1. How does Attebury define fantasy?
Fantasy includes stories like Tolkiens Lord of the rings, Lewis's Narnia, The Wind and the willows and The Princess and the goblin as stated by Attebury. The first definition given is that Fantasy is "an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility". In other words it means a concious belief what people think exist. Antother definition of Fantasy is "any narrative which includes as a significant part of it make up some violation of what the author clearly believes to be natural law". Attebury also mentioned how a story can be defined as Fantasy. "It can involve beings which existence we know to be impossible, like dragons, flying horses, or shape shifting men". These elements of which can be found in Tolkiens LOTR franchise. Another is that Fantasy "can revolve around magical objects such as rings, hats or castles, voices and other attributes inanimate objects, do not, in our experience possess" but then again in my opinion witchcraft and wizardry is real. Another element of Fantasy is that "it can proceed through events e.g. two people painlessly exchange heads, a tree reaching out to grab passersby" In simple terms fantasy in other words is an escape from reality.
2. How is Science Fiction different from Fantasy according to Le Guinn?
Unlike fantasy, Science fiction explains impossibilities can be plausible. "Science fiction derives from victorian scientific speculation by writers like Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells, while fantasy grew out of myth". Science fiction differs from reality in a sense that the elements within a Sci-Fi story are based on reality and Fantsy on the other hand invents. Science Fiction stories are mostly based in the future or a switch between time. Examples like Well's War of the worlds or Star Wars. Fantasy however take place in fictional worlds full of magic and the unexplained. Stories such as Tolkien's LOTR and Le Guinns Earth Sea series. Science Fiction and Fantasy may have different elements and concepts but in all they are both made up.
Check out how the others in your group are referencing the critical literature and using the concepts raised in the theoretical literature to develop their responses.
ReplyDeleteUse the theoretical lit to establish your argument. If you say that "witchcraft and wizardry is real" then surely you might have a different personal understanding of fantasy - how might you describe this?