On Fantasy and Sci Fi

Yep. I'm one of those weird people. I like to read about Orcs with maces,unwitting Princes-to-be with swords, and wizards with wands. I enjoy characters with names such as Elene, Aslan, and Aydrian from places such as Calormen, Carona, and Tar Valon. I'm a fantasy geek. I enjoy Sci Fi, too, but fantasy is my real love. I read multiple-volume stories such as The Chronicles of Narnia (7 books) and The Wheel of Time (12!). I watch movies such as Dragon Sword and The Princess Bride. I watch TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Stargate SG1. I play computer games such as Half Life 2 and Age of Mythology.

It all started in 3rd grade. A teacher read C. S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew, the 6th book of The Chronicles of Narnia (which tells the story of Narnia's creation which is why many people read it first). Every second day or so she would read another chapter. I got totally caught up. Diggory and Polly were in the middle of a world where animals talked, iron grew from trees, and apples had healing qualities. It was amazing. My parents quickly bought me the whole series and I devoured it. To this day, I re-read each one every couple of years. Since then I've enjoyed lots of major epics like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, R. A. Salvatore's The Demonwars Saga, and, of course, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Rowling's Harry Potter.

So, what is it? Why am I so drawn to these stories that seem so far removed from reality? Well, the answer is partly in that question. I spend all day every day in reality. Sometimes I enjoy escaping. Fantasy writers tend to draw whole other worlds and civilizations. The good ones people these worlds with cultures, races, politics, and histories. These places can become quite alluring. Most fantasy is multi-volume due to its innate epic nature. This works because a good fantasy world is one to which I always want to return. Since I was a kid - and even now - I want to magically go to Narnia or Hogwarts. I want to see places like Cair Paravel or the Lone Islands.

But there's more than just escape. Good fantasy is like a mirror held up to our own world. With deep politics, religion, war, and cultures, fantasy can mimic modern problems and situations. If you think about it, St-Mere-Abelle is no more exotic sounding and seeming than Timbuktu or Siberia. The Red Dwarfs are just as intriguing as Geisha. The idea that Rand has been destined since he was born to save the human race is easily as fascinating as the Passion.

So fantasy writers have an opportunity to draw comparisons to the real world. Some, like Lewis, actually use allegory. By now, most people are aware that Aslan's lordship and sacrifice is analogous with Jesus' death and resurrection. Most writers aren't quite so heavy-handed. Nonetheless, parallels can be drawn between most of these stories and the world in which we live.

I have found that many fantasy fans are also history buffs. There seems to be some sort of affinity among us with anthropology and sociology. I've learned more about world history and conflict from fantasy books than I ever did from a history class!

Whatever it is, all I really know is that worlds are created that I want to revisit many times. I know that a book is really good when I want to read it again. And I do - I've re-read many, many of my favorites.

So, here is my humble list of favorites:

BOOKS:
The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis
The Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling (book 7 can't come fast enough!)
The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan (I started reading these in 1994 and I'm waiting for the final book, Book 12, to come out)
The Demonwars Saga, R. A. Salvatore
The Godhead Trilogy, James Morrow
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, J. R. R. Tolkien

MOVIES:
Willow
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Star Wars (the original trilogy, of course)
Time Bandits
Back to the Future trilogy
Alien and Aliens
Hook
The Matrix

TV:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
Stargate SG1
Stargate Atlantis
Battlestar Gallactica (the new one, not the original or the one from the 80s)
Smallville

COMPUTER GAMES:
Civilization (2, 3, and 4)
Age of Empires
Age of Mythology
Half Life (1 and 2)
Jedi Knight