home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
MAG.E 6
/
MAG.E 6 (Disk 1 of 2).adf
/
Fantasy
/
1
/
1
Wrap
Text File
|
1977-12-31
|
3KB
|
68 lines
@3THE IMPLICATIONS OF FANTASY FICTION IN SOCIETY TODAY
@2====================================================
@1
Believe it or not, fantasy fiction has made a great impact onto the
world around us. Ever since the first publication of "The Lord Of The
Rings" (and before) people have been queueing up for more. Just what is
the appeal of the unreal that has caused this effect?
Well, I believe that it is because fantasy fiction contains the things
that people want to read about. A good gripping story is in there,
certainly. And unlike other modern fiction, or even fiction of a
couple of hundred years old, it is easy to read. Sure, some things
look challenging when we see the size of them, but there`s often the
feel of accomplishment and a decent story in their somewhere.
Another way that fantasy differs from more old fashioned books is
through the use of trilogies. In this way the story and all of its
implications can continue through more than one book. In this way,
unlike more traditional books, the reader can fully folow the
characters involved and have a chance to appreciate them.
Through the use of magic and unreality the reader becomes convinced
that the unreal is actually reality, for the brief time he or she is
reading the novel. Then the reader is back in the real world. For a
brief time the reader has had a chance to imagine something that isn`t
real. A lifelong ambition for many perhaps?
So obviously fantasy has the power to take people away from the real
world and into some kind of dream world. So all the sources available
against it suggest. But, I ask, is this really so? How can reading a
good fantasy novel be any more dangerous then acting in a play, or
reading Hardy`s "Tess Of The d`Urbervilles"?
"Well one`s a great novel, and the other isn`t," you say.
"But whose to say it`s great?" I say.
In my opinion "Tess Of The d`Urbervilles" is in fact a great novel.
However it would be diificult to tell a die hard fan of fantasy that.
Because he or she would be too engrossed in books to understand me or the
real world.
Now is that reality? How can it be! There is never a time when someone
loses all knowledge of everything through fiction, bar a unexpected
medical disaster not caused by the fiction. So fantasy fiction cannot
be all the bad thing people think.
Now let`s consider the other view. Perhaps the fiction could actually
be a good thing! Maybe it aids with imagination (such things have been
suggested before and I cannot disagree). Or maybe it takes imagination
in order to read fantasy? It takes a certain degree of ability to
understand that fantasy is not reality but is still very readable. So
many both arguments are valid.
I`d also like to point out that many people who read fantasy also role
play, whether they started reading the fiction first or role playing
first. It seems to me that the imagination content associated with
fantasy fiction is very high, even though the number of readers is
relatively small. It is fair to say that fantasy readers appreciate
what they are reading.
So next time you are in the bookshop, look around at the other people
in there. What are they doing and what kind of people are they? What
kind of effect is the fantasy having on them?
Are they mad? Or are they just unsociable or unable?
@2 "The Ranger"
Thomas Lancaster