The Genre Fantasy is normally characterized by Elves, Fairies, Dragons, Castles, Princess and Princes, Kings and Queens, and majorly anything to do with Magic. While Literature is more characterized by the classic great works by Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Charlotte Bronte, just to name a few. So, how does the title Fantasy Literature work with these two generalizations? The word Literature has taken place many times as a fancier way of saying books or writings, which is, I believe, how these two are going to have to work together with this author’s column.
What is most enjoyable about Fantasy books is the vast imagination of the writer and the opening of your own mind as the reader. There are many styles of Fantasy out there from books to video games to live action games to art. Books are one of the ways everyone can enjoy the world of Fantasy and the vastness in which it entails. There is no one way Elves are supposed to look, which is the same with Fairies, and any other mystical creature. There are guidelines, but as with real life humans there are different characteristics to every being and they change between stories and even change between readers. Unless what is being read has pictures the style and characteristics for a mystical creature can be different from one reader to the next.
With the idea of Literature being something to read or even that of the classics the idea that a lot of these stories can transcend the times and still be enjoyed twenty or forty years after they were written holds true. There are many authors who wrote years ago and have passed on, but new readers are picking up their books and enjoying them as much as when they first came out.
This in mind, the following column will deal with books across all times and different sub-genres of Fantasy. There will also be news of Fantasy related book things happening in the Sacramento area, which will include also the surrounding areas.
Chelsea Haller 