I love to read anything and everything. My favorite genre, however, is fiction, especially fantasy fiction. I still enjoy reading other genres like mystery and science fiction. But none of them get me curled up on my couch, eagerly reading to discover what awaits for me on the next page. The only genre that does this for me is fantasy. This way, I wanted to understand what makes fantasy so appealing as a genre. In this blog, I will be sharing my personal reason for choosing fantasy above all other genres, and then compare my thoughts to public opinion.
My personal reason:
The reason why I love fantasy is because of how relatable to real life it is. This may sound funny, given that fantasy is a genre purely based on the supernatural. It follows the stories of characters which are out-of-the ordinary, in settings that are unlike anything we have seen before. These are completely magical. So how then, is it that fantasy is relatable? I believe that the very aspect that makes fantasy relatable to real life, is magic. To me, magic, in all fantasy novels, is a symbolism of life.
There is no one way to define life or magic. Life becomes to each individual, what they want it to be. Similarly, magic, in fantasy novels, is multi potent. Magic achieves the visions, wills, and ideas of the character. For example, in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry (the protagonist) uses magic to bring light into the world. He uses magic as a means to save his cherished world made of his friends, family, and mentors, from the dark intentions of Voldemort (the antagonist).
However, a character can also be tempted by the negative influences of magic. This is seen in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings (LotR). In LotR, Frodo Baggins (the protagonist) is set out on a quest to destroy The One Ring of Sauron (the antagonist). While The One Ring brings great power to its bearer, it also induces great desire and selfishness. This desire and possessiveness over the Ring causes the Ring Bearer to ignore their interpersonal relationships with those around them. Frodo, with his will power and the support of his friends, is able to overcome this ill influence of the ring.
Therefore, the rather volatile nature of magic gives it a similarity to life. We give direction for our life, whether it be in a positive or a negative way. Similarly, fantasy characters can shape magic to be a good or an evil force in their life.
The reason why I love fantasy is because the one thing which makes it other-worldly, also gives it a resemblance to the ordinary life that we live.
Now, I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone, or if anyone agrees with me! Feel free to think about something you are passionate about, and then try to figure out why you feel passionate about it.