How Fantasy Reflects our World (Feat. Lindsay Ellis) | It's Lit

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Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Fantasy is a lens to explore what we as a society find important to our pasts, our presents, and future. Fantasy and science fiction often fall under the umbrella of “speculative fiction” - as a result they are often grouped together, especially in bookstores. But science fiction is a forward-looking genre propelled by the possibilities of technology (and the things that worry us about it), fantasy is … more backward looking.
Interested in using this video as a teaching resource? Check it out on PBS LearningMedia: to.pbs.org/3qK4ONI
Written by Lindsay Ellis, Angelina Meehan and Antonella Inserra
Directed & animated by Andrew Matthews
Produced by Amanda Fox
Executive in Charge (PBS): Adam Dylewski
Music and Sound Design: Eric Friend
Hand Model: Katie Graham
Imaged by Shutterstock

[@pbsvoices]

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[@jermainezaid1702]

Instablaster.

[@Calpsotoma]

Still blows me away Lindsay got to work with PBS studios, but it's awesome she did.

[@nd6112]

I didn't know she had her own series with them o.o

[@acchaladka]

She smart tho, yo.

[@nd6112]

Never doubted her, and I enjoy her video essays at her channel, it's always intriguing

[@gibrana9214]

Her video essays are amazing... But not always... Advertiser friendly

[@Passions5555]

Girl is on the rise and I love it.

[@mentalbarf655]

I was obsessed with Artemis Fowl for a long time growing up. I still really like it. It's an urban fantasy about a 12-year-old genius billionaire...who captures a leprechaun. Better yet, the leprechaun is actually a firey, corageous elvin policewoman from an underground world of technologically advanced fairies... oh, and add in a little time travel and a man whose name is Butler. Wonderful books.

[@TheDudeSmashTrash]

yessssssss

[@slimyweasles4973]

Oh I remember those! They were some of my favorites growing up :)

[@pansymoons9536]

I love those books with all my heart! I could go on about all of the things I love about it. Holly Short was a huge inspiration to me when I was growing up. I also love how all the characters are so unique but equally lovable, even the grumpy ones. The humour is sharp and still makes me laugh today. It's a series I will always treasure for its wit, world, characters and story.

[@nathandrake5544]

You forgot the dwarf that tunnels by eating dirt and shitting it out ;)

[@trufax79]

Have you seen the trailer for it yet?

[@JustLikeWonderful]

An amazing female author with some very interesting books is Diane Wynne Jones. Her most famous book and also my favorite is Howl's Moving Castle (yes, like in the Miyazaki movie), but her body of work include some amazing stories with strong inspiration in fairy tales such as Fire and Hemlock and the Chrestomanci series. She actually took some of C.S. Lewis's and Tolkien's classes during her days at Oxford, and I do really believe she has inspired some of the more recent popular authors (such as Neil Gaiman, Rowling...) more than people give her credit for!

[@gigitastic90]

YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES!!!!! Diane Wynne Jones is so important to modern fantasy especially children's books! It's rarely talked about but her Derkholm series is one of my all time favorites of her work. I love the Howl books of course but the Derkholm books will always hold a special place in my heart. Diane Wynne Jones had publicly stated she thought she may have influenced Rowling . I'm sure she did. She's an institution!

[@adorabell4253]

When I found out Dianna Wynne Jones died I cried a bit. I love the whole Howl series, I was actually disapointed by the Miyazaki movie, it didn't do the book justice. Even more, though, I love the stand-alone novels. Power of Three, Homeward Bounders, Hexwood, Archer's Goon. I managed to find and read almost all her books (I think I missed some of the more rare out of print ones) and they definitely left a mark on me.

[@dhericean5260]

Diane Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman were friends from 1985 (not the Mr. Gaiman doesn't seem to collect friends the way most of us do books), and he always talked about her influence and works. I heard that the family relationships in Archer's Goon inspired the dynamic between the Endless in The Sandman.

[@drewlytle2281]

I was hoping you'd mention His Dark Materials. His Dark Materials is facinating since it takes Fantasy, combines it a few elements of science fiction and turns what's usually a black and white view of good fighting evil and turns it into a thought provoking story of said black and white view and makes it ponder if it's naturally that way or forced and if forced, what to be done with it.

[@annejeppesen160]

And Steam Punk!!!

[@fat1fared]

Still some of the best books ever written I think.

[@Lauren-rl4eu]

I was obsessed with those books when I was around 10! There are very few children's books that hold up so well in adulthood like they do

[@sophiewhiting6610]

Also surprised that she didn't talk about Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea in more detail. A female writer with an entirely POC (/non-white) cast with magic based on taosim. THAT'S unique!

[@the_cosmic_alexolotl2282]

Another good example of non-European high fantasy, although not literature, is Avatar the Last Airbender and its sequel The Legend of Korra

[@jordanwindham3804]

Hayao Miyazaki's work is also noteworthy in that he's done at least one film in each of the fantasy subgenres (high, urban, portal). It's also all insanely good.

[@richmcgee434]

Another example would be Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series, a fantastically deep (and truly weird) setting. And since Lindsey brought up fantasy roleplaying with that D&D reference, how about the Glorantha setting, first used in Runequest and since adapted for at least a half-dozen other TTRPG game engines (latest being 13th Age)? Glorantha's a incredibly detailed and internally consistent fantasy world that feels more like "real" mythology that some actual historical mythology does.

[@Megafreakx3]

Maybe not the Lok since it is not that good if you look at it closer...

[@Fantallana]

Megfreakx3 it’s not as well written as atla, but definitely still good, and perhaps had more important things to say than atla. Also had the better main protagonist. (Though if we’re looking at protagonistS- team avatar as a whole- I’d say Atla is the winner there.)

[@the_cosmic_alexolotl2282]

LoK is actually what made finally accept that I was bi lol

[@fatcat1399]

I grew up wanting to live in Tamora Pierce’s books, especially the Immortals Series with Daine. She wasn’t some perfect lady or super powerful knight. She started as this shy girl who had soooooo much baggage, and comes through to become this Magick, animal healing, shape shifting badass. Soooo wanted to be her.

[@GGCrono]

Mad props for Tamora Pierce. Though I'm one of the weirdos who always liked Circle of Magic better than Tortall.

[@anchimel]

I frequently asked myself "What would Kel do?"

[@neeneko]

Heh. I just started rereading the Alanna series for the first time in 30 year to see how I feel about it today.

[@sykoelf]

I was more of an Aly of Pirate's Swoop fan. Confident, charming and very competent at overthrowing governments. Everything my 15 year old self wanted to be.

[@novaquartz5049]

I grew up reading her too. But her Circle series. Briar Moss was one of my first crushes and I wanted to be in that world, with him.

