A Love Affair With Fantasy -part 2

by Carlie M A Cullen


In the first post of this two-part series, we looked at the origins of the fantasy genre. In this final article, we take the next step to see what made it the powerhouse it is today.

The arrival of magazines devoted to fantasy fiction played an important part in the development of the genre. The first English language one, Weird Tales, was created in 1923, and many others soon followed. These were instrumental in bringing fantasy fiction to a much wider audience in the UK and USA and also played a huge role in the rise of science fiction; it was about this time the two genres became associated with each other.

Many of the genre’s most prominent authors began their careers in these types of magazines, including H P Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber and Ray Bradbury.

Also around this time, several authors were beginning to push the boundaries of fantasy by incorporating humorous and satirical elements. One such novel, Jurgen by American author, James Branch Cabell, even became the subject of an unsuccessful prosecution for obscenity.
In the aftermath of WW1, British authors began publishing a large number of fantasy books aimed at an adult audience. Within the next decade, literary critics began to take more notice of fantasy as a genre and began to argue that it was worthy of consideration and unjustly considered suitable only for children.

By the 1950’s, sword and sorcery was reaching a much wider audience. Robert E Howard’s Conan the Barbarian is considered to have played a defining role in this subgenre with the vivid, larger-than-life action and adventure.

It was the advent of high fantasy and the popularity of Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings which finally catapulted the fantasy genre into the mainstream. These works unquestionably created ‘fantasy’ as a marketing category and they submerged all the works of fantasy written previously. One cannot overstate the impact Tolkien’s work had on the genre, and his books combined with several other successful series (C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast, and Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea), helped cement the genre’s popularity and paved the way for fantasy literature as we know it today.

Publishers began to search for new fantasy material, but it wasn’t until the 1977 release of The Sword of Shannara, they found the breakthrough success they’d been praying for. Terry Brook’s novel was the first fantasy book to top the New York Times bestseller list. As a result, the genre saw an explosion of titles being published in subsequent years.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, some works were notable for their departure from Tolkien’s idea of fantasy; Stephen R. Donaldson’s Lord, Foul’s Bane, Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood, and Glen Cook’s Black Company series, were a few of these.

The 1990’s saw the publication of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, and George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Interestingly, A Game of Thrones is considered ground-breaking for a new and different type of fantasy work, one which is more gritty and violent and less idealistic.

Fantasy’s niche market status has changed in recent years; owing greatly to J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books becoming the bestselling series of all time, fantasy is becoming more interwoven with mainstream fiction. In addition, the film adaptations of these and other fantasy novels, (Lord of the Rings, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), has enhanced this status further.

Now in 2013, fantasy is a multi-layered instrument encompassing many sub-genres and its popularity shows no sign of waning.


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 Carlie M A Cullen is the author of the novel Heart Search, blogger extraordinaire and loyal friend to many -both human and mythical.

A love affair with Fantasy -Part 1

by Carlie M A Cullen

As Josh and I both write in the fantasy genre, I thought it would be interesting to look at the history and origins of Modern Fantasy, and how the genre developed. So for this month’s post we look back to those early days when the roots of fantasy were mere tendrils in the publishing world; next month we’ll look at how fantasy grew into the powerhouse genre it is today.

Fantasy is one of the most popular genres of books today, yet it wasn’t until the 1950’s, when J. R. R. Tolkein published The Lord of the Rings series, that fantasy truly entered mainstream publishing.

The modern fantasy genre first took root in the eighteenth century, fuelled by fantastical travellers’ tales, finally unfurling and gaining recognition as a distinct genre in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Notable authors such as Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol) and William Makepeace Thackeray (The Rose and the Ring) included elements of the fantastic in their novels, but they were still classed as fairy tales. However, it was around this time, Hans Christian Andersen initiated a new style of fairy tale.

It wasn’t until the publication of Phantastes, by Scottish author, George MacDonald, that fantasy was accepted as a genre for anyone other than children; Phantastes is widely acknowledged to be the first fantasy novel ever written for adults. Interestingly, MacDonald was a major influence on J. R. R. Tolkein and C. S. Lewis.

