[Brought to by Fantasy Fools]
[…with a little help from the Good Doctor Lyn]
“Fiction is life with the airspace taken out.” – My Favorite English Professor
I.
Last semester I took a Science Fiction/Fantasy Survey Course from a very cool lady, who will hereby be known as the Good Doctor Lyn. During the course we discussed what it was that made a work fantasy or science fiction. There are quite a few things I’ve linked it this Soapbox, feel free to download them.
Fantasy: making the impossible probable
- involves created worlds, creatures, languages, etc…
mythology/myths
fairy tales
folk tales
not on a corporeal plane
When you explain things in Fantasy, they are explained by magic.
Science Fiction: making the improbable possible
- future world
technology applied
parrellel dimension
practical application of ideas, most often technological ideas
Read Damon Knight’s What is Science Fiction?[page 1, page 2, page 3]
Definitions of “Science Fiction” [page 1, page 2, page 3]
When you explain things in Science Fiction, they are explained by future technology.
II.
Creating the Fantastic
Real World vs. Fantastic World
1. Mundane --> Significant (i.e. dog barking)
When dealing with a fantastic world thing that would normally seem trivial become extremely significant, such as a dog barking, instead of being a normal occurrence becomes a harbinger of death, or something just as ominous.
2. Reality --> Unreality (magic)
Well, that’s a given.
3. Problem (big) --> Problem (extreme)
Often in fantastic worlds the author takes a problem that is either happening or has happened in the real world, and dresses it up or presents it in such a way, that it has distanced the problem, so it can be talked about, discussed, as well as consequences extrapolated.
The Things that Remain the Same
One of the things about creating a fantastic world is that you must make it believable to the reader that it does exist. Some of the things must be the same or at least familiar to both worlds.
1. You can’t ever make everything perfect.
2. Humans
3. Government
4. Universal Laws
5. Change
6. Conflict
7. Symbols
8. Cause + Effect
Read: Sources of the Fantastic by Rabkin [page 1, page 2], Fantastic Worlds by Rabkin, Looking Back by Ursula Leguin [page 1, page 2] & Modern Science Fiction by Joseph Campbell [page 1, page 2].
III.
Joseph Campbell & The Hero’s Journey
My favorite part about this is that the Hero's Journey was the template for Star Wars.
Character Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey
1. Hero - The one making the journey, facing the challenges, and attempting to carry out the mission, (even if reluctantly). Usually the protagonist, but does not necessarily have to be.
2. Shadow - Often the villain, but may simply be negative energy trying to defeat the hero or keep him from finishing or from even carrying out the mission.
3. Mentor - Wise giver of guidance and advice.
4. Threshold Guardian - Tries to prevent hero from proceeding on the mission.
5. Shape-shifter - May be a helper or enemy or both. May literally change shape, form and allegiance.
6. Trickster - May be hostile or helpful to the hero. Plays tricks, games, changes the rules, etc…
7. Herald - Signals to the hero something important is about to happen or points out the approach of significant people/events.
8. Allies - Assorted good guys/gals who assist the hero on the journey.
The Hero’s Journey
1. The Miraculous Birth - Usually at the hero’s birth there was astronomical sign or some other sign from the heavens that the hero is special.
2. The Ordinary World - Hero lives in the everyday world, but there may be something wrong or the hero may have some personal longing, need or other problem that is throwing things out of whack.
3. Meeting with Mentor - The hero comes in contact with a more knowledgeable/experienced individual, who provides spiritual, emotional, tactical, or philosophical guidance as well as encouragement.
4. Call to Adventure - Hero is called to move outside his/her ordinary life to perform a mission or quest usually in response to some crisis that has occurred or is impending.
5. Refusal of the Call - Uncertain of his/her abilities, the hero will most often refuse the first call.
6. Crossing the First Threshold - Hero leaves the ordinary world and enters the “special world” of adventure. He/she may encounter threshold guardian(s) along the way; however, the hero has often gained or realized he/she has some special powers to overcome.
7. Test, Allies, and Enemies - Arriving in the special world, the hero encounters a succession of challenges and characters, some who help, some who hinder, some who do both. Although mistakes will be made.