[@LNER4771]

My favorite fantasy series is Redwall by Brian Jacques. Unlike other fantasy novels, its focus is on anthropomorphic animals with no human influence whatsoever. It's main focus is the struggle of the good creatures of Redwall Abbey (mice, moles, hares, badgers et al) against hordes of vermin lusting for wealth and power (rats, foxes, stoats, weasels...). The main focus is the story is that while not anyone can be a hero, a hero can show up in the most unlikely of circumstances.

[@agilemind6241]

I love Redwall as well mainly because it focuses on the importance of heroes as inspiration to others and the importance of determination rather than anything else in heroism.

[@Tuckerscreator]

Also, beer. LOTS of beer.

[@helmetlesssolairedotpng4220]

so its a fantasy version of ratatouille

[@LNER4771]

Yeah, but no humans and rats are evil.

[@LimeyLassen]

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel is hands down my favorite fantasy novel.

[@ingonyama70]

I feel like it's got a terrific mix of period fiction and urban fantasy. I want to call it historical fantasy?

[@LimeyLassen]

Magical Realism is the common term.

[@seaweed5269]

Limey Lassen "Magical realism" describes only the concept of having magic in your story be examined from more of a analytical standpoint. It does not conflict with any of the sub genres of fantasy, and it's possible to have magical realism in all of them. In terms of setting, the novel is definitely an urban fantasy, since it's taking some preexisting points from a real world, just not a modern one.

[@gigitastic90]

I just finished it this summer and I wish there were more books written in that universe because it's fascinating!

[@moose207]

A fantastic book, and sadly not as popular as it should be.

[@stetsuninu2374]

I'm very concerned for this poor paladin in full plate who somehow only has an AC of 10...

[@FlorenceFox]

I mean, AD&D, 3.5 or 5e, that's bad no matter how you slice it...

[@HugeCoffeeAddict]

And make no mistake, with an AC of 10, you definitely DO slice it.

[@d3m3nt3dmous3]

Maybe it's 2nd edition. As I recall, 10 is a pretty good starting AC.

[@isaacofprimm]

I thought the same thing! He's going to get destroyed

[@isabelleclavering4397]

It must be an alternate system where armour provides damage reduction.

[@treydavis2385]

Thank you so much for mentioning Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels. Also thank you for mentioning Conan the Barbarian. I have been wanting to see either one make the Great American Read list. Hopefully with this video more people will discover these amazing stories. Your awesome!

[@mirthfulArtist]

I only wish they'd dove deeper into Pratchett. I feel like "satirical fantasy" really doesn't do it justice!

[@nathanbest5579]

Basically anything by Naomi Novik is automatically at the top of my list for fantasy novels. Her Temeraire series is a wonderful historical fantasy set in the Napoleonic Era with dragons serving as the 'aerial corps.' Another of her novels is Uprooted, which is quite probably my favourite novel of any genre, with the feel of old world fairy tales reimagined. Naomi has a knack for making extremely relatable characters that really feel alive, with a consistent and unique personality. Her novels are also incredibly easy to read, but never feel childish. The stories always pulls you along, never lagging, even in the quiet moments of the story.

[@honeycombfromheaven]

Whoever does the sound design for these videos deserves an appreciation post, so here it is.

[@Mrs.Mallie]

I love this series. My favorite author is Tamara Pierce and she writes amazing fantasy novels with strong female leads. It was great growing up reading of heroines I could relate to.

[@Phoca_Vitulina]

Some favs: Abarat series, Inkheart series, Mistborn series, His Dark Materials, Abhorsen series, Watership Down, Kafka on the Shore

[@TheHeroOfMobius]

I've greatly enjoyed the Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale growing up. It's a portal fantasy with a dash of science fiction in which the lead character becomes a member of a multidimensional group called Travelers, tasked to protect individual planes of existence from collapsing in on themselves... or with each other.

[@landonwyndham979]

SmithDanigans[THoM] loved those books!

[@levesteM]

SmithDanigans[THoM] Kinda sounds like the Lyrical Nanoha series

[@dariusrahmaan1627]

YES, THOSE BOOKS WERE AMAZING!! I STILL HAVE ALL OF THEM

[@tessy4018]

I’m getting nostalgic, I absolutely adore this series!

[@DaemonDesiree]

Omg! I thought no one else knew about this!

[@grahamkristensen9301]

My current favorite fantasy series is the Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. It's a high fantasy story where the main character, Kvothe, became this legendary figure when he was really young, but fakes his own death after he's blamed for the death of a king and plunges two countries into a war. (Whether he was responsible or he was framed is yet unknown, and like Martin, Rothfuss is taking his sweet time with the next book.) Eventually a scribe finds him working as an innkeeper in the middle of nowhere and convinces him to tell his story because so many stories have been told about Kvothe that it's difficult to separate fact from fiction. It demystifies a lot of the typical fantasy hero archetypes. Kvothe is super intelligent and talented and he knows it, but this arrogance gets him in trouble more often than it gets him out. He's in love with and constantly fawns over a girl, but it never works out between them mostly because of his own obliviousness. He's had adventures where he faced dragons, fairy queens and basically the gods of death, but he also deals with school, constantly being broke, and struggling to hold on to a job. A TV series is in the works and Lin Manuel Miranda, who's a huge fan of the series, is said to be attached to it.

[@LaughterandCandy]

And thanks to that amazing premise, I put that on my TBR list.

[@wayfaringspacepoet]

There's a prog-folk band called Auri that takes a lot of inspo from Rothfuss's works!

[@kiruppert]

Lindsay Ellis, I love you. I hear all the time people talking about how important Science Fiction is, and I love me some Sci-Fi, but that usually takes the form of sweeping statements about how Science Fiction is the best and most important literary and media genre there is, without any acknowledgement of the fact that while there is forward thinking Sci-Fi, like everything else, most of it has nothing in particular on its mind than cool visuals and action. To say that is to lump movies like 2001:A Space Odyssey with Transformers:Rise of the Fallen. Thank you so much for acknowledging that there can be important literature with something to say to the reader that is fantasy.

[@jediwulfric]

Ah new Lindsay Ellis videos. A great way to start the day. Yup to Terry Pratchett, 1000%. For non European fantasy try Ken Liu's Dandelion dynasty. Also Patrick Rothfuss, because I like waiting for that promised next novel...

[@Carewolf]

Or Servent of the Empire and trilogy. Written by westerns, it portrays a very different world, a bit east asian, but mostly just alien and unique.

