It starts with a rabbit that’s terribly late. A girl discovering a snowy magical world through a wardrobe. Or maybe a boy who finds out he’s a wizard, or another one who travels through space and time looking for his father. For me, it started with a precocious little girl who loved books and avenged a caring teacher who later became her family. Fantasy tales enter our lives in our childhoods and, often, never leave.
A lot has been said about the ability literature has to transport readers. But fantasy literature is particularly special because it makes travelling to different realms feasible. Its readers can explore colourful worlds, encounter majestic creatures and interesting characters and, ultimately, be inspired to dream. Fantasy comes with many affordances but beyond doubt one of the most significant ones is the chance to imagine a better world—to find solace in the idea that anything is possible and believe that magic may still exist somewhere out there.
News travels fast in the present digital age. Almost every day we hear about another climate disaster, act of violence, war, or illness. Our lives run constantly at full speed. We stress and worry and face challenges that can weigh heavily on our minds. Fantasy literature offers an escape from that bleak reality. The pages of a fantasy novel work as a portal to a parallel universe where worlds take on different forms and things can be very different from what we see around us. Accompanying heroes to their quests or joining along on adventures—be it to schools of magic or fantastical realms—can distract us even momentarily from our own concerns providing a sense of excitement and hope.
Hope is especially important during difficult times. Finding inspiration from the themes of courage and resilience, both prominent in fantasy books, we can be comforted and gather strength to face our own problems. Fantasy can remind us that obstacles can be overcome and that we can withstand adversity.
Notwithstanding the importance of escapism and navigating hardships though, I think that the real solace that fantasy literature offers lies elsewhere. And that’s in the sense of belonging it can provide its readers with.
In fantasy, worlds have wider boundaries and fewer limitations. Compared to real life, the possibilities of what one can do or be in those realms feel endless. Rules are bent while definitions of normalcy are re-established. And while societal norms are not completely absent, they often create dynamics much different from those one is bound to experience outside the pages of a novel. For instance, children are mighty and can escape abusive carers, outsiders can be protagonists, and success (or happiness!) is not necessarily linked to social class, money, gender, race, or any (dis)ability.
So, those who feel alienated in the real world might find the companionship that they lack in the pages of a fantasy book. They can feel seen and understood. They can feel that they belong. Fantasy gives us a safe space to explore our own identities and learn to appreciate the traits that make us unique. It helps us find our pack whilst showing us that it is okay to be different. This is the true magic and solace of fantasy. It allows everyone to find a place to fit in, even those of us that will return to the margins when the book is closed.
So if your days feel dull and you’re looking to stimulate your imagination, or if you’re going through a rough patch and need either a getaway or support, or if you’re simply looking for company, I hope picking up a fantasy book might do the trick for you.
“A Bibliophile’s Wildest Fantasies” by Graeme Pow is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0