BOUNDARIES OF FANTASY
Defining Fantasy
- What is fantasy? Samantha Brethel, Alexe Brode, Steve Grzybowski, Derek Herzog, Christy Hewitt, Luke Hider, George M., Victoria Rader, Casey Takacs, Steph Ward
- How ought fantasy to be defined? Steve Grzybowski, Luke Hider, George M., Victoria Rader, Casey Takacs
- What characteristics/features must a work have--what conventions must it adhere to or expectations meet--to be considered fantasy? Samantha Brethel, Derek Herzog, Christy Hewitt, Luke Hider, Victoria Rader
- What's the "recipe" for fantasy? Victoria Rader
- Do the plots make up the genre or is it more on the style of writing chosen that makes a work belong in the fantasy genre? Derek Herzog
- Does there have to be some sort of supernatural element for it to be considered fantasy? Samantha Brethel, Steve Grzybowski, Luke Hider, George M., Victoria Rader
- How do we define the difference between the ordinary and fantastical? Christy Hewitt, Victoria Rader, Steph Ward
- When is something not considered to be fantasy? George M.
- How inclusive/exclusive should our definition be and how rigid/flexible should we be in applying it? Steve Grzybowski, Luke Hider, George M., Victoria Rader, Steph Ward
- Is the genre of fantasy subjective? Alexe Brode, George M., Casey Takacs, Steph Ward
Fantasy's Varieties, Relatives, and Neighbors
- What kinds of fantasy are there (sub-genres)?
- How does fantasy relate to science fiction, horror, myth, epic, romance, magical realism, and so on? Samantha Brethel, Alexe Brode, Steve Grzybowski, Christy Hewitt, George M., Victoria Rader, Lizzie Reid, Zain Syed, Steph Ward
- What is the line between fantasy fiction and genres like horror and sci-fi? Can this line be blurred? Samantha Brethel, Alexe Brode, Steve Grzybowski, Christy Hewitt, George M., Victoria Rader, Steph Ward
- Why do so many border disputes arise and what's at stake in specific ones? Casey Takacs, Steph Ward
Origins and Development of Fantasy
- When did fantasy start?
- What author embodies the start of the genre fantasy fiction?
- What distinguishes fantasy per se from its predecessors, influences, and so on?
- How did fantasy develop?
- What are the key turning points or transformations in the history of fantasy?
- Will fantasy, as a genre, ever die out or become dated?
- Do genres have life cycles?
VALUE(S) OF FANTASY
Quality of/in Fantasy
- How is quality measured in fantasy books? Gabrielle Fletcher, Kayleigh Witkowski, Erica Yunghans
- Who are the best fantasy writers and why?
- How do they stack up to the best writers in other genres?
- What exactly distinguishes "good fantasy" from "bad fantasy"? Gabrielle Fletcher, Adam Glasier
- What attributes make up a great fantasy fiction story?
- What medium is fantasy best suited for (if any), and why?
- Why is fantasy on the lower/lowest rung of the literature ladder? Matt Pisarski
- Who decided that plays written in the Renaissance are much better and for the intellectually elite than a novel about witches and dragons? Is it because the prose used is generally more simple? Is it because the plots are "different"?
- How does fantasy stack up against other genres? Brittany, Zain Syed
- What are the stereotypes/preconceived notions pertaining to fantasy fiction? Brittany, Kristian Everett, Derek Herzog, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Zain Syed, Casey Takacs
- Is fantasy necessarily regressive, nostalgic, conservative, reactionary, irrational, escapist...? Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, Kristian Everett, Derek Herzog, Christy Hewitt, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney
- How do readers of fantasy get around the stigma that comes with the genre? Brittany, Derek Herzog, Matt Pisarski
Fantasy's Functions, Purposes, Uses
- Why does fantasy fiction exist? Lizzie Reid
- What is fantasy good for (if anything)? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, C. Dunn, Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Christy Hewitt, Josh Jerome, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Lizzie Reid, Zain Syed, Casey Takacs, Kayleigh Witkowski, Tiffany Wood
- What is the purpose or role of fantasy in our culture? anonymous, Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Lizzie Reid, Casey Takacs, Tiffany Wood
- What functions, uses, stakes might fantasy have for authors, readers, critics, institutions, society at large? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, C. Dunn, Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Christy Hewitt, Josh Jerome, Hannah Morris, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Lizzie Reid, Zain Syed, Casey Takacs, Kayleigh Witkowski, Tiffany Wood, Erica Yunghans
- How have early fantasy writers affected today's society? C. Dunn
- What do responses to and debates over fantasy reveal (about society, present or past, at large or in particular groups or institutions)? Erica Yunghans
- Why do writers choose the genre of fantasy fiction? Eli, Eric Ellison, Adam Glasier, Lizzie Reid
- Is fantasy fiction meant merely as a means of entertainment or is it meant to be something deeper? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Josh Jerome, Hannah Morris, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Lizzie Reid, Zain Syed, Casey Takacs, Kayleigh Witkowski, Tiffany Wood, Erica Yunghans
- Can fantasy fiction be used as a platform for political, social, or cultural statements? Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Hannah Morris, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Erica Yunghans
- What messages are authors of fantasy fiction trying to convey? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Hannah Morris, Erica Yunghans
- What messages/attributes are typically included in fantasy books? For example, do they often include philosophical elements? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Eli, Eric Ellison, Josh Jerome, Matt Pisarski
- What is fantasy fiction able to teach us? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, Hannah Morris, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Kayleigh Witkowski
- Why are some of the key conventions of fantasy (world-building, good vs. evil, quest, coming of age, rise and fall of civilizations) so enduringly popular? anonymous, Kayla Carucci, Tiffany Wood
- Why do we retell previous stories through fantasy? Lizzie Reid
Studying Fantasy
- What is the state of the art in fantasy criticism?
- What value can scholarly study of fantasy bring to the university, to the industry, to fan communities, to regular readers? Matt Pisarski
- How is the study of fantasy fiction viewed?
- What can scholars learn about fantasy from those outside academia?
- Are we really learning anything relevant by studying fantasy fiction? anonymous, Mike Bayba, Christine Botham, Kayla Carucci, Eli, Eric Ellison, Kristian Everett, Gabrielle Fletcher, Josh Jerome, Matt Pisarski, Audrey Putney, Casey Takacs, Kayleigh Witkowski, Tiffany Wood
HOW FANTASY WORKS
- Is magic in fantasy analogous to science/technology in science fiction?
- What role does religion play in the writing of fantasy fiction? Mike Bayba, Josh Jerome, Hannah Morris, Casey Takacs, Steph Ward, Erica Yunghans
- Are modern authors as heavily influenced by religion as Tolkien and Lewis were? If not, is that a product of our times? If yes, could it be argued that since so many were influenced by Tolkien and Lewis as forerunners of the genre, who were themselves heavily influenced by religion, modern authors are just as heavily influenced by religion, whether they realize it or not?
- Why is identity (especially the quest for one's identity) one of the most common themes in fantasy fiction? anonymous, Kayla Carucci, Josh Jerome, Tiffany Wood
- How do fantasy fiction stories relate to their time period and culture? Kristian Everett, George M., Hannah Morris, Matt Pisarski, Erica Yunghans
- How many new ideas and stories can a fantasy author come up with, without repeating a story?
- There are only so many mythological creatures, and it seems like the good v. evil story is getting redundant. How do fantasy writers stay original? Gabrielle Fletcher
- What is the process of writing a fantasy fiction novel? How much time and commitment goes into fabricating a new world? Adam Glasier, Tiffany Wood