[@dustincompton992]

My favorite fantasy series is definitely the Valdemar sseries by Mercedes Lackey. I've seen it dismissed as mindless fluff before, but well, it's one that I grew up reading. But even beyond that, I like having the heroes of the books generally *be* heroes. They are good people doing good things for good reasons. I loved how in only the second novel written for the series, Arrow's Flight, we had the protagonists just going from place to place to take care of things. Taking care of a property line dispute in one town, conducting a wedding in another, or later on racing to get healers for a town that's been laid low by a plague. Or some other books had more epic quests to defend the kingdom from those who would conquer it. Or there was another trilogy about trying to handle a supernatural disaster accidentally caused by the hero of a book set thousands of years in the past. Not always the deepest stuff, but really it was not only entertaining but probably had a large impact on my thoughts on morality.

[@Fantallana]

His Dark Materials trilogy (the golden compass) is probably my favourite, and I’ve been wishing for a Netflix or HBO series for years. It deserves so much better than the movie it got. And to hell if churches get angry at the book or its adaptations... we need to stop letting ONE religion oppress everything that doesn’t abide by their rules. It’s amazing how people still gotta be told: “no, not everyone is in YOUR religion, and not everyone has to follow YOUR religion’s rules.”

[@rebeccatanner1794]

Bieti BBC series is now in production :)

[@Phoca_Vitulina]

omg i'm so excited! that's great news!

[@NobodyC13]

Better yet, they cast the girl that played X-23 from Logan to play Lyra.

[@fermintenava5911]

I am no Christian but rather an atheist / agnostic with religious interests, and I find HDM... really questionable. After the first book, it meddled critic on churches and gods together into a convoluted, unfocused mess of ideas, with no narrative skill to pull it together. For my money, I find Terry Pratchett way more balanced in every regard.

[@willherondale6367]

Bieti Yes! Mine too, such a brilliant book

[@conradoccaminha]

I'm so happy you adhere to the "Stop harrasing George Martin philosophy cause i think it's really obnoxious...

[@jbvader721]

Unfortunately, that harassment has somewhat gotten worse since the show ended horribly and they're pressuring Martin, even more, to finish the books so they can erase the memory of how badly the show ended (despite hints that the books possibly might end in a similar fashion but more detailed and slightly less frustrating).

[@realxized]

You mentioned Ursula's Earthsea saga and I immediatly started crying ty so much I love those books dearly

[@FallzVentus]

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Pat Rothfuss and the Shades of Magic series by VE Schwab currently have my full attention. Fantasy is my favorite genre so I'm always prepared to go dive into a fantasy novel

[@lj0339]

Have you heard of The Poppy Wars? I’m currently reading it, and it’s turning out great! If you are looking for a new fantasy book and like settings of elite fighting/magic schools and competition, but immersed in Asian culture and mythology (don’t worry, there aren’t confusing names/using of other languages). It does center around older teenagers, but definitely has adult writing and content, and thankfully romance isn’t a main plot in our protagonist story arc (although I am just halfway through). It takes until a little under halfway through for the fantasy element to really show up, but that doesn’t mean the beginning was dull. Definitely turning out to be one of my favorites of 2018!

[@eidechsebernstein954]

The Shades of Magic universe is absolutely breathtaking. But Lila is the most annoying character ever.

[@adamdemers8627]

The Twelve Kingdoms by Fuyumi Ono is a great Japanese Portal Fantasy. It's hard to find the english versions but I think it's well worth the read. Just wish they would translate the rest of them.

[@adorabell4253]

It's the eternal problem of Tokyopop going under. I'm still pissed that no one else picked up my favourite series and that most of the light novels remain untranslated. HAve you tried looking the series up on NovelUpdates? Might be a fan translation out there.

[@whiskeyii4515]

Brandon Sanderson is my jam! As someone who was worried that his more....traditional religious views might leak into his writing, I was pleased to see that he treats generally all of his characters with a fairly even hand.

[@aspiringpolymath701]

I saw someone else mention Tamora Pierce and just, ugh, yes. For me, specifically her Emelen books (The Circle of Magic, The Circle Opens, and the Circle Reforged series) they have a gorgeously diverse cast with majority amazing girls and the magic is SO AMAZING and despite being easy-to-read children's books (I'd say late elementary/middle school level) they don't talk down to their audience at all. Everyone should read them!!

[@camerongracie3193]

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erickson is by far the best complete high-fantasy series I have yet to encounter.

[@voltairinekropotkin5581]

Michel Moorcock is a great example of a fantasy author who's extremely critical of romanticising the past, or making up worlds which idealise a preindustrial era. He basically invented steampunk with his Nomad of Time books. And while the genre is often critiqued nowadays for romanticising away the horrors of the Victorian and colonial periods, Moorcock's steampunk is an explicit attack on the legacy of imperialism, an illustration of how horrible it was, and a message about the necessity of resisting it.

[@peterknutsen3070]

Eoin O'Connor “The Difference Engine” by Sterling and Gibson sure didn’t romanticize anything either.

[@BigZ7337]

Here are my favorite Fantasy books/series: 1. Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb 2. The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch 3. King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss 4. Riyria by Michael J. Sullivan 5. The Broken Empire and The Red Queen's War by Mark Lawrence 6. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin 7. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson 8. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 9. Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny 10. The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist 11. Book of the Ancestor Trilogy by Mark Lawrence 12. The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie 13. Lowtown Trilogy by Daniel Polansky 14. Blood Song by Anthony Ryan 15. Uprooted by Naomi Novik 16. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling 17. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams 18. The Shattered Sigil series by Courtney Schafer 19. Master Assassins by Robert VS Redick 20. The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood 21. Powder Mage Series by Brian McClellan 22. The Legends of the First Empire by Michael J. Sullivan 23. Lightbringer by Brent Weeks 24. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson 25. Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick

[@manuelsalazar2081]

BigZ7337 took a while to find mark Lawrence in the comments , cheers friend

[@eidechsebernstein954]

Where did Tolkien go?!

[@BigZ7337]

I love Tolkien, but it's honesty been so long since I read it that I left it out. I need to give it a re-read.

[@Carewolf]

Good list. Though stormlight archive should be higher. You might also like the Red Knight series.

[@BigZ7337]

@Carewolf, I still need to read the last Stormlight Archive book, which is the main reason it isn't higher. I have Red Knight sitting on my to-read shelf, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

[@ChiotVulgaire]

As a fan of the Conan stories and Sword and Sorcery in general: Yeah, there are some stories within it that are less than enlightened, but I find the stories would feel poorer for it. They are meant to reflect a more barbaric (heh) age, to reflect our tribalistic impulses and the reasons we fight and kill one another, which partly makes the heroes of these stories compelling: they're usually loners or irregular leaders, heroes of opportunity rather than ideals, and while they embody the violence of their setting they are also often standing apart from everything else. That's the real genius of stories like Conan: the heroes of heroic fantasy are often outsiders and strangers wherever they are, to demonstrate the folly and futility of the so-called "civilized" world and all its ills, which are often lost on or rebuked by the hero as whatever temptations they offer come at the cost of their spirit and independence. For example, Conan isn't only larger than life as a peerless warrior, he is also immune to the temptations afforded by civilized life. He already knows how to find his joys and comforts, so society has nothing to offer him to justify its costs. Elric is unique among his people for his conscience and his subsequent loathing of his kind and their traditions. In order to defy an objectionable culture, you first have to write one.