8. Approach to the Innermost Cave - Having overcome the preliminary challenges and obstacles, the hero must penetrate the most restricted place of the quest. It is only here that the hero may find the elixir.
9. Ordeal - Within the innermost cave, the hero must face the greatest obstacle.
10. Reward - Using skills gleaned from the adventure defeats and take the elixir.
11. The Road Back - Hero must return to the ordinary world with the elixir, however, the enemy may be in hot pursuit. At the point the hero often undergoes some death experience.
12. Resurrection - The worthy hero is reborn. The process of rebirth is a culmination of the hero’s transformation. He/she has learned from the challenges. Makes it back alive to the ordinary world.
13. Return with Elixir - Once crossing back into the ordinary world with elixir that restores the balance to the world. Having died and been reborn, the hero is an older, wiser, and better person for having gone on the quest. Supernatural powers and abilities gained in the “special world” are often lost in the ordinary world.
IV.
Myths, Folk and Fairy Tales
Which came first the chicken or the egg? In our case, Mythology did, and from Mythology was born folk tales, then fairy tales, and last but not least the genre we call fantasy.
Folk tales, the stories that parents told their children, often heavily steeped with a moral, as well as violent.
Fairy stories were more formed that folk tales.
Read: Grimm’s Cinderella & How Fairy Tales Deal with Evil by Verena Kast [page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4]
V.
War
Science Fiction and Fantasy treat War a little different.
In Fantasy, war is most often expressed as the hero vs the villain, or the swordsman vs the magician, or the good magician vs the sorcerer.
Read: Fantasy “War” from Rabkin
In Science Fiction, war is most often expressed as a problem that is happening in the real world. Costuming it within the pages of a novel it can be discussed; consequences, solutions, hypotheses can be made and written about.
Read: “War” from The Place of Science Fiction [page 1, page 2]
5.
Here are some things that really interested me from The Magical World of Harry Potter.
Alchemy [page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4] -- Goblins, Slytherins & Mirrors [page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5, page 6, page 7]
Well, that’s all for now, peeps.
Ta,
Cal.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Recommendations
Literature
The Tale of the Wife of Bath from Cantebury Tales by Chaucer
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight
Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory [Volume I & Volume II]
The Spider and the Fly: A Fable by Mary Howitt
The Leech-Gatherer by William Wordsworth
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (particularly Chapter 29-31)
The Demon Pope by Richard Garnett
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury
Through the Dragon Glass by Abraham Merritt
Beowulf
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Earthsea Series by Ursula Leguin
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende
The Legend of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert
The Return of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Abarat by Clive Barker
Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Talon of the Silver Hawk by Raymond E. Feist
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Cronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia McKillip
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Sundering Series by Jaqueline Carey
Lilith by George MacDonald
Children of Men by P.D. James
Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire) Series by Charlaine Harris
Harper Connelly Series by Charlaine Harris
Timeline by Michael Critchton
The Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper
Movies
Labyrinth
Army of Darkness
The 10th Kingdom
Willow
The NeverEnding Story
The Last Unicorn
The Princess Bride
Sleepy Hollow
Dragonheart
El Laberinto del Fauno
Time Bandits
The Secret of NIMH
Die Nibelungen
The Seventh Seal
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Bedknobs & Broomsticks
Princess Mononoke
Ladyhawke
Nightwatch
Nanny McPhee
Ancanar
Donkey Skin
The Black Cauldron
Highlander
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Edward Scissorhands
Quest for Camelot
What Dreams May Come
Van Helsing
The 13th Warrior
Reign of Fire
Peter Pan (2003)
Dracula 2000
Hellboy
Howl's Moving Castle
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Brothers Grimm
MirrorMask
Legend of Earthsea
Dark Crystal
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Harry Potter Movies
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Star Wars
Blade Runner
Total Recall
Eureka
The Dresden Files
Stargate SG-1
Special Unit 2
Jake 2.0
Gattaca
Titan A.E.
Ghost in the Shell
13 Ghosts
Children of Men
Independence Day
Charly
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Dune
Spaceballs
Akira
Twelve Monkeys
Doctor Who
Mars Attacks!
The Fifth Element
Battlefield Earth
The Time Machine
Timeline
I, Robot
The Fountain
Firefly
Afro Samurai
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