Fantasy Literature

Art and Pornography presents a series of essays
which investigate the artistic status and aesthetic
dimension of pornographic pictures, films, and
literature, and explores the distinction, if there is
any, between pornography and erotic art. Is there
any overlap between art and pornography, or are
the two mutually exclusive? If they are, why is
that? If they are not, how might we characterize
pornographic art or artistic pornography, and how
might pornographic art be distinguished, if at all,
from erotic art? Can there be aesthetic experience of
pornography? What are some of the psychological,
social, and political consequences of the creation and
appreciation of erotic art or artistic pornography?
Leading scholars from around the world address these
questions, and more, and bring together different
aesthetic perspectives and approaches to this widely
consumed, increasingly visible, yet aesthetically
underexplored cultural domain. The book, the first
of its kind in philosophical aesthetics, will contribute
to a more accurate and subtle understanding of the
many representations that incorporate explicit sexual
imagery and themes, in both high art and demotic
culture, in Western and non-Western contexts. It is
sure to stir debate, and healthy controversy.

With dragons, dogs, wolves, ravens, and so many more, animal symbolism is endlessly significant in Game of Thrones. Discover their meanings in heraldry, in Celtic myth, and other clever correspondences. What do red, green, black, and grey symbolize, in heraldry and fiction? Why does Daenerys wear so much blue? What about golden roses? As George R.R. Martin’s characters chomp on bloody beef, blood oranges, red wine, beets, and pomegranates, they foreshadow the inevitable bloodbaths. Thus the intricately crafted world of books and show has endless depth, revealed in this spoiler-free talk for fans of every flavor. (This is a free powerpoint of a presentation I've done--this is also a book, written by me, with this title).

Despite Prachett's popularity, his commercial success never fully matched his critical acclaim. This is partly due to critics often still having difficulty with seeing past the 'fantasy' label of most of his novels. What is more, the corpus of his work has, as of yet, not generated the amount of scholarly comment that one might expect due to the public reaction to his death. And although there are a number of academics who have already taken it upon themselves to analyse the Discworld series, for instance, in terms of its potential significance for the fantasy genre and even its political and social implications, more detailed analyses of Pratchett's linguistic style to this day remain quite scarce. This paper provides an attempt to close this gap a tiny bit by providing an overview over the usage of figurative language in his novels with which he imbued his
humorous observations, his playful puns and his usage of idioms and for which he will be remembered just as much as for his narrative capabilities.

This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the organisation and development of the spiritual Tolkien milieu, a largely online-situated network of individuals and groups that draw on J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary mythology for spiritual inspiration. It is the first academic treatment of Tolkien spirituality and one of the first mono¬graphs on fiction-based religion, a type of religion that uses fiction as authori¬ta¬tive texts. Adopting a semiotic approach to religion, the book raises questions about the persuasive power of narrative, about religious blending, and about rationalisation of beliefs. How can some readers come to believe that supernatural agents from fictional narratives are real? How do fiction-based religions emerge when their authoritative texts lack important religious building-blocks, such as descriptions of rituals? And how do adherents of fiction-based religions legitimise their beliefs, given the fact that their religion is based on fiction? In short, with Tolkien religion as a case the dissertation aims to uncover the semio¬tic structures and processes involved in the construction and maintenance of fiction-based religion, and the social structures that sup¬port the plausibility of such religion.

