Fantasy Genre Research Articles

MAGIC AND MEANS OF ITS EXPRESSION IN LITERATURE OF FANTASY GENRE

Background. The relevance of the research topic is due to the growing popularity of the fantasy genre and the insufficient study of the issue of systematizing the means of expressing the magical in fiction.
 Purpose. The purpose of the article is to define the essence of the magical, to reveal its cognitive features and means of expression.
 Materials and methods. The practical material for the study was the texts of works of the fantasy genre fiction: Wolfhound by M. Semenova, The Mage of Midnight by D. Yemets, Temple of the Winds by T. Goodkind, The Chronicles of Amber by R. Zelazny, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. The following methods of scientific research were used in the work: analysis of scientific literature, the method of continuous sampling, the descriptive method, comparative and statistical methods.
 Results. It is determined that the essence of the magical lies in the totality of the concepts of mysticism, fiction, magic, in the impact of supernatural forces on people, animals, nature, as well as on imaginary spirits and gods. Such cognitive features as invisibility for a person, mystery, close connection with faith and science were identified. The study revealed the means of expressing the magical, mainly lexical and stylistic level: linguistic markers, artistic detail. The identified means of expressing the magical are illustrated by examples from fantasy novels in Russian and English. Linguistic markers are represented by magical semiotics (magic agents, creatures and animals that have magic), and magical verbalics (processives). Artistic detail plays an indispensable role in various “magic” descriptions of magical artifacts, unusual animals, magical buildings and objects with unusual properties.
 Practical implications. The results of the study can be used in the further study of the magical, the means of its expression in other literary works of the fantasy genre, as well as in stylistics classes for students of the Foreign Philology training profile.

The Heroes of Chris Van Allsburg in 'Jumanji' and 'Zathura'

In the world of imagination, everything is real and possible for the reader. The awe and wonder of imagination serve as tools to broaden the minds and horizons of children. Imaginary worlds make it possible for child readers to travel to places familiar and unfamiliar, to time periods different from the one they know, and to fantastical worlds never before experienced. Having written and illustrated over twenty books, Chris Van Allsburg, one of the authors of contemporary American Children’s Literature, is well-known for his love of the fantasy genre. Most of Van Allsburg’s books lie within the uncertain boundaries between reality and fantasy. Written two decades apart, both Jumanji: A Jungle Adventure Game and Zathura: A Space Adventure take the child reader to the world of imagination by blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy through a board game. The books both demonstrate how this fantasy world invades the real world, arousing curiosity, fascination, and excitement in the reader. In Van Allsburg’s stories, the protagonists set out on an adventure that changes them for the better and teaches them something important over the course of the story. The author’s message is often found by reading between the lines; thus, his stories invite the reader to enter a surreal world in order to track down clues and uncover hidden lessons such as the power of teamwork and collaboration and/or the importance of perseverance and persistence. Through a close reading of Jumanji: A Jungle Adventure Game and Zathura: A Space Adventure, this study aims to explore the hidden lessons of Chris Van Allsburg and how they influence the heroes of both stories, and thereby the child readers, to change for the better.

ТИПОЛОГИЯ МИФОНИМОВ В ТЕКСТЕ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ СКАЗКИ В ЖАНРЕ «ФЭНТЕЗИ» И СПОСОБЫ ИХ ПЕРЕВОДА (на материале сказки Э. Д. Бейкер «A Tale of the Wide-Awake Princess: Princess between Worlds»)

The features of the mythonyms functioning in the modern fairy tale text of a genre “fantasy” by E. D. Baker “A Tale of the Wide-Awake Princess: Princess between Worlds”, as well as the specifics of their translation are considered. Within the research the typology of mythonyms has been studied; onyms from the category of neomyphonyms and spellonyms have been identified; the relationship between mythoanthroponym, neomyphonym and spellonym has been determined. As a result of the research, methods of translating mythonyms that function in the general picture and the figurative system of the artistic work of E. D. Baker have been distinguished and described. In research studies proper names are an important detail of the figurative system of creative work and the general picture of the literary work, therefore there is a need for a practical rethinking of the issue of the functioning and methods of conveying the names of fictional characters in a modern literary work. Increasingly, in research studies, linguists raise the issue of the use of blended methods of translating anthroponyms, in particular, mythonyms, which is confirmed in this study. In the course of practical research, it was found that despite the well-established tradition of translating anthroponyms, blended translation is the dominant method, and the field of anthroponymy also remains a relevant field for studying the specifics of the functioning and translation of mythonyms in modern fairy tales of the fantasy genre.

