The Battle of Science and Magic – Part One: Particles and Pixie Dust
Victoria Hooper
For a long time we have separated magic and science, drawing a line between fantasy and science fiction, associating magic with the past – usually a pre-industrial society – and…
mythology
Magic In Fantasy – Part Two: Real Magic
Leo Elijah Cristea
This is the second in our Magic In Fantasy series. If you missed part one you can read it here. First off, shall we—cynic, dreamer and scholar alike—agree, for at…
The Creatures in the Shadows – Part Two: South and East Africa
James Calbraith
This is the second article in our Creatures in the Shadows series. You can read the first one on West African creatures here. South and South-East Africa is a land…
The Creatures in the Shadows: West Africa
Elves, trolls, dwarves, goblins… There’s no denying that the Western fantasy is strongly entrenched in a Northern European mindscape: those ancient myths of the Celtic and Germanic people that inspired…
Weight by Jeanette Winterson
Robbie Cameron
Weight is, at its heart, a re-imagining of the myth of Atlas and Heracles (also known as Hercules in Rome and the modern west). As punishment for siding with Cronos…
Manipulating the Mythos
Rachel Riegel
There is an ongoing argument among fantasy lovers as to whether or not you can take a long-standing myth and manipulate it into something different. We all know that things…
Fantasy Influences: Ancient Greek Mythology – Part Two
You can read part one of this series here. In the last article, I looked at Greek mythology’s influence on fantasy, including the hero’s quest and what he or she…
Pirates: Fantasy’s Forgotten Scoundrels
Laura Graham
I’m going to start you off with a quiz this month. Nice and simple, five questions, just to see what you really know about pirates. 1. Apart from as a…
Dragons: An Introduction
Dragons: Why do they permeate fantasy fiction, and moreover, what are they supposed to be? Despite the varied literature in which they appear, the appearance of a dragon—with a little…
Elements of Fantasy: Owls
Janie Bill
Of all the bird species, owls have a unique talent for scaring the dickens out of people. They hide during the day and bellow haunting hoots throughout the night. Owls…
Fantasy-Faction World Tour of Wonderment: The Philippines – Part One
Paolo Chikiamco
Welcome back to the Fantasy-Faction World Tour of Wonderment! This is where we shine the spotlight on different parts of the world and their unique contributions to and traditions of…
Elves In Mythology and Fantasy
When most people think classic fantasy, they might think Tolkien, and then they might think elves. And with good reason: elves have been in fantasy for a very long time,…