Fantasy Fiction An Introduction [Paperback]

This is a series of introductory books about different types of writing. One strand of the series will focus on genres such as Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, and Crime. The other strand will focus on movements or styles often associated with historical and cultural locations - Postcolonial, Native American, Scottish, Irish, American Gothic.

These introductions all share the same nine-part structure:

1.A broad definition of the genre and its essential elements
2.A timeline of historical developments
3.Critical concerns to bear in mind while reading
4.Detailed readings of several key texts
5.In-depth analysis of major themes and issues
6.Signposts for further study
7.A summary of the most important criticism in the field
8.A glossary of terms
9.An annotated, critical reading list

Writers covered in this book include:

Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, George Orwell, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Shelley, J.K. Rowling, H.G. Wells, Thomas More, Jonathan Swift, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Yann Martel, Jeanette Winterson, and William Gibson.

CONTENTSChapter 1What is Fantasy Writing?IntroductionBeyond the HorizonEpic SpaceChapter 2Fantasy as TimelineIntroductionThe Origins of Modern FantasyEarly Modern FantasyTree versus Leaf: Reading the Present through the PastPhantasm versus FantasiaChapter 3How to Read Fantasy; Or, Dreams and Their Fictional ReadersIntroductionReading DreamsMedieval Dream VisionThe World in/of the MirrorChapter 4The Best and Best KnownIntroductionPlay and Nonsense: Lewis Carroll and Edward LearCartographies and Geographies of Fantasy: Animal Farm and Gulliver's TravelsJ.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the RingsMary Shelley, Frankenstein: Discourses of MonstrosityThe Monsters of Middle EarthAdolescent Monsters: Harry PotterH.G. Wells, The First Men in the Moon and The Time MachineOther Desires': Homoeroticism and the FeminineMothers and Mirrors: Harry PotterChapter 5The Utopia as an Underlying Feature of All l3,