ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS • Next week is the last Tangent class of the semester. It is therefore our Christmas party. Bring food. • I don’t care what kind of food it is. Just as long as it doesn’t mess up the classroom/cost a ton of money/unleash a Lovecraftian abomination on the world, it’s all good. • Also, try to bring enough for everyone. • If I recall correctly, a new submission is due up on the blog. We’re going to start the publication process next semester, and we need writing!

2. Tangent: The Powerpoint Genre Week: Fantasy

3. Recap: “The Sword of Good” • Common fantasy tropes: • Stock characters • Heroes from “our” world (Hirou) • Antiheroic “Han Solo” types (Selena) • Elderly wizard mentors (Dolf) • “Plot purpose” characters (Alek) • Good vs. Evil • Black and White Morality • Magic swords, spells of infinite doom, well timed villain monologues…and so forth. • Genre Blindness/Savviness • Deconstruction

4. The Branches of Fantasy • Three main branches among other subbranches: • High Fantasy • Urban Fantasy • Magical Realism • We can discuss other subgenres (steampunk fantasy, low fantasy, blends of the main branches) next week if wanted.

5. High Fantasy • Ex: Tolkien’s works. • The majority of modern high fantasy is built on Tolkien’s lore. • Setting: Usually styled around a derivative of our world’s medieval era (often the English one) • Stock fantasy races: elves, dwarves, orcs, etc. • Other quirks include: a magic system with complexity varying between works, quests spurred on by prophecies, lost royal heirs, evil kingdoms attempting takeovers, etc.

6. How it Works • High fantasy is one of the most cliché-riddled genres in existence. • Much of what the author takes for granted in fantasy is done to death (and was probably done better by Tolkien). • Authors tend to insert clichés simply because the reader “expects” them. • This genre is especially bad for overly ambitious amateurs – the most modest among them are still aiming for trilogies (again, Tolkien). • To succeed in high fantasy, the author needs to bring something new to the table, and cease the usual mindless mimicry of those who preceded them.

7. Urban Fantasy • Ex: Stephenie Meyer’s works (Twilight especially). • As with Tolkien, much of urban fantasy is derivative of Meyer. • Usually take place in “our” world. • Stock fantasy races: vampires, werewolves, fae/sidhe/fair folk, aliens, etc. (Psychics also feature, though they’re usually human in origin.) • Other quirks include: female protagonists, love triangles, keeping the “real” world from learning the existence of magic/magical beings, etc.

8. How it Works • Though a fairly minor force to begin with, urban fantasy has exploded in recent years, especially into young adult fiction. • As with high fantasy, this genre is filled with imitators imitating other imitators, often in attempts to be the Next Big Thing. (Stop that.) • Urban fantasy tends to ignore actual creativity in favor of gaining the attention of the masses – thus causing several legitimately interesting ideas to flounder and drown in a sea of lookalikes. • Romantic subplots (if they aren’t the main plot to the begin with) tend to swallow up everything else around them while still following cookie-cutter patterns. • To succeed in urban fantasy, the author needs to strive for legitimate originality. 90% of what’s selling today will be forgotten in 5, 10 years – aim for that 10%.

9. Magical Realism • Ex: The majority of Roald Dahl’s works. • It’s generally more difficult to classify magical realism than urban or high fantasy. This is arguably the most “real” of the three, hence “realism.” • Usually takes place in “our” world, but is not limited to merely the “present” as a setting. • Stock fantasy races: Ghosts and other spirits. Possibly mythological deities (Greek, Norse, Egyptian, etc.) • Other quirks include: Unnatural occurrences that are never per se explained, but are accepted, our-world superstitions being taken (and often proven) as fact.

10. How it Works • Magical realism is a rare genre that finds its way into more books aimed at adults than those aimed at teenagers. • It generally has to strike a balance between “too mundane” and “too unnatural” – unusual elements in the former tend to feel contrived, while the latter is either infuriating for the reader or simply isn’t magical realism anymore, but another type of fantasy. • In magical realism, the story doesn’t revolve around the trappings of the world it’s set in (magic, ghosts, etc.) but instead on the world as a whole. The unnatural elements are treated as natural because to the novel’s world they are.

11. In Review • High Fantasy: “Everyone can see it, and it’s a big deal.” • Urban Fantasy: “Some people can see it, and it’s a big deal.” • Magical Realism: “Everyone can see it/Some people can see it, and it’s not a big deal.”

12. The Deconstruction Challenge • “The Sword of Good” takes the reader’s expectation of how a common thing works and subverts them. Choose a common fantasy trope – a prophecy, a magic item, a race like elves or trolls – and show it in a different light. • Try to make your reader see something differently. Next week, at the party, we’ll pass them around to critique.