Why is there a rise in YA Fantasy? I guess there are three main reasons. Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy and the much-anticipated prequel, The Hobbit, due out soon. HP, of course. And today at the box office, part 1 of the last episode in The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn. These have all come around one after the other in a span of about ten years. They capture our imaginations so fully, that fans of the genre demand more. And the very interesting thing, IMHO, is that YA fantasy stories cross-over to adults in ways that no other genre can. Fantasy is just that way. Done right, it’s timeless, like fantasies themselves.
But enough of my opinion. Let’s look to the real experts to shed some light. If you’re a fan of YA Fantasy, you might want to check out this amazing book. I do love it so.
Has the attitude toward fantasy changed since you’ve been writing?
“Oh yes. When I stared in the 1960s it seemed that nobody wanted fantasy. People wanted literature to be “relevant,” but in a very narrow sense. Now, fantasy is a thriving concern.
Tolkien probably had a lot to do with htis. The Lord of the Rings was the elephant in the living room. It was so unmistakably a major work that it simply could not be overlooked. People had to say, “Hey, this is great.” It may well have opened it up for other fantasy writers.”
–Lloyd Alexander, author of The Chronicles of Prydain, The Gawgon and the Boy, The Iron Ring, The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian, The Rope Trick, Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth, The Westmark trilogy
Why do you write fantasies instead of some other kind of story?
“Fantasy is romantic in nature. It’s filled with silks and stains and daggers––and the possibility of wonderfully challenging transformations. How interesting it is to me to try to describe a person who is being taken over by her seal skin, or who can sense the world around her through her hair. That to me is fascinating.”Â
-Franny Billingsley, author of The Folk Keeper, Well Wished
Is fantasy writing more accepted now than it was when you were starting out as a writer?
“Heavens, yes. I think that’s because it’s a scarier world. Fantasy gives you options. It’s an attempt to touch on reality, in a way that can’t be done better otherwise.”
-Madeleine L’Engle, author of An Acceptable Time, A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters
Great post with excellent quotes 🙂 I agree – the fact YA crosses over to adults is huge… and if you want a book to take flight – turn it into a movie 🙂
So true. Of course we all know the the books are MUCH better, right? So excited you have joined the carnival Melissa! Welcome 🙂
Books are always better!
Right? Absolutely. I loved sharing that with my kids. We all read aloug The Indian in the Cupboard when they were kids and then we went to see the film. The first thing the kids said was how amazing the books were compared to the movie!
Fantasy will always be with us. It has stood the test of time. Today’s YA fantasy readers will be tomorrow’s fantasy readers.
http://dhdonaghe.blogspot.com/
So true! Yay:)
I love that teen girls and their moms are reading the same books! Great post, Laura–love the quotes!
It is so much fun to share stories together 🙂 Twilight was the last book I read aloud with my youngest before she went off to college. Thanks for stopping by Patti.
Nice post… and so true. 🙂
Thanks Amy. Thanks for swinging by this week 🙂
I agree, I think that the sophistication of media has contributed to the richness of the current batch of YA novels.
Well said. What a wonderful time to write fantasy! Thanks for stopping by Rachel 🙂
Great post Laura. And yes, books are best, even my kids prefer the books to the movies… comes up trumps all the time – although one has to admit there are some amazing books-turned-into-movies out there right now – my fave is still the Lord of the Rings trilogy tho 🙂
What a fun set of quotes! Thanks, Laura!
Cidney