Week 3

How has fantasy as a genre been defined? Find at least five formative definitions in Attebery (1980).

Attebery (1980) starts off by saying that fantasy cannot be specifically defined without some degree of imprecision. In his first definition of fantasy he throws around a few general key words such as ‘genre’, ‘technique’ and ‘state of mind’. He then goes on to say that an easy way to show someone what he means by fantasy would be to present his bookshelf containing such books as The Lord of The Rings, The Wind in the Willows and Narnia (Attebery, 1980). Attebery (1980) then cites W. R. Irwin as saying that the most important attribute of fantasy is “an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility” (Attebery, 1980, p. 3). This basically means that fantasy must be based on an idea that seems impossible within our scope of reality. There are many of these impossible ideas that can be incorporated into a fantasy narrative, such as mythical creatures, inanimate objects with unusual attributes such as speech or movement, events that are physically impossible; just anything that we as humans know could never exist in our own reality. It is important for these impossible ideas to be presented as though there is nothing abnormal about them, that, in this world that has been created, these things are as real and normal as blue skies or toast.

Attebery (1980) also points out that fantasy should inspire a sense of wonder in us, a wonder that comes from viewing these unreal and fantastical worlds. This also comes from our curiosity of the unknown that must be presented in a fantasy narrative, however it should appeal to the fears and yearnings of human life. Fantasy also has the ability, not only to entertain us, but also to fulfill our intellectual and moral inclinations. Overall, fantasy aims to portray philosophical and moral conflicts and ideas that we can relate to, but by presenting them in interesting and impossible ways (Attebery, 1980).


How is science fiction different from fantasy, according to Le Guin (http://www.ursulakleguin.com/PlausibilityRevisited.html)?

Le Guin (2005) states that science fiction has a degree of realism in its narrative, presenting situations that the reader thinks is plausible despite often being set in the distant future or in outer space. Because we view the future as mysterious and unknown, the science fiction that is set in the future has nothing to compare itself to. We can create anything we like there, since in our reality, that time is still unwritten. So basically we create these worlds in different galaxies, hundreds and thousands of years into the future and we can believe it because for all we know it could be like that in the future. Science fiction also portrays the behaviours that we can recognize whilst also explaining away any behaviour that could be seen as implausible (Le Guin, 2005).

In contrast, fantasy doesn’t even pretend to be plausible; there is no pretence that these things took place or ever will take place (Le Guin, 2005). Fantasy is meant to be at odds with the real world and so long as the reader knows this, they can be free to fall completely into that world. However, even though the characters in a fantasy are often nonhuman, their behaviour still tends to be human (Le Guin, 2005). I think this is unavoidable, as we want to give human attributes to everything because we can’t help ourselves. Yet Le Guin (2005) points out that when the original idea is maintained throughout the narrative, and the story is coherent, fantasy can achieve plausibility.

References

Attebery, B. (1980). Locating the Fantasy. In The fantasy tradition in American literature: From Irving to Le Guinn (pp.2-9). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Le Guin, U. (2005). Ursula K. Le Guin: Plausibility Revisited. Wha Hoppen and What Didin’t. Retrieved from http://www.ursulakleguin.com/PlausibilityRevisited.html