[@angiekelley2416]

Howl's moving castle is the best fantasy book I've ever read. Who else has read it?

[@musicandloveismylive]

The six of crows duology by Leigh Bardugo!! Two of my favorite books of all time!! Shades of Magic series by VE Schwab is also really good

[@stellaroj]

Good job PBS, I never thought you'd have some of my favourite KZbin content but then you got Lindsay Ellis. Great series and great work to everyone involved.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

I'm currently reading Jack Vance's Dying Earth series. It's strange, compared to most other fantasy I've read, for a couple of reasons. One is that the main characters are not heroic or even particularly good*. They'll often do amoral or immoral things, then get their comeuppance, and yet I'll find myself rooting for them to come out on top just because they're the familiar main character-only to be reminded, in the next chapter, that they aren't particularly good people. It also stands out from other fantasy in how much the setting determines the plot. A lot of fantasy plots from one setting could be transported to another fantasy setting with minimal rewriting. But here, nearly everything that happens is based on the author answering the question, what would life be like on a world in which everyone knows the sun might blink out at literally any moment? His answer is that people are mostly cynical and amoral, on which see above. * Morally good, I mean. As characters, they're entertaining and well developed, and so 'good' in that sense.

[@TonatiuhMorenoGed]

The Earthsea saga is probably the best fantasy work of literature, because it is not a nostalgic, comfortable narrative. And it is also so concise and well written. So elegant. And really deep.

[@adamlevine1914]

Yes, you guys mentioned Discworld! That's my favorite series and Pratchett is one of my favorite authors.

[@ZaxorVonSkyler]

The Little Prince is my favorite fantasy novel!

[@josephfernandez8015]

I think my favorite fantasy right now is the Witcher series. While containing some of the tropes set forth by Tolkien, it for the most part either improves on them or subverts them entirely. - It presents a very realistic medieval world, even though magic is a thing. - like our medieval world, magic is something that’s hated and feared, and mages are persecuted and even killed for practicing magic - the main character, the Witcher Geralt, is not a chosen one and the story is not about saving the world. In fact, the closest thing the series has to a chosen one is Geralt’s adopted daughter. - It’s main theme is basically juxtaposing actual monsters with humans who are usually more monstrous then the real monsters. - The creatures are pulled mainly from Polish and Slavic folklore. You won’t see monsters like Striga in other tolkienesque fantasy. The Witcher series has the most interesting bestiary in all of fantasy IMO. - Despite criticisms, the series has many, many strong women. Yennefer is one of my favorite characters in all of fantasy.

[@jaojao1768]

Actually, it's a misconception that Tolkien's world is medieval, he intended it to take place about 6000 years ago, and Gondor is based on ancient Egypt

[@MatameVideos]

PortalFantasy is my favorite. The idea of leaving this world to visit a fantasy landscape really inspires me.

[@sethshelton4155]

I 100% agree with this summery. Well done! The most fascinating element of fantasy for me is seeing how an author has constructed his or her world, and why they did so. Thanks for making this!

[@willherondale6367]

All three His Dark Materials books by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) rank as my favourite fantasy, although they could just as easily be read as science fiction or a quasi-religious deconstruction and narrative. The BBC adaptation announced has beaten out Denis Villaneuve's Dune as my most hyped new *thing*

[@Entertainer13]

Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Ed Greenwood's Elminster books, and The Earthsea Cycle are some of my faves.

[@arturia-leafgreen5127]

so glad you mentioned discworld absolute all time favorite

[@HaploidCell]

My favourite fantasy series is the Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It's basically 90 pulp fantasy, but it is so interesting to me. It has the MC travers multiple distinct worlds through magic portals, and he is on a quest. So right there: Combination of two tropes. Every race he encounters has their own type of magic, which is inferior to his own. But because he is traveling "under cover" he can't actually do much but talk and instigate. It is epic fantasy because of the sheer scale of introducing multiple worlds, races, magics, etc. and then those magic systems are also compared. It's probably a bit iffy from today's perspective, but the most powerful beings are pretty much white people with god-like superpowers. However, they mess up a whole lot, and it is their meddeling in the affairs of the "inferior" species that has desastrous consequences for them and for themselves. You being pulled through the story by changing worlds book-by-book, and the introduction of new worlds, new characters, new societies, new magics, etc. keeps you interested. And then there's the overarching plot of the quest, finding out background on the MC, repeat characters, and the terrible secret that underlies this whole world.

[@adorabell4253]

Death Gate Cycle is one of my favourite series for world building. Id on't think I've ever encountered anything like it. I stayed up nights reading it. You can also argue that Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance series did more for the modern ideas of fantasy races and standard fantasy tropes than Tolkein did.

[@GrayStudios]

As a kid, anything by Emily Rodda. Deltora Quest and Rowan of Rin specifically.

[@Yin2522]

I love this series so far!

[@fy8798]

I like the Abhorsen trilogy a lot. Not quite our world, but relatable, quite distant, with a really interesting magic system and strange creatures.

[@jacobvardy]

'The Malazan Book of the Fallen'. Written by an archaeologist, so probably the best world building since Tolkien. It's also heavily influence by war veteran fiction - grey vs grey morality, where all protagonists can do is survive. That capitalism and empire make us all complicit in atrocity.

[@arellajardin2323]

I’m rather fond of The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It’s a seven book high fantasy in which the world has been split into various parallel realities based on the elements and function. The different realities are supposed to work as a whole, but they’re not, and the races in each suffer from problems that have arisen. There’s also a mystery of what happened, and a long not-forgotten war between two greater magical races that split the world in the first place.

[@alicedubois1348]

I seriously love this video. It is so informative and artsy!! The narrator's voice fits with this video very well. Thanks for making it!

[@lucasamundson1776]

Name of the Wind. I love how it subverts so many fantasy troupes while still utilizing them. And Rothfuss just turns a great phrase.

[@maugos]

Oh fantasy, how I love thee.

[@jordang7479]

My favorite fantasy is The circle of magic series. Its set in a renaissance Fantasy Mediterranean type world. Lots of different cultures lots of fun. Terry Pratchet is a very close second.

[@ingonyama70]

Circle of Magic FTW!

[@northernlandia]

Wow, another great video! Thanks to the fantastic editing and design crew that make watching these videos so much fun; loved the sound effects! I'm not sure if it's my favourite but Chronicles of Narnia will always have a soft spot in my heart for being one of my first. I think I'll have to try Ursula Le Guin now though!

