Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Reading Material


As mentioned before it is important to read a variety of different published literature to broaden your understanding of what fantasy is and the types of plots that are out there. It can also help you identify some clichés to avoid and identify writing styles that appeal to audiences.

Fairy tales often have a large fantasy component to allow them to tell a story they wouldn’t normally be able to tell. Some modern fairy tales for you to read include:

  • The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
  • The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
  • The Blue Bird by Fiona French
  • The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame

    Samples of Modern Fantasy Stories that you may have read or are considered classics of Fantasy literature include:

  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  • The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
  • The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  • The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
  • Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
  • Watership Down by Richard Adams
  • Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  • The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

    • A great blog site that names some interesting books to read can be found at Love.Love.Literature

    WORKSHOP: Go out and get yourself a good book. You don’t have to buy it; you can even borrow it from your local library. Now tell me, did you like that book? Did you hate it? WHY? What made it appeal to you? Was it the writing style, characters or plot? How would you make it different?

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    4 comments:

    1. erica.robynSeptember 27, 2009 at 10:36 PM

      My favourite Hans Christian Anderson story was Big Claus and Little Claus. I also liked the little match Girl. Are fairytales part of the fantasy genre or are they are genre in themselves?

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    2. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM

      I think these books are aimed at young adults mostly, but Phillip Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy (The golden compass, subtle knife, and amber spyglass) are all fantastic fantasy novels as well.

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    3. MatthiusSeptember 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM

      Great picks for the books, many of these are among my favourites ;)

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    4. Kiera*~September 28, 2009 at 9:19 PM

      Erica - I haven't actually read Big Claus and Little Claus. I have read the little match girl tho. That story, along with the one with the prince as a statue giving away his wealth and another with the bird killing itself to create the perfect rose (both names allude me at the moment) have to be some of the saddest tales I have ever read. Hans Christian Andersen is a fantastic author when it comes to emotion within a story.
      While fairytales are a seperate genre from fantasy, they can also be tied together, through the unusual events that don't normally happen in 'Real Life' - eg. Talking animals.

      Jen - I loved the Dark Materials Trilogy. Unfortunately the movie didn't meet my expectations at all. You are correct however, that this reading list is mostly aimed at young adults. The next reading list should have a few 'older' novels.

      Matthius - I'm glad you liked them :)

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