We have an entire magical realism scene here that doesn't include any of the fantasists (even the ones writing MR) or make reference to any speculative writers at all. you couldn't make it up.
One of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's inspirations was Ray Bradbury. Garcia Marquez is labelled a Magic Realist. Bradbury is mis-labelled an s.f. writer and self-labelled a fantasist.We have an entire magical realism scene here that doesn't include any of the fantasists (even the ones writing MR) or make reference to any speculative writers at all. you couldn't make it up.
Yep. In this case, one of those very involved in the MR scene is in the literary circles, and definitely would not want to be seen as non-literary barbarian writer of fantasy/scifi(TM).that they boil down to literary politics and branding.
LolWe need to deal with more specific, concrete questions, like whether there are any swordfights in the novels of Arthur Conan Doyle or something like that.
This is quite obviously true, although I personally prefer British (maybe especially Scottish) SF and American fantasy...For fantasy, Britain. For sf, America.
I agree. In my view Magic Realism is a literary tool to underline an aspect of the real world or the mental state of a character. The main story is situated in our world.I don't get this idea of Magic Realism being fantasy or fantasy-related. Surely it's showing a (nother) way of looking at OUR world rather than inventing a different world?
I understand what you are saying. To paraphrase a famous quote about the difference between pornography and erotica, I know what is fantasy and what is MR, but it is hard to say why. The problem in this sort of discussion is that when we get down to an attempt at tight definitions, it becomes frustratingly elusive.I agree. In my view Magic Realism is a literary tool to underline an aspect of the real world or the mental state of a character. The main story is situated in our world.
Fantasy creates its own world, solely as entertainment, whereby the plot wouldn't be possible in our world.
Both the setting and the author's intention are totally different.
But at the very heart and soul of both sf and fantasy is the reflective mirror where we use it to show another way of looking at our worldI don't get this idea of Magic Realism being fantasy or fantasy-related. Surely it's showing a (nother) way of looking at OUR world rather than inventing a different world?
Most fantasy I think is a way of looking at our world, just sometimes with the names changedI don't get this idea of Magic Realism being fantasy or fantasy-related. Surely it's showing a (nother) way of looking at OUR world rather than inventing a different world?
Most of the foundational authors of each genre were from those countries.Based on which criteria?!
But at the very heart and soul of both sf and fantasy is the reflective mirror where we use it to show another way of looking at our world
Thanks, you've articulated what I was attempting to mumble!I agree. In my view Magic Realism is a literary tool to underline an aspect of the real world or the mental state of a character. The main story is situated in our world.
Fantasy creates its own world, solely as entertainment, whereby the plot wouldn't be possible in our world.
Both the setting and the author's intention are totally different.
So ... it's not really different from fantasy. See also The Metamorphosis, Alice in Wonderland, Titus Groan, "The Homecoming," "Uncle Einar," "Cleopatra Brimstone," etc.I agree. In my view Magic Realism is a literary tool to underline an aspect of the real world or the mental state of a character. The main story is situated in our world.
... or that satirizes human behavior or society, or that mourns the loss of past glories (real or imagined), or that elucidates character, or that does the other stuff literature does.[...]underlines an aspect of the real world or the mental state of a character.
So ... it's not really different from fantasy. See also The Metamorphosis, Alice in Wonderland, Titus Groan, "The Homecoming," "Uncle Einar," "Cleopatra Brimstone," etc.
Also see also, The Circus of Dr. Lao, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Land of Laughs, American Gods -- all of which are situated in our world. Fantasy is not just secondary world fantasy. It is a broad, broad category of fiction and the belief that it is "solely ... entertainment" indicates a misunderstanding of its power and potential in the right hands. See those titles above, see also LOTR, The Last Unicorn, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Earthsea trilogy (haven't read beyond those), Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and on and on.
I agree with you about literary tools, and fantasy is one of those tools. MR may be a variation thereof, but what I've read could just as easily have been called fantasy. In the meantime writers like Jonathan Carroll, Caitlin R. Kiernan, John Crowley and Elizabeth Hand have built careers on writing fantasy that:
... or that satirizes human behavior or society, or that mourns the loss of past glories (real or imagined), or that elucidates character, or that does the other stuff literature does.
Firstly, I should apologise for wading into the discussion while under the influence and giving my impressions of Magic Realism while not actually being very familiar with the genre.So ... it's not really different from fantasy. See also The Metamorphosis, Alice in Wonderland, Titus Groan, "The Homecoming," "Uncle Einar," "Cleopatra Brimstone," etc.
Also see also, The Circus of Dr. Lao, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Land of Laughs, American Gods -- all of which are situated in our world.