The Origins of Fantasy
For as long as humanity has existed, we have dreamed, crafting larger than life heroes and far away realms to provide an escape from the mundane and motivation to achieve the remarkable. From
The Epic of Gilgamesh to the
Iliad and the
Odyssey, fantasy is not limited by borders, race, creed or religion, only by the imaginations of its storytellers.
Beowulf,
One Thousand and One Nights,
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and even
Gulliver's Travels are all early fantasy yarns responsible for establishing themes and concepts that have woven themselves into the very fabric of the genre.
Tolkien's Enduring Legacy
It is impossible to discuss fantasy, however, without addressing the cave troll in the room: The Lord of the Rings. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien served in the British Army during World War I, witnessing considerable devastation and transforming those experiences into a sprawling epic filled with hobbits, elves, and orcs, as well as a comprehensive history spanning thousands of years. Though Tolkien is often accurately credited for his superior world-building capabilities, it is the grounded nature of his characters that is the key to the enduring appeal of The Lord of the Rings. The nobility and bravery of Tolkien's protagonists not only provide inspiration to push a little harder even when all hope seems lost, but the bonds formed between them produce a fellowship we should all aspire to possess with those who matter to us most. Unlike the other, more pessimistic Lost Generation writers, Tolkien chose to focus on the strength and fortitude of the heroes combating the forces of evil, rather than the seemingly insurmountable darkness threatening to envelop them.
Writers Inspired by Tolkien
The Hobbit,
The Lord of the Rings and
The Silmarillion not only laid the groundwork for what was possible, but also inspired countless other writers to follow suit; most notably Tolkien's contemporary, Clive Staples Lewis, as well as author Madeleine L'Engle (both of whom shared similar theological beliefs with Tolkien himself). Despite the seemingly incongruous nature of these concepts, Lewis and L'Engle combined religious themes and core family values with fantasy elements to great effect in the groundbreaking series
The Chronicles of Narnia and
A Wrinkle in Time. Lewis Carroll incorporated mathematics and philosophy into his story
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel
Through the Looking Glass, while L. Frank Baum, J.M. Barrie and Norton Juster captured the innocence and wonder of childhood in
The Wizard of Oz,
Peter Pan and
The Phantom Tollbooth, respectively. Beginning with
Peter and the Starcatchers, Barrie's mischievous youth even inspired humorist Dave Barry and thriller writer Ridley Pearson to collaborate for a book series further exploring both Peter Pan's origin and his ensuing adventures.
The Harry Potter Phenomenon
Another heavyweight in the modern fantasy genre is, of course,
Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived inspired an entire generation of reluctant readers (and their parents) to wait in line at bookstores and libraries all around the globe in anticipation of the latest installment in our magical hero's journey. These midnight releases became events transcending far beyond the books themselves, brokering friendships and bringing countless people together over their shared love of the Wizarding World. Much like
The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter became a cultural juggernaut, spawning a film series and several spin-offs, video games, toys, a theme park, a Broadway play, an upcoming HBO Max television series, and so much more.
Your Library Card: A Ticket to Adventure
It is impractical to imagine that the depths of a genre as expansive as fantasy could be fully plumbed in such a short article, but hopefully this will at least provide you with a starting point. Fantasy often breaks the rules, combining disparate themes and spilling into other genres with reckless abandon. Several of the book carts in the Wyckoff Library are decorated with paintings of fantastic creatures and characters (including a dragon and Harry Potter himself). One of them is adorned with a young woman reading a book in front of the Eiffel Tower, accompanied by the words "Reading is travel without baggage". While some of the heftier fantasy novels such as Eragon or The Wheel of Time may be large enough to be considered carry-on luggage, the sentiment of this quote is entirely correct; if you are looking for an escape this summer, the only thing you need to pack is your library card.
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