Realms of Fantasy

1
Realms of Fantasy

• By
• John M. Busch

2
Fantasy

• Unlike science fiction, fantasy deals with that
  which is not possible.
• Fantasy tends to focus on inhabitants of another
  world which is not bound by the rules of physics
  that govern our reality.

3
Subgenres

• As with science fiction, fantasy is divided into
  different categories, from sword and sorcery to
  historical to wuxia.

4
Ancient Myths

• Obviously, the fantasy genre dates back to the
  time of the ancient myths. These tales of heroes
  facing monsters as they go on quests were the
  archetypes of such stories.

5
Medieval Legends

• Clearly the legends of Arthur and the Knights of
  the Round Table, Charlemagne, Roland, and Beowulf
  were strong influences on the genre as well.

6
Fairy Tales

• The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans
  Christian Anderson could be viewed as
  predecessors of the modern fantasy novel.

7
L. Frank Baum

• Baum is famous for creating the world of Oz in
  fourteen novels from 1900-1920.
• Ruth Plumly Thompson then continued the series,
  adding eighteen more titles to the run.

8
Robert E. Howard

• Getting his start in 1928 by writing in pulp
  magazines, Howard became well known for his tales
  of heroes such as Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane.
• Unfortunately, he committed suicide eight years
  later.

9
Clark Ashton Smith

• A contemporary of Howard and H. P. Lovecraft,
  Smith gathered acclaim through his contributions
  to Weird Tales and other pulp magazines.
• The three authors became good friends, and
  actually shared the same literary world.

10
J. R. R. Tolkien

• Earning his living as a professor of medieval
  literature, Tolkien used his expertise to create
  the classics, The Hobbit and The Lord of the
  Rings.
• In his trilogy, he actually created the Elvish
  language which is thoroughly described in the
  appendices.

11
C. S. Lewis

• A friend and colleague of Tolkien, Lewis created
  his own fantasy world in the seven books of
  Narnia.
• His novels have a much more allegorical slant
  than those of his friends.

12
Ursula K. LeGuin

• Also well regarded for her works in science
  fiction, LeGuin is noted for her Earthsea novels
  that fall under the fantasy genre.

13
Piers Anthony

• Another writer who has dabbled in science
  fiction, Anthony claim to fame certainly rests
  with his Xanth series, in which he makes use of
  his sharp wit to present typical fantasy
  situations in a highly comic fashion.
• His Incarnations of Immortality series presented
  a more serious study of the nature of God, the
  devil, nature, time, war, fate and death.

14
Lloyd Alexander

• Delving into childrens fantasy, Alexander
  created The Chronicles of Prydain, which include
  The Black Cauldron. These are based loosely on
  Welsh legends.

15
Michael Moorcock

• Moorcock created a series of books focusing on
  his Eternal Champion, a hero who has multiple
  identities in various realities.
• The most famous incarnation of this protagonist
  is Elric, the sickly albino who strives to fight
  evil.

16
Terry Pratchett

• Pratchett has a Monty Python sensibility toward
  the fantasy genre as he develops the adventures
  that take place on Discworld, a flat planet that
  rides on the backs of four elephants that
  likewise are on the back a giant cosmic turtle.

17
J. K. Rowling

• Allegedly, Rowling had difficulty in making a
  living until she published Harry Potter and the
  Sorcerer's Stone in 1997. Since then she has
  become the second richest female entertainer in
  the world according to Forbes.

18
Terry Goodkind

• Currently ten novels and one novella make up
  Goodkinds Sword of Truth series. Although each
  of these is self-contained in itself, Goodkind
  connects them all through the continuing
  development and interactions of a vast array of
  characters.

19
Terry Brooks

• In 1977, Brooks began his famous series by
  publishing The Sword of Shannara, a fantasy novel
  that is set after the fall of mankind in the
  future.

20
Stephen R. Donaldson

• His chief protagonist in his Wounded Land series
  is Thomas Covenant, an unsympathetic leper who
  serves as the series anti-hero. In this way, he
  turns the conventions of the fantasy novel on
  their head.