Fantasy, a popular genre today for books, films, television, and games, is one of the oldest storytelling genres. Why have humans always enjoyed stories where gods, elves, and magic interfere with human lives? This course will chart the historical depth and breadth of fantastic genres, from creation myths and supernatural epic poetry to medieval romances and early modern English drama, and there from fairy tales to modern and postmodern fantasy novels, films, art, graphic novels, and games. We will explore how fantasy has been used for a variety of purposes beyond just telling a fun story, such as explaining how the world works, understanding the nature of the soul and death, marginalizing people who are different from us, escaping the confines of everyday life, and even learning more about it. Our essential questions for this course are: How are Fantasy authors both constrained by and able to transcend the rules of “the primary world” (the real world)? What can Fantasy tell us about the nature of humanity that other literature cannot?

Readings include: Gilgamesh, Bisclavret (Marie de France), The Little Mermaid (Anderson), “The Fantastic Imagination” (MacDonald), The Hobbit (Tolkien), Trail of Lightning (Roanhorse), Sandman (Gaiman).

Regular reading responses, two short analytical papers (4-6 pages), oral group presentation, and a creative project (variable length).

Megan Abrahamson is a UNM Honors alumna, holding a PhD in English in Medieval Literature from the University of Missouri. She has published “J.R.R. Tolkien, Fanfiction, and ‘The Freedom of the Reader’” and her dissertation “Medieval Romance, Fanfiction, and the Erotics of Shame” talks about fantasy and fan elements in medieval literature. She plays Dungeons & Dragons in her spare time.