Monday, February 1, 2010

Fun with Fantasy

Why do I like to read and write Fantasy fiction? Because, let's face it, it's pure, unadulterated fun! What better way to escape from real world woes, something we could all use a little more of in these challenging times, than immersing myself in a fantasy world, where the problems might be much bigger than mine, but I don't have to deal with them. I can just sit back and watch the hero and heroine deal with saving the world and beating back dark world denizens, while trying to conquer their own self-doubts and personal challenges in the midst of it all. In fantasy, problems can often be solved with a flip of a magic-infused hand, or the blink of a power saturated gaze. Bad guys can be obliterated without a crisis of conscience...good guys almost always beat the bad guys...and cultural gray areas only make for more interest in the reading.

Let's face it, good versus evil carries an age-old fascination for mankind. The pages of our history only come alive when a classic story bends along the lines of this type of battle...and good wins out over all. So it's no surprise our reading fare trends in this direction. Nothing brings good versus evil to life like a good fantasy.

Just as this is the type of story I like to read, it's also the type of story I like to write. My two popular fantasy series: Dancin' With the Devil and Gods of Love; are good versus evil stories.
And let me tell you, good versus evil has never been this much fun!

Why do you like to read fantasy?

2 comments:

Jinky said...

I was fifteen when Buffy's first season aired, and I was really intrigued by that world. When you're a teenage girl, everything seems like the end of the world, and for Buffy, that was taken literally. So for me, fantasy allows me to get a better perspective of those kinds of real life issues. It's not so much an escape from reality as it is a bird's eye view of it.

Sam Cheever said...

Hey Jinky!

I know what you mean. By making something larger than life, it kind of gives us a better perspective on real life. It helps us focus in on what's really important and what isn't. Great point.