Quattro chiacchere sull'urban fantasy con Luca Tarenzi e Aislinn Ovvero, come approfittare del lancio dell'antologia Terra Senza Cielo per chiacchierare di urban fantasy e del nostro modo di accettare il nuovo e il diverso L'anteprima di un nuovo libro è un'ottima scusa per incontrare due tra i maggiori autori del fantasy italiano, soprattutto se si tratta della preview di Terra senza Cielo, l'antologia che Luca Tarenzi e Aislinn hanno lanciato in anteprima al Lucca Comics and Games e che sarà disponibile in cartaceo da maggio 2019. Antologia a quattro mani o esperimento di metaletteratura dialogata? L'idea di un'opera a quattro mani, ci racconta Aislinn, nasce durante una chiacchierata davanti a un sushi. Un'antologia di racconti già pubblicati in altre antologie, ormai introvabili, con una sola regola: il numero di pagine a disposizione dei due autori deve essere la stessa; non importa la quantità dei racconti, ma lo spazio nell'antologia sarà perfettamente diviso a metà. E quindi, perché non aggiungere qualche racconto inedito? Una collezione di racconti che sia anche la fotografia dell'evoluzione dello stile e dei temi dei due scrittori, ma anche la storia della loro collaborazione: riprendere in mano vecchi testi, limarli, ma lasciare che raccontino il momento in cui sono stati scritti. Così scopriamo, per esempio, la storia di Lucifero, che lega tra loro i due Angelize (avete scovato la strizzata d'occhio ai romanzi in Né al Dio né al Diavolo?); ma anche un racconto su Azazel, rimasto nel cassetto per dieci anni, che prende forma proprio grazie alla collaborazione tra i due autori (e che troverete come bonus track solo nella versione cartacea dell'antologia). Terra senza Cielo è quindi un enorme puzzle del percorso narrativo di Luca Tarenzi e Aislinn, di cui ogni frammento viene raccontato nell'introduzione a ciascun racconto: non solo narrativa, quindi, ma una sorta di storia della storia, che procede con botte e risposte tra i due autori, fino a diventare un vero esperimento di metaletteratura dialogata. Un esperimento che culmina quindi in un mescolamento delle carte in gioco: ognuno dei due autori scrive un racconto che ha come protagonista il personaggio di un libro dell'altro. E quindi, ecco che Tom di Né al Dio né al Diavolo prende forma nelle mani di Luca Tarenzi, mentre Giacomo di Di Metallo e Stelle rivive nella penna di Aislinn. I due scrittori spiegano le difficoltà di questo lavoro: capire, profondamente, l'ambientazione dell'altro, attraverso appunti, mappe, discussioni, ma anche entrare nella storia e immaginarne sviluppi successivi che possano essere condivisi da chi ha partorito il personaggio nella sua mente. Ma…e l'urban fantasy? Come tradizione ormai consolidata per i due autori, il genere dell'antologia è l'urban fantasy ed è Luca Tarenzi, con la consueta passione (e competenza) a spiegarci il motivo della sua propensione per questo genere. Uno dei possibili presupposti della narrativa fantastica (di cui avevamo parlato anche con Fabio Guaglione e Maurizio Temporin, autori di IF, la Fondazione Immaginaria) è la presa di coscienza che la realtà in cui viviamo non ci soddisfa e questo ci porta a tre possibili reazioni: possiamo crearne una nuova (la strada del fantasy); possiamo portare la nostra alle sue estreme conseguenze (in una distopia o, più in generale, nella fantascienza); oppure, e questo è il

CU Boulder - FREN1200
Offered FA2014, FA2015, FA2016
Course Description: The popularity of George RR Martin's fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire and its Emmy-winning HBO adaptation Game of Thrones shows us that major themes from medieval stories still resonate with audiences a thousand years after their composition. This course will examine major epic and romance texts of the Middle Ages such as Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and The Death of King Arthur. We will aim to understand the rich literary tradition that has led to our modern interest in dragons, knights, heroes and magic. We will also look at how representations of medieval culture in contemporary series such as Game of Thrones influence our conceptions (and misconceptions) of the Middle Ages. Much like Sansa, we will find that the stories do not necessarily reflect the reality.

A collection of eight fairy-tales for children, mirroring the close relationship among grandparents and their offspring somehow. It shows an infinite need for love expressed by sensations such as tenderness, as well as a struggle against negative feelings such as envy. A golden island of enchantment acts as the ideal background to it with its green hills, shining meadows, castles, grain fields and small planets. Stories have a spontaneous origin and convey emotional messages reaching people deep inside, their subconscious, simply by means of brilliant artistry as far as their narration is concerned. Everything revolves around fantasy, too, since it is a powerful source of inspiration, an active force driving the book, the real essence of what the human mind is truly capable of shaping once free from rationality giving a logical order and explanation to everything, even what comes from the meanders of the soul.