[@junibehmer6636]

The Earthsea series and The Wheel of Time series are my favourite fantasy books! Love 'em!

[@Donovaneagle2098]

The Witcher series does an excellent job of taking the Crusades and looking at the negative effects it had on Eastern Europe, primarily Poland, through the eyes of the Pagan peasants who's religion was wiped out by the Teutonic knights. It also manages to stand out from other fantasy by taking inspiration from Slavic and Norse myths in ways Western fantasy writers just dont. It reads almost like a criticism of Lord of the Rings even more than books meant to challenge Tolkien's work can. Its a reminder that the history tgat fantasy pulls from is a violent one motivated by religious zealotry, a reminder that comes from a country heavily affected by that history.

[@joannakobierska6739]

Crusades? Could you elaborate how did you came to this conclusion? I think the slavic mythology focus in Witcher series is vastly overstated. At first Witcher series was a dark subversion of fairy tales with overarching theme of fear of the unknown, all that sprinkled up with typical polish cynicism. Later Sapkowski got enamored with arthurian legends and ditched the slavic flavoring almost entirely. People cling to that notion because it's the only representation of our culture known in wide world, but it's completely unfunded in the books. Only games expanded more on that topic.

[@KonniWynn]

Have you ever read Tolkien? And I don't mean just LotR or the Hobbit(which are complex works all by themselves), but things like the Silmarilion. Nobody in Tolkien's world is really "good". One of the first elves just created some jewels everyone wants and he then procceeds to friggin KILL his kin just because they wouldn't lend their boats after said jewels were stolen and he wanted them back. He and his sons SWEAR to kill anyone who possesses them, aka they just kill like everyone who even touches them. Even people like Frodo aren't wholly good. In the end, he is seduced by the ring and weren't it for Gollum's mishap, nothing would've been saved. I mean I can totally understand you. We don't often see works that look at certain historic events and say "Well what happened to everyone else? How did they experience this horrific thing?", but say it critizises Tolkien isn't true, because Tolkien never wrote only one sided narratives.

[@dlbkelly1]

Tolkien draws more heavily on Norse myth than any other inspiration. And, as he is in turn the main inspiration for a whole heap of other fantasy works, it's impossible for anyone to stand out from other Western fantasy just by taking inspiration from Norse myths. Taking inspiration from Norse myths is the cornerstone of Western fantasy.

[@whathell6t]

Donovaneagle2098 You should read Kentaro Muira’s Berserk, the vanguard of the dark fantasy genre. Here a video explaining why it’s worth of your time to read Berserk: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qILEhnioa5qYl6s

[@Donovaneagle2098]

Joanna Kobierska the crusades influence comes in the form of the Church of the Eternal fire, which, while they got more focus in the games were still a constantly mentioned elements of the books, particularly the Dudu short story. Additionally, one could compare the decline in the monster populations in the early books, along with Geralt's insistence that the number of monsters stays the same because of the monstrous people in the world, to the purging of Polish folklore at the hands of the Teutonic knights. Thats how I read it, at least.

[@VernonBalbert]

I find that fantasy covers a large range. Much of science fiction has fantasy elements. (Heinlein's Glory Road, for example.) In fact, Heinlein didn't use the term "SF" to refer to science fiction but to "speculative fiction" meaning that the line was blurry. Or as Arthur C. Clarke put it in his Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

[@whathell6t]

Vernon Balbert Then you should also read Kentaro Muira’s Berserk, the vanguard of the dark fantasy genre. Here a video explaining why it’s worth of your time to read Berserk: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qILEhnioa5qYl6s

[@CollinBuckman]

In fact, there is actually a subgenre that is a merger of Science Fiction and Fantasy called Science Fantasy. Think Star Wars or Warhammer 40k; settings which take place in a futuristic world of laser guns and space empires but also have wizards and demons and all other manner of magical things mixed with the tech.

[@johnginardi8107]

This is probably my favorite video that has been released.

[@NarutoNandaime]

Thanks for mentioning the Dresden Files! Definitely my favorite fantasy series of the past decade.

[@franohmsford7548]

Terry Brooks - Sword of Shannara, Elfstones of Shannara, Wishsong of Shannara, Scions of Shannara etc.etc. David Gemmell - Waylander, Legend, The King Beyond the Gate, Knights of Dark Renown, Lion of Macedon, etc. etc. David and Leigh Eddings - The Malloreon, The Elenium, The Tamuli etc. etc. Raymond E. Feist - Faerie Tail Katherine Kerr - The Deverry Cycle Terry Pratchett - Discworld, Good Omens Robert Asprin - Myth Inc, For King and Country Troy Denning - The Prism Pentad

[@robinchesterfield42]

Oooh! Nice to see someone mentin Shannara, the Belgariad and especially the Myth series! Although all of those are popular in the book world, you almost NEVER hear people mention them in famous, easy-to-see places on the internet.

[@missmeg4199]

The Sword of Shannara was my very first fantasy novel. It has a special place in my heart! Brin will always be my favorite of the bunch, but Walker Boh is awesome too.

[@Mindseas]

Excellent video, love the editing, and Lindsay Ellis, your delivery is always a joy to listen to!

[@Ashzeriam]

Thank you for including N.K. Jemisin! She's a great author.

[@davidbauler3159]

It is just awesome to see this "crossover", if you will, between PBS and Lindsay.

[@Lycandros]

The Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss is great so far. Love The Slow Regard of Silent Things Novella from that world. The various series by Ilona Andrews have been great reads. Also been enjoying Seanan McGuire's works. Brandon Sanderson's series have been interesting. Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka Patricia Briggs Kevin Hearne The Hollows Series by Kim Harrison Got into the Cal Leandros sereis by Rob Therman a bit late but it is still an interesting read. Maybe the series can find a publisher again in the future.

[@RvEijndhoven]

Seeing you recommend Ilona Andrews, McGuire, Briggs, Hearne and Kim Harrison suggests to me that I should check out the other people you've mentioned. (Besides Sanderson, who I'd already discovered when he finished the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan's passing).

[@vicfernandez8015]

Want non European non white high fantasy? try the Borderlands Saga (saga de los confines) by Liliana Bodoc. Just three books and one short stories recollection, but is truly amazing.

[@kalef2]

If we're addiing on non Europe stuff here: There's the Dragon Jousters quadrilogy by Mercedes Lackey set in Not-Predynastic-Egypt for those who like the How to Train Your Dragons movies, but with a bit more war, less dragon abilities, but more divine magic stewing around in the back while people who really love dragons are trying to get through it. If you want more of a Japanese flavor, I'd genuinely recommend the Magic the Gathering: Legends Cycle 2 trilogy (starts with Assassin's Blade) and the Kamigawa trilogy (starts with Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa). You don't need to play the cardgame to enjoy those.

