The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the basic context and significance of the contemporary form of the genre of fantasy. Students get acquainted with a general overview of the classical and medieval traditions which have shaped the genre in its modern form, as well as the relation of contemporary fantasy works to other kinds of speculative fiction.
The conceptual starting point consists in the examination of the seminal work of the Inklings, especially J. R. R. Tolkien and S.C. Lewis which has defined and shaped the modern form of the genre. Against this context the course provides a general overview of the evolution of fantasy fiction in the course of the last century, paying special attention to the interaction of fantasy fiction with other genres such as science fiction, animal fable, alternative history novel, as well as the fantastic and heroic literature of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The course also tackles the question of the multifarious interactions of fantasy fiction with the conventions of contemporary mainstream postmodernist fiction.
The texts discussed in the course reflect the variety of subgenres existing within modern fantasy, like heroic fantasy, urban fantasy, animal fantasy, comic fantasy or portal fantasy.
A parallel aim of the course is to introduce the students to the theoretical and critical context of the concept of a secondary world, from its historical roots in the legacy of medieval literature, through the classic formulations of J. R. R. Tolkien, up to the immediate context of current critical debates on the issue.
Texts discussed:
1. critical reading:
J. R. R. Tolkien – On Fairy Stories
Ann Swinfen- In Defence of Fantasy pp. 1- 99
Farah Mendlesohn – Rhetorics of Fantasy, Introduction
Mark J. P. Wolf Building Imaginary Worlds, pp. 16 – 64
2. Terry Pratchett – The Amazing Mourice and his Educated Rodents
3. C. S. Lewis - The Voyage of the Dawntreader
4. Terry Pratchett - We Free Men
5. Neil Gaiman – Neverwhere + BBC series
6. Susanna Clarke – Piranesi
7. Susanna Clarke – Mrs. Mabb
8. Susanna Clarke – Mr Simonelli, or the Fairy Widower
9. Neil Gaiman - Chivalry
10. George R. R. Martin – The Hedge Knight
Type of course
elective courses
Mode
Classroom
Prerequisites (description)
Students should have a command of English at (at least) B2+ level.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students:
-Are familiarised with a wide range of significant literary texts which exemplify the most important tends and tendencies in contemporary fantasy fiction,
-Enhance their ability to conduct a professional analysis of a literary work,
-Develop their skills in preparing and presenting an individual research project
In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.
Assessment criteria
Work on individual projects, preparation for the classes, participation in discussions, presentation.
Essay/project presentation
Preparation of projects, presentations, class discussion, group work; text analysis.
Bibliography
ALEXANDER, Lloyd Chudley. "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance." The Horn Book Magazine.
ATTEBERY, Brian. Strategies of Fantasy. Bloomington/Indianapolis, 1992.
CARROLL, Shiloh. Medievalism in A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. Cambridge, 2018.
CHANCE, Jane. The Lord of the Rings: The Mythology of Power, Lexington, Kentucky, 2001.
CHANCE, Jane. Tolkien’s Art: A Mythology for England, Lexington, 2001.
CHANCE, Jane (ed.). Tolkien the Medievalist. London/New York, 2003.
CURRY, Patrick. Defending Middle-earth: Tolkien, Myth and Modernity. London: HarperCollins, 1998.
DICKERSON, Mathew. Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings. Grand Rapids, 2003.
FIMI, Dimitra/HONEGGER, Thomas (eds.) Subcreating Arda: World-building in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Work, its Precursors, and its Legacies. Zurich and Jena, 2019.
FLIEGER, Verlyn. A Question of Time: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Road to Faёrie. Kent and London, 1997.
FLIEGER, Verlyn. Interrupted Music” The Making of Tolkien's Mythology, Kent and London, 2005.
HONEGGER, Thomas. “(Heroic) Fantasy and the Middle Ages – Strange Bedfellows or an Ideal Cast? “, Itinéraires [Online], 2010-3 | 2010.
Edward JAMES/Farah MENDELSOHN(eds.). The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature. Cambridge, 2012
JAMISON, Carol Parrish. Chivalry in Westeros: The Knightly Code of A Song of Ice and Fire. Jefferson, North Carolina, 2018.
LARRINGTON, C., Winter is Coming: The Medieval World of Game of Thrones, London, New York, 2016.
LOWDER, James (ed.). Behind the Wall: Exploring George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Dallas, 2012.
MANLOVE, Colin. Fantasy Literature of England. London, 1999.
MANLOVE, C.N. Modern Fantasy: Five Studies. Cambridge, 1975.
MENDLESOHN, Farah: The Rhetorics of Fantasy. Middletown, Connecticut, 2008.
MENDLESOHN, Farah/JAMES, Edward (eds.). A Short History of Fantasy. Faringdon, 2012.
SENIOR, W.A. “Quest Fantasies.” The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature. Eds. Edward JAMES/ Farah MENDELSOHN. Cambridge, 2012, 190-199.
SWINFEN, Ann. In Defence of Fantasy: A Study of the Genre in English and American Literature since 1945. London, 1984.
TIMMERMAN, John H. Other Worlds: The Fantasy Genre. Bowling Green, Ohio, 1983.
WOLF, M. J. P. Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation, New York and London, 2012.
WOLFE, Gary K. Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy: A Glossary and Guide to Scholarship. New York, 1986.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:
- Description of 3301-LB1024 in USOSweb