Сюжет повернення істинного короля, як один з провідних в літературі фентезі, є відгалуженням міфологічного мотиву зв’язку людини та землі. На тлі цього сюжету тема взаємин дитини-протагоніста та істинної чи злочинної влади набуває нового звучання через поєднання з мотивом ініціації героя. В статті здійснюється огляд реалізації подібних сюжетів у фентезі останньої чверті ХХ ст. в творах Д. Вінн Джонс та В. Крапівіна. Зіставлення дозволяє зробити припущення про особливості мотиву ініціації героя.
Ключові слова: фентезі, Діана Вінн Джонс, Владіслав Крапівін, архетип Короля, мотив зв’язку людини і землі, ініціація.

One of the most deeply ingrained and most often bemoaned patterns in modern fantasy is its propensity to project violence as a solution. The tacit or explicit glorifi­cation of " rightful " violence has usually been accompanied by a host of attitudes that promulgate war as the basic metaphor of group activity. Yet, human interac­tion can also be described by metaphors of peace and through stories in which characters employ means other than violence to deal with aggression and situ­ations of hurt. Focusing on Nancy Farmer's The Saxon Saga—The Sea of Trolls (2004), The Land of the Silver Apples (2007) and The Island of the Blessed (2009)— this essay examines the metaphors of peace Farmer employs to suggest that the work of peace requires a whole new way of looking at the world. Although the novels are set in a world torn by violent conflicts, they offer compelling alternatives to violence. Through the adventures of the protagonist Jack, the servant of the life­ force and a mediator between three different cultures, readers are invited to appreciate the idea that non­violent means can be highly effective as regards stan­ding up against evil and achieving the greater good.

Whole text of THE LAST UNICORN with Japanese commentary through which the novel's peculiar metafictional structure and subtle antifantasy traits are examined to suggest the pleroma motif in this speculative fantasy work.

Beginning of the text is uploaded.

I added the part of the text of the Annotated Last Unicorn, in which the unicorn comes across with the butterfly. It is furnished with annotations, explaining the sources of the rambling lines uttered by the butterfly.

Within the framework of fantasy literature, aspects of magic may take on the garb of science and serve as functional explanations of the principles and laws by which the world is governed. This raises the question of how knowledge about the world and its natural laws is acquired, used, transmitted or hidden. Knowledge, of course, is inevitably connected with language, and the basically creationist origin of Tolkien’s world indicates the existence of a true language with a non-arbitrary form of signification, the knowledge of which equals the knowledge of the world and its underlying principles. The quest for true knowledge then turns into a kind of archaeological endeavour, piecing together the fragments of ancient language and lore, while the search for new knowledge is inevitably destructive and thus linked to evil. This presentation of knowledge unquestionably adds to the internal coherence of the texts, but undermines all claims that Tolkien’s work might offer useful solutions to pressing modern problems, as the premises of his fictional world and ours are ultimately irreconcilable.

The 9th issue of Fantasy Art and Studies gathers the proceedings of the symposium "Représentations animales dans les mondes imaginaires" (Université d'Artois, November 2019) organised by Marie-Lucie Bougon, Charlotte Duranton and Laura Muller-Thoma. It explores the animal theme in Fantasy fiction with papers dealing with the link between woman and dragon in Game of Thrones and Robin Hobb's works, the swine animalisation of Orcs, the bestiary of Harry Potter...
It also includes short stories, including a new tale by Charlotte Bousquet, a figure of the French Fantasy scene, and the new chapter of Guillaume Labrude's comics, plus beautiful illustrations by Océane Azeau, GaëlleC., Antoine Pelloux, Guillaume Labrude, Guillaume Sallah Thomas, Princesse Mandragore Art and Véronique Thill who signs the cover art.