[@whathell6t]

kalef Speaking of Japanese, have you read Kentaro Muira’s Berserk, the vanguard novel of the known Dark Fantasy genre.

[@varana]

Or Aliette de Bodard's "Obsidian and Blood" series, set in pre-Columbian Mexico. Can be quite confusing sometimes due to all the letter-salad Aztec names ;) but really good.

[@thevampirefrog06]

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is absolutely breathtaking. People call it the "Nigerian Harry Potter" sometimes but it's really, truly unique.

[@Thagomizer]

I'm surprised she didn't mention the Imaro series by Charles R. Saunders.

[@popsicleemperor]

Loving this series!

[@WilliamLindus]

Loved this so much. Lindsay Ellis is one of the best video essayists in the game right now. and her stuff never ceases to impress me, regardless of whether she is doing deep dive analysis or examining broad themes.

[@esswex]

I love The Magicians series by Lev Grossman its an interesting real world take on popular high fantasy series.

[@gigitastic90]

I'm so torn on the Magicians series! I like it but I honestly could not stand reading the first book from Quinton's POV. He's such an entitled whiny kid. The second and third books are really great though

[@oooooooooorly]

I really hate this latent assumption that fantasy has to say something meaningful about the world we live in to be worthwhile. Escapism for the sake of escapism is a perfectly "valid" goal in itself. I'm not a huge Tolkien fan, buuuuuuut... “It is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which ‘escape’ is now so often used. Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls?” - J.R.R. Tolkien

[@vadimflaks7795]

oooooooooorly I'd argue that when a story means more, it matter s more, and you, the reader, get more out of it. A fantasy book (or show, or movie, or game) that doesn't have much beyond "hey, look at this cool thing" doesn't work as well as one that also has a point to make and doesn't stick in your memory for as long. Terry Pratchett's Discsworld is fun and funnY and an easy read most times, but it also always has something meaningful to say, and that's why these books are so beloved, imo.

[@ZipplyZane]

Yet everything Tolkien wrote had a ton to say about the world. And Tolkien utterly loathed Disney because his works were so frivolous and "vulgar." Escapism doesn't require that you don't say anything about the world. That which you doesn't say anything is usually forgotten, like little kids books. Even the Young Adult romance fantasy sets out to say something. Twilight would have failed miserably if it wasn't saying something about what women today want. I can't even remember a single children's book I read that didn't say something about the real world--usually having a bit of a moral.

[@amaridesu1141]

I thinks its impossible NOT to "say something" via fantasy. There's always a reason that we want to escape, and fantasy allows people to communicate what they're escaping from. I'm certain the fantasies that people find apolitical are actually very political in its writing, but nuanced enough to feel real instead of preachy

[@hibak8196]

I read a trilogy recently that provided me a lot of escapism, but then the story was begging to give some moral while the author apparently had no clear vision of what they wanted to say. It left me feeling totally unsatisfied. The underlying concepts (no matter how subtle and secondary to the story progress) are as important as the plot and character arcs, in my opinion.

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

It's a false dichotomy to assume escapism and "saying something meaningful" are incompatible. You can still escape to world that's complicated and challenging. Sure, the new world you're escaping to might be complicated and challenging, but it's also new and exciting. It's not one or the other.

[@whitneyhanson6932]

Thank you PBS for continuing to use Lindsay Ellis- Please keep it up! Great host! Lindsay! I'm so glad to see you back on PBS! Keep being awesome! :)

[@Kishan_Baijnath]

I absolutely adore this series.

[@mathematicalmatt]

Ahem.. Stormlight Archive

[@KoolWithAQ]

Phenomenally good books. There are plenty of other wonderful fantasy books but ... good god, Stormlight is above and beyond them all.

[@CEWThree]

Fantastic, but probably a bit new and unfinished to be touched on in this video. Since it's been around for less than a decade and is also less than halfway finished. Jemisin's new, but she's got three completed series, all of which are pretty distinctively Their Own Thing. And while Martin's magnum opus has been for the better part of a decade just 5/7 complete, it's taken the world by storm and been around for over 20 years. Now, in a couple decades, when Stormlight is done and Sanderson's continued to fill out the Cosmere... that could be another conversation.

[@MrKJ444]

not denying that SA is new, but almost all of Sanderson's other works a part of the cosmere can be stand alone stuff as well Mistborn, Warbreaker ect and they've sold an absolute ton

[@phlyingmonkees]

Came for the Sanderson shout out. Glad he at least got a mention in the comments.

[@Fenixius]

Gorgeous worldbuilding and vivid action, but they're such huge books I struggle to identify themes or commentary. What do those books say to us, the readers? And try to refrain from spoilers! We want more people to read them, not give up because they know too much!

[@bitterlilraccoon]

Hands down, my favorite fantasy book is Stephen King's Dark Tower. Everything decays, the World moves on and yet King weaves it all into a monolith so vast and timeless with a legendary cast of characters who have become my favorites in fiction. A pity that horrid movie made it all seem quaint.

[@ZZ-sb8os]

"What novels do interesting things with the way they use magic to interpret history and culture?" - My favorite example of this is Robert Jordan's 'The Wheel of Time' series and the mostly matriarchal societies that inhabit it.

[@rhys12435]

The Temeraire series is a fantastic little low fantasy kinda thing, it's mostly historical fiction but with dragons sprinkled in. The way this changes the rules of the world is really well explored, it's all very interesting.

[@ImperatorZor]

Best Fantasy writers JRR Tolkien Terry Pratchett Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko Hayao Miyazaki

[@whathell6t]

ImperatorZor You should also read Kentaro Muira’s Berserk, the vanguard of the dark fantasy genre. Here a video explaining why it’s worth of your time to read Berserk: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qILEhnioa5qYl6s

[@ImperatorZor]

Spice and Wolf is also good

[@jaojao1768]

For me personally, it's these but Ursula K. LeGuin instead of Pratchett

[@malcomalexander9437]

My list would be: Terry Pratchett, Michael Moorcock, Mike Mignola, Robert E. Howard, and Kentaro Miura.

[@MercuryGirl33]

Ursula K. Le Guin

[@wmarclocher]

Maybe I'm old school, but the best 'Portal Fantasy' series IMO is "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant".

[@pieterduplessis7865]

I grew up on that depro stuff. Loved it. The newest trilogy was too tortured for me, though, so I only read the first book.

[@slikrx]

I despised that trilogy. It was too closely mirroring Tolkein, and the main character did "very bad things", which despite any remorse, ruins him as a character.

[@XloH911]

slikrx yea, that put me off a little bit that he also used the whole ring thing, but I got passed it enough to find a lot of enjoyment in it. And yea, the main character is not a nice person at all. I think that's what makes it so confusing as a reader because you feel sympathetic to him at the start because of his leprosy, but then you feel so betrayed by his actions. I found most of the side characters to be very enjoyable and the giant's poem about loss to be very touching. I think it's one of those books that divides people into the really enjoy it category and the i cant stand this category.

