Imagination in Fantasy

One thing that I feel very strongly about is the fantasy genre, particularly in writing. As this is my area of expertise and interest, it distresses me when people object to it on the basis that it is "evil."

I'm not saying everyone should like fantasy. Everyone is entitle to his or her own opinion, and for some people it's just too strange to read about things that couldn't really happen in our world. That's okay. There's nothing wrong with that opinion. There are genres I don't like too. What gets me is when people claim that just because something is not realistic, it must be bad. Just because characters are casting magic, they must be in league with Satan. What they are basically saying is that imagination is bad. What's wrong with visiting another world for a little while when you sit down to read a book? No one is suggesting that readers will believe that it's real and start a cult. What's appealing about fantasy is the very fact that it's not realistic. Through the eyes of a main character, we can rise above certain problems of humanity thanks to magic, or we can look into the issues in a fantastic world and use it as a mirror for our own. Creating a new world is a great way to look at our societies objectively. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis knew this better than anybody.

That's not all fantasy has to be either. I for one believe that there's nothing wrong with reading a book for entertainment (though I know some professors who would disagree). Consequently, I don't think there's anything wrong with writing a book for entertainment either. Actually, I've been working on one for years. Yes, the characters have issues that we can understand, and yes, there are troubles in that world that we see here as well. But it is not a political, social, or any other type of satire. My main goal is to enthrall readers with a new place where magic exists and the imagination can easily be swept away. (I have the same goals for my art also). My characters have no evil intent when it comes to magic. As is the case with many fantasy stories, magic is an innate ability, NOT something obtained through witchcraft. I know there are those that will go so far as to say that Wizard of Oz and Cinderella are evil things. (bipiddy-bopiddy-boo....must be satanic words!! *gasp*) For those who feel this way, I encourage you to open up your imagination and allow yourself to see that innocence and beauty you are missing.

As you can tell, this has been thoughts "From the mind of a Light Mage." :) (A mage, in case you don't know, is a common word in modern fantasy to refer to someone who can use magic. I call myself a Light Mage because the main character in my book that is based on myself is a user of Light magic).