1^st edition cover of Phantastes

Another major fantasy author of this era was William Morris. In many respects, Morris’s writing was an important milestone in the history of fantasy; while other authors wrote of dream worlds or foreign lands, Morris’s stories were the first to be set in an entirely fantasy world of his own invention. This began a new trend of writing in the genre.

Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde were really the forefathers of dark fantasy. Using fantastical elements in horror tales, they greatly influenced the likes of H. P. Lovecraft, and as such, created a separate branch or sub-genre of fantasy.

However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the twentieth century that fantasy fiction started to reach larger audiences. Also published around this time were several classic children’s fantasies, like J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this time, fantasy was still more accepted in juvenile literature; the terminology for the genre still wasn’t settled and as such, fantasies of this era were still termed fairy tales. Even as late as 1937 when The Hobbit was published, fairy tale was still being used to classify these types of novels.

                        

J R R Tolkein’s hand-drawn                                 First ‘printed’ cover in 1937

cover for The Hobbit


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 Carlie M A Cullen is the author of the novel Heart Search, blogger extraordinaire and loyal friend to many -both human and mythical.

Origins of Fantasy -where did it all begin?

By J. R. Wagner

Fantasy.

What are its origins? Who wrote the first fantasy novel?
These are questions both budding and existing fantasy authors should know.

First I think we need ta solid definition

I like this definition despite its source -The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979) -yes, the Soviets.  I've broken it into two parts because the first part is more or less the definition and the second speaks of its origins (albeit a wordy piece of writing).

Fantasy: a type of fiction that ideologically and aesthetically subordinates reality to imagination by depicting a world of marvels that is contrasted to everyday reality and to accepted views of what is credible.

Fantasy literature originated in popular myths, as expressed in the fairy tale and the heroic epic. It is the product of many centuries of popular literary creativity. At the same time, fantasy literature is a continuation of that creativity, utilizing and renewing traditional mythological and fairy-tale characters, themes, and plots and combining them with elements from history and contemporary life. The result is a series of archetypes that combine fantasy and verisimilitude, that conform to the moral and aesthetic principles of an imaginary universe, and that constitute a continuously developing literary mosaic.

Based upon this definition, the fantasy genre is rather wide open.  We could speak of Celtic, Roman, Greek(641BC-331AD) and Egyptian(2686-2181 BC) stories containing creatures that contrast everyday reality.

I often think of the Iliad and Odyssey as early fantasy writing.

The Iliad dates back to 650 BC and its counterpart the Odyssey dates to 630 BC according to Andrew Dalby, author of Rediscovering Homer.  












This is an excellent excerpt about the genre from FindMeAnAuthor.com

"Though the genre in its modern sense is less than two centuries old, its precedents have a long and distinguished history. Fantasy Fiction has a rich history of inspirations for critics to dissect and apply to the modern genre. It is often examined as the modern counterpart to mythology, but whether one of these practices inspired the other, and which inspired which, is hotly debated.

With its roots in myth and legend, fantasy is the most elemental of all the genres. It is certainly interesting that many people for many generations believed in myth and legend in a way that dramatically affected their life and their culture.

One thing is certain: there is something timeless about stories that pit motivating heroes who face long odds against dynamic villains. (It could also be argued that this is the elementary basis of most commercial fiction genres.) Good is good and evil is evil. Eventually there is often a happy ending although important secondary characters may have been killed.

Stories of the Odyssey, Arthur, and the like have influenced and shaped culture for centuries. Heroic fantasy yearns for a time of rigid class distinction, when good and evil were a part of breeding. When the strong ruled the weak and weak lived happily - providing rustic atmosphere in the way good peasants should. In fantasy, the reader may return to a simpler time - the world as we wish it might be."