[@pursaki]

Harry Potter, anyone?

[@pieterduplessis7865]

Yeah, it was, to a large extent, very strongly based on Tolkien. I'm thinking it was a kind of meta-commentary on it. Can't say what the commentary is, though, since I haven't read it in more than a decade.

[@horseenthusiast1250]

I literally grew up on fantasy, I’ve got such a soft spot for it

[@zerocentpictures]

My favorite fantasy series is the Mistborn series. It's world is fascinating. The observations of spirituality, religion, and culture is insightful--particularly when you get into the Wax and Wayne series.

[@GGCrono]

Hey, I take offense to your statement! Willow is an *excellent* Lord of the Rings ripoff!

[@LimeyLassen]

Also, it's unusually feminist.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

GG Crono This is the comment I was going to leave! xD

[@ZipplyZane]

I blame the animator. And I don't even agree it's actually a ripoff. It's set in the high fantasy time and stars a short person, and it has a MacGuffin. What else does it have in common with LoTR?

[@Bookwright]

@@ZipplyZane a human guid and protector with a sword?

[@Hakajin]

So what kind of fantasy is Ursula LeGuin's Annals of the Western Shore trilogy (Gifts, Voices, and Powers)? It's one of my absolute favorites, and not just in fantasy and YA. It's set in a fantasy world, but the magic is very earthy and... I guess I'd call it a soft magic system? Like, it's naturally occurring and obviously works a certain way, but the characters don't completely understand it. And the characters don't really go on quests and save the world; they end up playing important roles in their societies, but they're just average people trying to find their place. The trilogy kind of centers on the idea of power - who has it, what happens to those who don't have it, how to get it... It gets into things like, clan rivalries, occupation, and slavery. The other central ideas are history and storytelling, how those things affect society and change. The one quote that stands out to me more than any other is from Powers: "Freedom is largely a matter of seeing that there are alternatives." On the whole, it's brilliantly complex, powerful, relevant... I wish it were more well-known!

[@Dorian_sapiens]

I adore Ursula LeGuin, but this is something I hadn't come across yet. Thank you for recommending it.

[@chaitivole]

Children's/YA librarian here. I've heard this sub-genre called "historical fantasy," in that it creates a pre-modern world that may or may not be based on our own, with little to no fantastical elements. Other examples (which I recommend) include Megan Whalen Turner's "Queen's Thief" series (world based on ancient Greece/Rome), Matt Kirby's "Icefall" (world based on Viking culture) and Elizabeth Wein's "Arthurian Sequence," which reimagines King Arthur characters in an intellectually/economically advanced version of Ethiopia (sounds crazy, but it works).

[@chaitivole]

P.S. I'm happy to see other people who enjoy LeGuin's Western Shore trilogy!

[@vadimflaks7795]

Brooke Shirts I dream of the time when librarians take over the world.. thank you for the recommendations!

[@Hakajin]

Oh, that makes sense. One of the cultures in that trilogy is also based on Ancient Rome. Although I suppose that makes sense, considering what an influential culture it was. Glad I could interest other people! LeGuin's background as an anthropology student is clear in these books; she puts a lot of thought into how magic would be interwoven into a culture. And, all the protagonists have a strong relationship with their culture's storytelling traditions, and those stories sound are convincing enough that you could be forgiven for getting them confused with real-world mythology.

[@machinaeZER0]

You mentioned Discworld!! Hoorayyyy. I got into Discworld in middle school... I wrote a book report on The Last Continent while pretty much the rest of my entire class chose the first Harry Potter book, haha. Terry Pratchett is my absolute favorite author. He helped shape my life in a big way, and he is sorely missed. Rest In Peace, sir. And thanks Lindsay. :) you've always inspired me too!

[@AmpLabMedia]

Excellent use of sources. Thanks!

[@angushuynh2127]

Farseer trilogy & fitz and fool trilogy by robin hobb

[@PortalStillAlive1]

Glad someone mentioned it ahead of me! I'm struggling through Liveship Traders now, which I'm personally not enjoying as much as Farseer but I heard was quite necessary for the later books. I absolutely loved the first 2 books in Farseer in particular so I'm looking forward to continuing on!

[@angushuynh2127]

aww wot a shame u dont like liveship. i havent started liveship but i heard great things

[@ILikeMints]

liveship takes a loong time to get into, but once you get hooked, you're racing to the end. this was my and nearly everyone's experience who read it. keep going!

[@katiemohop]

I agree - they take a bit longer to get in to, but they're great. I had real trouble with the Rain Wilds though, and haven't been able to get my way through that part of the series. Also, if you like this series you should try Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss!

[@myriadmediamusings]

Count me among the group who, when they think of fantasy novels, think of Harry Potter. Im prepared to accept all tomatoes and mockery for thinking of this, especially when it was not mentioned this this latest episode.

[@fluffy-lise]

Harry Potter is amazing at what it does. There's nothing to mock about it! :)

[@gigitastic90]

I think harry Potter is ABSOLUTELY fantasy! I can't think of any other category it would fit it. If we're going by these catagories do you think it's Urban fantasy or portal fantasy because I can't decide which one it would be. I mean it's probably urban fantasy because the wizarding world isn't separated physically from the muggle world

[@chibiktsn3]

Loving Lindsay's videos, as always, and especially loving the Pratchett highlight. His books have meant so much to me over the years, and it is good that he's getting some attention in the US.

[@roscoe314]

Thoroughly enjoyed this Video Essay. Missed parts of Matthew Berry's Fantasy Football on Sportscenter, watching this essay.

[@jasonblalock4429]

There's also occasionally high fantasy in Asian settings, like Barry Hughart's "Bridge Of Birds." (A sadly overlooked book more people should read.) Also, is that a PC Jr at 1:14? LOL.

[@richmcgee434]

I agree wholeheartedly, but...you have read the sequels, right? It sounds like maybe you haven't, and (while I didn't like either as much as the original) they're not to be missed.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I've read the sequels, but I really don't think they hold a candle to the original. The second was half cobbled together from material cut from the first book, and the third one was basically a first draft that Hughart's publisher forced him to pump out without time to revise. (Which was also why he stopped writing them.) Bridge Of Birds is a genuine classic, but the followups were disappointing at best. :-/

[@cheezzy5]

Howl's Moving Castle trilogy anyone?

[@Koolah666]

Reading The Stormlight Archive right now, absolutely blown away.

[@daverahner1978]

I’m going with Cold Days by Jim Butcher. It was the first of The Dresden Files I had ever read. While dealing with some separation anxiety, I found it a great starting point. The concept of having to rebuild yourself, and feeling made colder by the world. But, much like as in Logan, we don’t have to be what the world makes us.

