"F" is for Fantasy

A-Z Challenge entry for today?  Fantasy.  

No, not like that.  Well, I did do erotica yesterday, so I guess I can see where you'd get that impression.

Anyway, since I know that there's always a lot of debate over how much overlap there is between the fantasy and sci-fi genres (fyi, Amazon lumps them together with an &), so I'll use a blanket definition of fantasy as: a story that contains some elements or events that could not happen or exist in the "real" world, i.e. magic, monsters, etc.  To me, fantasy can overlap a lot with other genres: sci-fi, historical, romance, young-adult, yadda yadda yadda.

That covers a lot of literary ground.  

What I like about reading in the fantasy genre is the suspension of belief and the escapism that the reader experiences.  You're magically transported into this new world where you don't have to worry about your taxes, feeding your cats, remembering to get gas for your car, or if you forgot to buy toilet paper.  

No, your only concern is that Frodo and his trusty friend Samwise get that damn ring to Mt. Doom and save Middle Earth from Sauron!  

Or that Harry, Ron, and Hermione get their act together, cut their camping trip short, find those horcruxes and give Tom Riddle what's coming to him.  

Or that Katniss and Peeta win the hearts of Panem to give them the best shot they can in the Hunger Games, even though the chances of either of them coming out alive are slim.  

Or maybe that whatever awesomely frighting creature and situation you're reading about in the latest Stephen King novel won't keep you up at night, looking over your shoulder and jumping at every noise you hear.  

Or...you see where I'm going with this?  

Escapism, pure and simple.  

Oddly enough, it's not something adults often allow for themselves.  They believe pretending is for kids, or that reading things like that is silly.  Why read a fantasy novel or even a short story when you can read up on politics, feng shui, or how to keep your credit score in perfect shape?  Are books about all these things (and other non-fiction) topics useless?  No, not at all...far from it.  I'm just saying that a lot of adults won't even consider a fantasy book because they think it's beneath them or reading them is a waste of time.  

Therefore, I'm giving you permission to find a fantasy novel and read it.  Go ahead...get in your car.  Go to the library and pick one up, even if it's a young adult novel like the ones I recommended above...all of them are completed series, by the way...hint hint.  It's getting warmer out, so take your shiny new book, find a quiet spot outside, and read to your heart's content.  I think you'll like it.  

If you already read fantasy, what are your favorites?  I've shown you mine, now you show me yours.

xoxo Sarah