I'll be giving brief summaries and comments on the chapters of Farah Mendlesohn and Edward James's A Short History of Fantasy (2009, Middlesex University Press).
In their introduction, the authors consider the rising popularity of fantasy literature since the 1980's and the embarrassment some in the publishing industry and literary circles feel about it. It seems that fantasy started eclipsing science fiction and horror from the 1980's until the early 2000's where it clearly sold far more than these other speculative fiction genres.
As for embarrassment, they mention that literary critics refuse to acknowledge that certain pieces of literary fiction are in fact fantastical. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is mentioned as a work of fantasy that received critical praise and also some denials that it was in fact fantasy. Apparently, only the presence of dragons and dwarves counts in the minds of some critics.
And Tolkien himself sought to dispel the notion that fairy stories are only for children, but according to the authors of A Short History of Fantasy, the embarrassment discussion continues. Fantasy literature is still regarded by some as adolescent material.
When it comes to defining "fantasy," the authors give us a number of suggestions from various experts and scholars. A basic one is literature and art "with the presence of the impossible and the unexplainable." This is said to rule out science fiction, where the "impossible" is nonetheless explainable. Some attempt a historical definition and have settled on the middle of the eighteenth century when, in response to the Enlightenment, fantastical stories and ideas became acceptable for literature and art. A number of academic theories are also mentioned.
One that caught my eye: Rosemary Jackson, who calls fantasy a "literature of desire." I like that definition very much and find it correlates with an idea by C.S. Lewis about desire, joy, and satisfaction. She also says it is subversive literature in that it offers an escape and an alternative to the "real world." And that, of course, brings Tolkien and his famous essay, "On Fairy Stories," to mind.
The authors say they intent to "fill a gap" in the secondary material by giving a concise account of the emergence and nature of fantasy literature over time. Their beginning is mid-eighteenth century and they discuss literature up into the early 2000's.
Stay tuned for more . . .
Comments