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

I love fantasy but one of my least favourite kinds is the portal fantasy. Because usually it's an excuse to get a bland boring everyperson who may or may not complain about how mundane life is and chuck them into a fantastical world and then suddenly they want to go back home even though they're in a fantasy land where they can have adventures and such. But yeah, portal more often than not feels lazy. Not saying it can't be done well. But the ones I've seen/read just make me groan.

[@lengarion]

becsbabe7465 I didn't know isekai had a western name, too. (Isekai is Japanese and means something like 'to another world' and it's the cancer of anime.)

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

@@lengarion Yep. Sounds typical. It's the pathway to every annoying anime trope you can think of. and I'll make a wild guess that its a guy that gets transported followed by collecting a harem of ladies who fall desperately in love with him. *bell dings correct answer* My prize is the shame in knowing that's how most cash in anime fantasies work... The only series where the characters pulled in aren't super average and actually engage and have fun in the world they are pulled into is "problem children are coming from another world". So it actually makes a half decent set up for the anime, even though it's only like 13 episodes when it's clearly set out to be longer. Heard the manga is even better.

[@Lycandros]

Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series is about a bunch of teens who are dealing with entering fantasy portals as children but for what ever reason find themselves back in the normal world and wanting to go back. If that sounds interesting.

[@ingonyama70]

The Magic Kingdom of Landover series is my favorite piece of portal fantasy, because it runs directly counter to the Dorothy Gale line of thinking.

[@Lycandros]

Curt Clark - Sounds interesting, I'll check it out.

[@mooxim]

hey... HEY! What's wrong with D&D campaigns?!

[@Dorian_sapiens]

Not a darn thing!

[@steve4278]

mooxim I thought the same thing! What a totally outdated viewpoint, especially now during the tabletop Renaissance. Lindsey is great but there's no reason to pick on D&D

[@peterknutsen3070]

Using a crappy rules system?

[@robinchesterfield42]

And I eeped! at that part also because I STILL HAVE THAT EXACT BOOK WTF. XD

[@Fishandchipsguvnah]

Depends on the edition. 4E can eat an entire gallon of dicks. Haven't played 5E, not sure if it's any good. Seems like it might be though.

Lindsay, your videos are always so well researched! Great work!

[@Rachel-xf3op]

I love the Graceling series and the themes that tie the books together; women confronting the power they have and healing from the abuse of their king(s)

[@sophia-helenemeesdetricht1957]

Favorite fantasy... Favorite fantasy... That's really tough. Do we count Magical Realism? If so, either One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) or The People of Paper (Salvador Plascencia).

[@fitandhappy42]

I wonder if the series is going to dip into "Literary Fiction" (no it's not a well defined thing) at all? I think that's the genre a lot of magical realist novels tend to get put into rather than Fantasy, even if that's what they definitely are...IMO.

[@sophia-helenemeesdetricht1957]

Agree. Far too mundane, it tends to emphasize the mundane nature of reality with fantastic elements, and doesn't fit the framework discussed in the video (magical realism as a form contextualizes the present, not the past or future), but like... It's fantastic. It just is. Very unusual form.

[@Zaftique]

I really love Practical Magic the -book-. Really quite different from the movie (but in fairness, I still love the movie and my bestie and I plan to live together in a gothic New England house when we're 70). Isabelle Allende skirts that line too. Straight-up alt-history fantasy, I love the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey, and also her Agent of Hel series too. So good. She could write the phone book and I'd read it.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

My favorite magic realism novel is Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. It's rich in imagery with some marvelous characters, plus Time travel and true loves of various sorts.

[@peterknutsen3070]

Sophia-Helene Mees de Tricht I think maybe that’s one of very few that we should *not* count. I mean, do writers of magic realism attend fantasy or SF conventions? Do they often win (or at least get nominated for) Hugo or Nebula awards? Can the stories they write be seen as being a part of the on-going conversation, as being replies to works written by previous fantasy authors? No, no not a chance (and even more incriminating, they often win the Nobel Prize for *literature*!), and no.

[@RetroChipette]

I'm not touching new ground when I say Harry Potter... alternatively I have a strong leaning for magical girl anime (Creamy Mami and Cardcaptor Sakura tops that) and while I've grown beyond watching the TV series, Pokemon will always have a place in my heart (and a slot in my gameboy/DS). For something less well known, there's a series of DOS PC games from the very early 90s called The Legend of Kyrandia I'd be here all day if I listed everything though so I will leave it as that

[@whathell6t]

RetroChipette You should check out what the Pokémon’s anime studio, Oriental Light & Magic, made, kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJKYemivdrRkhbs , which is a dark fantasy adaptation. It’s so worth you time to see it.

[@RetroChipette]

They can be both, it depends on the story. On one hand you have girls like Cardcaptor Sakura and Tokyo Mew Mew who are more superhero-like because they battle (especially in the latter's case as although they are "magical girls", they are granted powers through science fiction - DNA splicing) , and on the other hand you have your pop-idol Creamy Mami (which is similar to Hannah Montana in concept) and your Sugar Sugar Rune (where they are literally witches). ... and then you have Kaitou Saint Tail where there is literally no magic involved other than the slight of hand kind More often than not, Magical Girls tend to be actual witches or magic-carriers. They can cross genres, but the use of magic outweighs the monster-battling. Historically, magical girls originated as literal witches. Sally the Witch is considered the first magical girl anime and she was based off the Japanese dub of Bewitched. In these early shows, the girls would be a lot more mundane in their magic use (as in no combat action) (also the pop idol magical girl was popular in the 70s and 80s so there's a lot of them). It wasn't until Sailor Moon in 1992 that the superhero-like concept was popularised. You can connect them to the superhero genre if you like, especially if the ones you know cross with that genre, but for me the magical girl genre is mostly related to fantasy.

[@RetroChipette]

@whathell6t Thank you for the recommendation, I will give it a try :)

[@aacsmiles]

Making my way through discworld and loving it.

[@tinyflippinghouses9160]

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is my favorite series ever and I'd say it's squarely a hybrid of sci-fi & fantasy... living mattresses, Gods, magical flying by way of a logical loophole... in his life, Adams really never ran out of interesting volumes to add to the trilogy. Amazing how Dirk Gently's..' got the fantasy treatment in the second season (ending up completely scorching the interesting sci-fi/mystery thing the first season had going (and getting the whole thing cancelled)) the two Dirk Gently books rival the Hitchhiker's series in the amount of hilarious thoughts taking place on any given page. Part of what I think makes it so great is it has a self-reflexive element of knowing it's escapism and having such an omniscient, sassy narrator really turning perspectives around on a dime just shows how good the stories are.