "political science." Anything that cannot be codified or empirically researched is not deemed worthy of discussion. It is this over-emphasis on science that creates a boom in fantasy literature.
Fantasy writing is also a "special skill," according to Chadbourn (2008). "Being able to see beyond the boundaries of the world around us" requires a different approach to writing than other genres (Chadbourn 2008). Many reluctant readers find that fantasy liberates them from the tyranny of science. As the new religion of the world, science demystifies. Many readers find reading mundane because it too closely...
The otherworldly aspect of these genres may be too detached from daily life for some readers to understand. Some readers might also not relate to the symbols and codes used by fantasy and science fiction writers. I have always devoured works of historical fiction because they re-create the world of the past and make that universe relevant. Although I appreciate historical fiction more than fantasy, the two genres are not totally dissimilar. When I read a work of historical fiction, I encounter names, places, imagery, and motifs that are not present in any work that is set in the 21st century. While the author does not stretch the boundaries of physics to convey the central themes of the novel, the author does appeal to my sense of imagination. This is what all good fiction should…
Chadbourn is absolutely correct about the role fantasy plays in the modern world. The reason why fantasy has surpassed all other genres, including science fiction, in sales is partly related to the nature of the world we live in today. Climate change, income disparity, terminal illnesses and continued wars all plague our world. The means by which we typically understand such phenomenon is through science. We have created vast canons of academic texts in fields like psychology, sociology, and other social sciences. Even politics is now "political science." Anything that cannot be codified or empirically researched is not deemed worthy of discussion. It is this over-emphasis on science that creates a boom in fantasy literature.
Fantasy writing is also a "special skill," according to Chadbourn (2008). "Being able to see beyond the boundaries of the world around us" requires a different approach to writing than other genres (Chadbourn 2008). Many reluctant readers find that fantasy liberates them from the tyranny of science. As the new religion of the world, science demystifies. Many readers find reading mundane because it too closely resembles the predictable world of science.
Of course, not all readers enjoy fantasy and science fiction. The otherworldly aspect of these genres may be too detached from daily life for some readers to understand. Some readers might also not relate to the symbols and codes used by fantasy and science fiction writers. I have always devoured works of historical fiction because they re-create the world of the past and make that universe relevant. Although I appreciate historical fiction more than fantasy, the two genres are not totally dissimilar. When I read a work of historical fiction, I encounter names, places, imagery, and motifs that are not present in any work that is set in the 21st century. While the author does not stretch the boundaries of physics to convey the central themes of the novel, the author does appeal to my sense of imagination. This is what all good fiction should share in common.
The massive mollusks still do seem fantastical. Several of the irrational elements of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea seemed more outrageous in the 19th century they do now. However, the novel continues to encapsulate the fantasy and science fiction genres because of its willingness to expand the boundary of what is real. Interestingly, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea did not stretch those boundaries much further than hard science has. On