Jan 4 2011 10:14am Thoughts on the Unreal, Part 1: Anticipation
Fantasy fictionI love fantasy fiction.  This is not, it must be
said, a particularly bold statement on this site. I doubt that
anyone reading Tor.com is likely to disagree, unless you are
here by accident whilst browsing for information on Cornish
Hills.  I should point out, that I’m using the term “fantasy” to
encompass the whole of the Tor.com tagline: “Science Fiction.
Fantasy. The Universe. And related subjects.” For me, the most
ethereal faerie enchantments have just as much charm as a solid
piece of sci-fi hardware. I love the unreal: the power, and
wonder, and delight of worlds where nothing can be taken for
granted, and everything is new.  The only question is...why?
What is it about fantasy that is so beguiling? I mean, one of
the cardinal rules of fiction is supposed to be the possibility
for the audience to identify, to sympathise with the characters
and recognise their own lives. In Poetics, Aristotle suggested
that the purpose of f