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Le 9e numéro de Fantasy Art and Studies rassemble les actes du colloque "Représentations animales dans les mondes imaginaires" (Université d'Artois, novembre 2019) organisé par Marie-Lucie Bougon, Charlotte Duranton et Laura Muller-Thoma. Il explore la thématique animale dans la Fantasy à travers des articles sur le lien entre femme et dragon dans Game of Thrones et l'oeuvre de Robin Hobb, l'animalisation porcine des Orques, le bestiaire de Harry Potter...
Il inclut également des nouvelles, dont un récit inédit de Charlotte Bousquet, figure majeure de la Fantasy française, et le nouveua chapitre de la BD de Guillaume Labrude, ainsi que de superbes illustrations d'Océane Azeau, GaëlleC., Antoine Pelloux, Guillaume Labrude, Guillaume Sallah Thomas, Princesse Manadragore Art et Véronique Thill qui signe l'illustration de couverture.

This paper aims to address the mythopoeic aspect of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, so as to disclose the elements of American cultural identity embedded in the novel. It is an attempt to analyse its legends, myths, folklore, popular culture figures, intertwined with Old World mythology, assessing their viability as modern myths, through the lens of formalist and structuralist reading.

Throughout the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkein, the reader is tossed back and forth between the company of two hobbits and their fellowship with a wizard, a man, an elf, and a dwarf. While the fellowship is composed of various characters of noble statures who all make moral choices, Samwise Gamgee seems to take on one of the most interesting roles in the narrative. From the very beginning, he is shown as a sidekick character, devout follower, and the best example of what a “Hobbit” should be. But throughout the books, he shows that he is more than just this sidekick. He makes tough decisions during his quest with Frodo Baggins (soon joined by Gollum), and these ultimately affect the outcome of their quest. It is his love, devotion, hope, and loyalty to Frodo that helps get the little company to Mt. Doom to ultimately destroy the ring. All of these traits are extensively exemplified throughout the Bible as basic teachings and moral understandings, and Sam showcases these actions and feelings in a beautiful sense.

Is  it possible for the elite criticism of the new modernist studies to engage with devotees of popular culture and fantasy fiction? Can the faeries and dragons of the bestseller lists talk shop with the coteries and little magazines of high modernism? What if their conversation was about anarchism? What surprising fellowship would that trilogy make? Such a dialogue would question root assumptions in all three areas and unearth a legacy of politically radical and formally experimental modernist fantasy fiction, a red thread running from the 1890s to the 1970s.

The recuperation of that lost tradition is as important as revising the critical traditions that excluded it from the start. The exclusion of fantasy fiction written by modernists like Hope Mirrlees and John Cowper Powys challenges how we understand modernism itself. The endless definitions of genre and rhetorics in fantasy and science fiction are also transformed here by modernist studies, as a catalyst. In both stances, anarchist critical and artistic praxis conjures a pathway to flexible new links between fields and ideas. Scholars and students of literary modernism, popular culture, critical & cultural theory, and anarchism will find a provocative challenge in A Modernist Fantasy.

In fantasy literature, the setting is as important to the story as are character and plot. This article demonstrates how topofocal (place-focused) perspectives yield valuable insights into various fantasy texts. The examples include discussions on how the nature/culture relationship is tied to the ideological centre in Charles de Lint’s Newford stories; how a careful examination of Sauron’s land in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings reveals how the text views the nature of evil; and how the structure of the land develops along with the stories in the Mythago Wood novels by Robert Holdstock. In a genre where there are no limits to the shape a setting can take, the central question must be: Why is it shaped the way it is?

This essay examines a deeper narrative-theological endeavor which lies behind L’Engle’s Time Quartet, arguing that L'Engle was serious when she claimed that her fantasies were her theology. The Quartet is discussed on two levels. On one of them it reflects a search, through story, for a modern Christian universalist theology that would be compatible with science. On another level, L'Engle uses fantasy to express concerns with how technology and science, if misused, may jeopardize the humanness of humanity, if not the survival of the human race.

