ModernFantasy

Whatismodernfantasy?
Aswithtraditionalfantasy,modernfantasyisdistinguishedfrom
othergenresbystoryelementsthatviolatethenatural,physicallawsofknownworldevents
akintomagic.However,modernfantasyhasknownauthors.

CategoriesofModernFantasy:
Animalfantasydepartfromrealityexclusivelybecauseoftalkinganimals
Toy&objectsembeddedwithlifetoyswithlives
Tinyhumanstinyhumanslivingasnormalhumans
Peculiarcharactersandsituationsstoriesaroundpeopleorinplacesthatareodd
Imaginaryworldsstoriesinmadeupworlds
Magicalpowerscharacterswithspecialabilities
Supernaturaltalessupernaturaleventsoccurring
Timewarpeitherinthefutureorinthepast
Highfantasynormallyparallelimaginaryworlds
Novelizedtraditionaltalesfolktaleswrittenintobookform

Motifs:
Magicincharactersand/orinthesetting,inexplicableevents
Otherworldsspecialgeographyoruniverseisestablished
Goodvs.Evilstrugglebetweengoodcharacter(s)andbad
Heroismmaybeherosround:calledtobattle,crossesthreshold,mustsurvive,hero
assisted,maturesandbecomeswhole,returnshome
SpecialCharactertypesmaycomefromlegendarypastorimagination
Fantasticobjectsobjectswithmagicalpowers

AuthorInformation:
LoisLowryanawardwinningauthorwhowritesmostlybooksinvolvingspecial
charactertypesmanyofherbooksarealsopartofaseries
IanFalconeranawardwinningauthorwhohasillustratedandwrittentheentireseries
ofthe
Olivia
bookcollection.Hisbookinvolvesspecialcharactersandmagic.
J.K.RowlingawardwinningauthorwhoisbestknownforherHarryPotterseriesof
novels.Usesaspectsofreallifetoincorporateintoherfantasywriting.Herbookinvolves
magic,otherworlds,goodvs.evil,heroism,specialcharactertypesandfantastic
objects.
HansChristianAndersenaDanishauthor,
prolificwriterofplays,travelogues,novels,
andpoems,Andersenisbestrememberedforhisfairytalessuchas
TheLittleMermaid.

Andersen'spopularityisnotlimitedtochildrenhisstories,called
eventyr
inDanishor
"fairytales"inEnglish,expressthemesthattranscendageandnationality.

AnnotatedBibliography:
Lowry,Lois.(1993).
Thegiver
.Boston:HoughtonMifflin.
Lowrysbookdescribesautopianlandinwhicheachcitizenbelongstoaunitand
hasaspecificjobassignment.Jonas,themaincharacter,isselectedasReceiverof
Memory.Jonasabsorbsnewknowledgebutisforbiddenofsharing.Lowryspassionto
showhowinterconnectedtheworldisshowsthroughthethemeofthebook.
Falconer,I.(2000).
Olivia
.NewYork,NY:
AtheneumBooksforYoungReaders.
FalconersbooktalksabouttheexperiencesofalittlepignamedOliviawholoves
fashion,singing,dancing,andgettingherownway.Thebookchroniclestypicaldaysin
thelifeofOliviaandfollowsherthroughheradventuresthatarereminiscentofayoung
child.
Rowling,J.(1997).
HarryPotterandtheSorcerer'sStone
.London:BloomsburyPub.
Rowlingsbookdepictsaseriesofeventsthatthemaincharacter,HarryPotter,goes
throughinhisfirstyearatHogwartsSchoolforWitchcraftandWizardryfromfindingout
heisawizardtodiscoveringhisgreatdestinyofdefeatingthedarklord,Voldemort.
Rowlingsconnectionbetweentypicalexperiencesofanewstudent,suchasmaking
friendsandstrugglingwithmoralbehavior,withthoseinthefantasyworld,suchasflying
andblackmagic,cometogethertocreateatrulyinspiringbook.
Andersen,HansChristian.(1837).
TheLittleMermaid.

C.A.Reitzel:Copenhagen.
InHansChristianAndersonsfairytale
TheLittleMermaid
,ayoungmermaidstrugglesto
waitpatientlyforherturntotraveltotheoceanssurface.Theyoungestmermaid
becomesenchantedwiththehumanworld,savesasixteenyearoldprincefrom
drowning,andultimatelywantstoliveonlandtomakehimfallinlovewithher.She
seekshelpfromtheevilseawitchwhoprovidesherwithlegsinexchangeforhervoice.
Ultimately,shedoesntobtainhergoalanddissolvesintonothing.