Grimms' Fairy Tales, The Brothers Grim -1812

 One non-modern era publication that cannot be ignored is this Kinder- und Hausmärchen (German for Children's and Household Tales) commonly known today as Grimms Märchen: Grimms' Fairy Tales published in 1812. These stories have influenced writers of all genres for generations.  Even today stories and films based upon these tales.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll -1865

 A Final non-modern era publication that has influenced many, many authors is titled Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by-Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known as Lewis Caroll. The story is better known as Alice in Wonderland published in 1865. Many spin-off books and films have come as a result of this novel as well.










 
The Modern Era of Fantasy

Looking forward 60 years we come to the first fantasy novel in the modern era.  Over and over again I hear the name George MacDonald as the first author to publish a fantasy novel in the modern era.

The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald 1872

Amazon blurb:  

One of the most successful and beloved of Victorian fairy tales, George Macdonald’s The Princess and the Goblin tells the story of young Princess Irene and her friend Curdie, who must outwit the threatening goblins who live in caves beneath her mountain home. Macdonald’s pioneering use of fanstasy as a literary medium had a great influence on Lewis Carroll (his later works, I'm assuming), J. R. R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L’Engle, all great admirers of his work, which has remained popular to this day. "I write, not for children," he wrote, "but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy-five."

Others say the first true fantasy novel published in the modern era was written by  
William Morris.

The Wood beyond the World , William Morris 1894

Amazon blurb

The Wood Beyond the World was first published in 1894 and its author, William Morris is often considered one of the authors who aided in the growth of fantasy, utopian literature, and science fiction. C.S. Lewis cites William Morris as one of his favorite authors and J.R.R. Tolkein admits to being influenced greatly by Morris' fantasies. The hero of this romance is named Golden Walter, son of Bartholomew Golden, a great merchant in the town of Langton on Holm. Tired of his mundane life, Walter sets out on a sea voyage, anxious to see and learn more of the outside world, eventually winning for himself the kingdom of Stark-Wall and the love of a beautiful maiden. 

A seldom mentioned story when referring to fantasy that actually cut its teeth as a play in 1904 and was soon adapted and expanded to a novel in 1911.  It was written by J. M. Barrie. The title: Peter and Wendy (now known as Peter Pan).

Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie -1904

 Peter Pan fits the definition of a fantasy novel as well as any other and I'm sure has provided countless writers with inspiration. 

There are over 30 published works based on Peter Pan as well as over a dozen films including my favorite simply called; Peter Pan.

A Voyage to Arcturus, David Lindsay-1920

A Voyage to Arcturus is a novel by Scottish writer David Lindsay, first published in 1920. It combines fantasy, philosophy, and science fiction in an exploration of the nature of good and evil and their relationship with existence. It has been described by critic and philosopher Colin Wilson as the "greatest novel of the twentieth century", and was a central influence on C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy.Also J. R. R. Tolkien said he read the book "with avidity", and praised it as a work of philosophy, religion, and morality.

 Why is this particular book important?  Well, there are two names cited as being influenced by this novel that may be familiar.  C.S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien; two of the biggest names in modern fantasy.

The Hobbit,  J. R. R. Tolkien-1937

 

  I have personally read this book over a dozen times -most of them as an early teen.  To many, The Hobbit is the bible of fantasy. The Hobbit launched the fantasy genre into the mainstream and influenced thousands of writers, artists and filmmakers. Tolkien's follow-up novels -The Lord of The Rings trilogy are similarly influential and monumental.

 

 

 

 

 

The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis -1950

 It is a well known fact that C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were friends during their writing career.  The Chronicles of Narnia includes some phenomenal pieces of writing and some not so phenomenal.  The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe being the most well known of the series.  Despite the ebbing and flowing of the popularity within the series, one cannot question the influence his storytelling has had on generations of readers.

 

 

 

A wrinkle in time, Madeline L'Engle -1962

 I realize one could just as easily call this novel science-fiction as they could fantasy, however I believe it should be included mostly due to its influence on future works. This novel touches on complex concepts in a way that still enables young readers to enjoy the story.  After reading A Wrinkle in Time as an adult, I was amazed at how truly rich a story it is.