The Shape of Fantasy: Investigating the Structure of American Heroic Epic Fantasy

Description

The Shape of Fantasy is an in-depth look at Heroic Epic Fantasy. It depicts structural and narrative patterns with models stemming from science and philosophy. Although Fantasy Fiction is generally defined by its impossibility, Fantasy Fiction not an illogical form. It is, in fact, governed by a sense of rules and structure, one that reflects our current understanding of space-time and cosmology. These models are an integral part of the structure of Heroic Epic Fantasy itself. Thus, this book introduces new ways of perceiving current productions of the Fantasy genre. In doing so, it also explores how Fantasy Fiction exhibits a conscious awareness of its own form. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction – Defining Heroic Epic Fantasy 1 The Shape of a Hero’s Soul: Interrogating the Destiny of the Hero in Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Curse of Chalion (2001) 2 Forks in the Road: Assessing the Paradoxical Nature of Fixed and Fluid Time in Mercedes Lackey’s The Fairy Godmother (2004) 3 Building Layers of Character: Analysing the Construction of the Hero in Robert Jordan’s The Great Hunt (1990) 4 The Ou-Hero: Considering the Possibility for the Hero to Become Villain (and Vice Versa) in David Farland’s The Wyrmling Horde (2008) 5 The Messianic Hero: Exploring the Hero’s Willing Confrontation with Death in Gail Z. Martin’s The Summoner (2007) 6 Breaking into Fantasyland: Investigating How Fracturing and Entropy Motivates the Plot in Terry Goodkind’s Stone of Tears (1995) 7 The Hero as Portal: Examining the Hero’s Role as Reversal of Entropy in James Clemens’ Shadowfall (2006) 8 Perfect Epic Empires: Appraising Cycles of Utopia and Anti-Utopia in Brandon Sanderson’s Hero of Ages (2008) 9 Chaotic Cycles: Evaluating Patterns Within and Between Sequel Series in David and Leigh Eddings’ The Seeress of Kell (1991) Afterword – Probing the Potentials of the Heroic Epic Pattern with a Brief Look at Anne McCaffrey’s All the Weyrs of Pern (1991) Index