This chapter explores the pursuit of knowledge in Pullman’s His Dark Materials, with a particular focus on scientific enquiry. This form of understanding represents a key epistemology in the series, although by no means the only one: other forms of knowledge – philosophical, poetic, sexual and so on – are also crucial to the narrative and often add nuance to the portrayals of science readers encounter. I explore the shifting ground Pullman covers, firstly by surveying the world of science in His Dark Materials; then by considering the key scientist figures (professional and amateur) in the trilogy and finally, by analysing the characterisation of Lyra and Will as natural enquirers. I suggest that the increasing importance of ‘connectedness’ can usefully be related to recent moves by some scientists to attempt a ‘theory of everything’.

Published in C. Butler and T. Halsdorf (eds.) Philip Pullman: a New Casebook (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) 58-75

This paper aims to address the rewriting and reinterpreting of the Apocalypse, from the Book of Revelation in Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Reinterpreting, reworking and rewriting of legends, myths and fairy tales represent one of the main characteristics of fantasy fiction. Although apocalypse as a plot device has been widely used in popular culture, in Pratchett and Gaiman's work it is used to provoke a discussion challenging the Christian representation of the world. The novel engages in a polyphonic, intertextual debate on the subject, subverting, reinventing and reinterpreting previous literary tradition. The approach is rather humorous, disguising such a philosophic debate under a witty wordplay. In Pratchett and Gaiman's version of the apocalypse, the Antichrist is represented by a child going on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results. His Hellhound becomes a simple pet, whereas Aziraphale, an angel, living on earth as a bookshop owner, has got a demon as a best friend-Crowley. The novel will be examined through the lens of formalist and structuralist reading, in order to analyse its reinterpreting of apocalypse as a modern myth.

Le roi Arthur : un mythe contemporain
(cinéma, séries télévisées, bandes dessinées)
UE libre pour le Bureau des enseignements transversaux de l’université Paris 3 Sorbonne-Nouvelle


Descriptif :
Cinéma, séries télévisées, univers ludiques, romans, bandes dessinées, le Moyen Âge rêvé semble aujourd’hui être présent sur de vastes portions des horizons culturels, sociaux et politiques. Ce phénomène, appelé médiévalisme, que l’on retrouve aussi bien dans la littérature généralistes, l’architecture, que dans la fantasy (Le Seigneur des Anneaux, Game of Thrones), ou la science-fiction (Star Wars, Star Trek) a aussi une histoire. Il touche d’abord l’Occident à partir de la fin du XVIIIe siècle pour se répandre, deux cents ans plus tard, sur l’ensemble du globe. La mythologie arthurienne, qui, au Moyen âge, était confinée à une petite élite dans les frontières de l’Europe occidentale, suscite ainsi aujourd’hui une adhésion massive et des versions réactualisées en Amérique et au Japon. Un tel phénomène n’a rien d’anodin et mérite que l’on s’y attarde.

What can be done and what is being done to alter the depictions of fat characters as evil, negligible or comedic in fantasy fiction?  Despite being a genre in which almost anything is possible, fantasy fiction is still yet to embrace fat protagonists or characters that have evolved from anything other than a number of “fat tropes” which have existed for decades, trailing far behind other genres in term of diversity.  From classic high fantasy like, “The Lord of the Rings,” in which hero Frodo is noted for being especially slender when compared to other members of his traditionally rotund species, to modern series such as, “Harry Potter,” in which larger characters are portrayed a either unsympathetic bullies or incapable cowards, fat characters are demoted to the role of amusing side-kick or an even more minor character, normally with a deep-seated loathing or unease about their weight.  Characters with the tenacity to feel comfortable in their own bodies are relegated to the role of antagonist or a fetishistic love interest. In the rare cases that a fat character makes it as a protagonist, such as in Robin Hobb’s “Soldier Son Trilogy,” the characters are universally unhappy with their size and their weight loss is used as a short cut to character development.  With YA fantasy a burgeoning genre representing fat people as relatable and realistic protagonists in a fantasy setting becomes of greater import as those books reach a wider and more impressionable audience.  Why are so few novels picking up this slack?