por We teach you what fantastic literature is, its origin and characteristics. We also name some representative authors and their main works.
What is fantastic literature?
The Fantastic literature It is a literary genre based on the narration of extraordinary events that are explained through magic or supernatural phenomena.
The term «fantastic literature» is very broad, so there is no single consensus on its definition. When considering the inclusion of fabulous characters and creatureslegendary places and unreal situations, it accommodates other subgenres that have a fantasy element in common, such as horror or science fiction literature.
types of fantastic literature
In fantastic literature It is possible to distinguish two general categories:
high fantasy: is a type of fantastic literature in which the action takes place in a fictional world. Here, although there are human characters or characters with human features, other races or types of characters are also given prominence, such as fairies, monsters, giants, etc.
low fantasy: takes place in the real world or in an aspect of it. Although it can also have fantastic creatures, most of its characters are human.
Origin of fantastic literature
The origins of fantastic literature can be traced back to the classic myths and legends (since they recreate characters and situations that escape rational and human logic). The oldest text seems to be the Gilgamesh poem, a composition written by the Sumerian people around 2000 BC.
The Greeks, kings of epic stories with fantastic characters and situations, made many contributions, such as the iliad and the odysseyboth works by Homer.
However, for several authors, fantastic literature had its moment of greatest exposure with the Romanticisman artistic movement that had its moment of greatest exposure between the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in Germany, England and France.
It is at this time that stories such as the devil in lovefrom the French Jacques Cazotte or The castle of Otrantoby the British Horace Walpole and which are considered to be the first fantastic stories of the Modern Era.
This questioning of reality, explained through fantastic people and situations, has been perpetuated over time. until the 20th century. Authors like HP Lovecraft (The Cthulhu Mythos), Franz Kafka (Metamorphosis) and JRR Tolkien (The Lord of the rings) not only became references in the genre, but also generated a niche of specialized readers that in turn stimulated the appearance of authors like Terry Pratchett (Discworld), JK Rowling (the Harry Potter saga) or George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire).
At present, fantastic literature, which until a few centuries ago was considered a children’s genre, enjoys the respect and acceptance of a mostly adult audience It comprises an editorial niche in itself, as well as literary critics and the entertainment industry, which has been able to take advantage of the acceptance of the genre to turn its stories into other cultural products such as movies, series or video games.
Characteristics of fantastic literature
It raises a dual conflict
The characters fight on two sides: good and evil. However, his actions are not completely pure, but are instead guided by the greater good. A character can commit an action considered «bad» in the real world (such as killing another character) but only because this action is aimed at generating good for the majority or because it is aligned with their ethical principles.
has a known universe
Fantastic literature is characterized by having its own universe. This includes their own location (most often an imaginary place with its own map and territorial division), class or race divisions, as well as their own laws or ways of delivering justice. Ultimately, they may take place in the real world, but at some point they break known laws.
There are magical or supernatural traits
In fantastic literature, the characters, situations, or environments are linked to magic, the supernatural, or the paranormal. This implies the appearance of unimaginable creatures in the real world, or the resolution of conflicts through the use of spells, enchantments or magical solutions, among other alternatives.
The origin of the main character is unknown.
A common feature in fantastic literature is that its hero or heroine is unaware of his true origin. This will be revealed either throughout the plot, or through an authority figure, who will be the one to tell her the truth and also explain her mission in history.
The protagonists have a heroic component
The protagonists of fantastic literature often lack a heroic trait at the beginning of the story. In fact, most of the time they tend to underestimate their capabilities. However, little by little they discover their potential until they achieve the necessary confidence to fulfill their mission.
There is an internal search
The main characters start the story with a clear purpose or search, but that will change as they face various situations that make them change their perspective of reality.
The antagonists embody evil
The villains of fantastic literature are usually characters or forces that wish to destroy the known order established in the universe of the story.
Fantastic literature and wonderful literature
Although on many occasions they are used as synonyms, fantastic and marvelous literature have some features that differentiate them from each other:
The presence of the supernatural
In fantasy literature, the supernatural can occur in the real world or in an aspect of it. In wonderful literature, the supernatural occurs in a world of its own, so the irrational in our known world is completely natural in the wonderful world.
The place of action
In fantastic literature, the action can take place in the real world or in a fictional world created by the author, especially for the development of his story. In wonderful literature, the action takes place in characteristic places of the genre, such as a castle, a field or an enchanted forest.
Characters
In fantasy literature, a woman can break gender stereotypes and be born or become a warrior. In wonderful literature, the roles are usually associated with the genre, so it is common to find kings, queens, fairies or princes whose roles do not change throughout the story.
Presence of a teaching
In fantastic literature, the journey of the characters is not always going to end successfully. In wonderful literature, it is common for the closure to be given by a happy ending.
Authors of fantastic literature (and their works)
These are some of the most representative authors of fantastic literature of the 20th and 21st centuries and their most representative works:
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963): toIrish author recognized, among others, for his seven-part saga called The Chronicles of Narnia.
George R. R. Martin (1948):eAmerican writer, author of the series of novels A Song of Ice and Fire, which were later adapted for television under the name of Game of Thrones and the house of the dragon.
JK Rowling (1965): toEnglish author recognized for being the creator of the Harry Potter saga.
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986):eArgentine writer, poet, essayist and translator. Author of works like fictions, the sand book, The maker and The Aleph.
JRR Tolkien (1891-1973): toBritish author and linguist, creator of fantastic works The Hobbit, the silmarillion and The Lord of the rings.
Mariana Enriquez (1973):pArgentine journalist and writer. author of How to completely disappear, Our part of the night and The things we lost in the fire.
Neil Gaiman (1960): toBritish author and screenwriter, writer of coraline, stardust, American Gods and Sandman.
Silvina Ocampo (1903-1993):eArgentine writer, poet and storyteller. author of forgotten trip, Irene’s autobiography, The fury and Anthology of Fantastic Literature.
Terry Pratchett (1948-2015):eBritish writer, author of the saga of discworld.
Ursula K. LeGuin (1929-2018): toAmerican author, recognized for her book series earthsea.
References
Fantastic literature. Obtained from: en.wikipedia.org
Todorov, Tzvetan (1980): Introduction to fantastic literature. Publisher of Books Award SA Mexico City, Mexico.
Dobrowolska de Tejerina, Magdalena (2013): «The fantastic and the wonderful in Beatus Ille by Antonio Muñoz Molina», International Congress of the European Association of Teachers of Spanish. Jack, Spain.