A Horse Is a Horse

A Horse Is a Horse

The Worldview Attitudes and Self-Determination in Russian Students who are Different Passion Degree of Tolkien Fans

IntroductionSelf-determination is the developmental task (R. Havighurst) in youth leading to personality psychological well-being and health.ObjectivesThe aim was to study the worldview attitudes in Russian youth who are Tolkien fans.MethodsThe techniques were completed by 121 students; 17-28 age (M = 21.7; M/F= 35.5 / 64.5 %); 81 (66.9%) subscribers of the Vkontakte communities dedicated to the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. 1. Incomplete Sentences by Sacks-Levy in authors’ version 2. World assumptions scale (R. Janoff-Bulman) (Padun, Kotelnikova, 2007) 3. Purpose-in-Life Test (J. Crumbaugh, L. Maholick) (Leontiev, 2000) 4. The Level of Escapism (Teslavskaya, Savchenko, 2019).ResultsThree groups of respondents differing in their attitude to the literary genre of fantasy («fans», «amateurs», «indifferent») were identified. Respondents consider the world to be moderately benevolent, and fair, and themselves quite good people, able to control most of the events taking place in their lives. They are sure that they are often lucky in life. «Fans» have the highest tendency to escapism, the most pessimistic view of the world, with a more positive image of the person compared to other respondents. «Fans» consider their lives less emotionally rich and productive, compared to the assessment of their lives by peers of other groups.ConclusionsThe level of escapism expression in fantasy literature fans are higher than in respondents who do not distinguish this genre as preferred. A new theoretical and empirical work is that worldviews can be monitored and taken into account in practical psychological working with at-risk young people.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Analysis of the Application of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle in the Movie The Lord of the Rings

The movie The Lord of the Rings took the world by storm upon its release, winning 351 international awards and 284 nominations, including 17 Academy Award nominations. It is adapted from the epic fantasy novel, written by Professor Tolkien, which has caused a sensation in UK and even across the globe since its publication in 1954. And Tolkien was then known as “the originator of fantasy literature” and “the father of fantasy literature”. As is thought by some critics, without The Lord of the Rings, a modern literary type of fantasy genre would not be produced. The characters in the successful works have different speaking styles whose conversations largely promote the development of plots. Thus, for the purpose of understanding its plots more precisely, it is necessary to find out the Conversational Implicatures, the real meaning conveyed by the speaker, and explore the real meaning expressed by the speakers. Here, the Cooperative Principle and the Politeness Principle in pragmatics will be helpful. Therefore, this paper analyses some selected conversations in The Lord and the Rings which violate the Cooperative Principle and the Politeness Principle in pragmatics. It aims to find out the generation of the Conversational Implicature or the effects of these conversations in characterization and plot arrangement. Meanwhile, it may also be enlightening for analyzing daily conversations in various occasions of real life.

THE COSMIC MODEL AND THE LITERARY TRANSFORMATION OF THE CREATION MYTH IN CLIVE LEWIS’ “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA”

Written in the fantasy genre by Clive Lewis, the mythological paradigmatic text “The Chronicles of Narnia“ begins with the myth of creation and ends with eschatology – the end of the world. The creation of Narnia directly repeats the act of mythological creation with all its archetypal nuances. 1. “In the Chronicles of Narnia“ it is classically conveyed from darkness to word creation. “The Chronicles of Narnia“ is created with a cosmogonic model that is created with words and songs, chants. It is a parallel, literary version of the mythological cosmogony found in the Egyptian cosmogony of Memphis, Heliopolis, as well as the cosmogonies of the Indian Prajapati and the Maya, which was finally reinforced and loaded with the greatest religious authority by the biblical cosmogony of old perception. The supreme creator of Narnia is the lion Aslan. Aslan is not just an archetype of the god of mythological creation, the author of the “Chronicles of Narnia“ graced him with many Christian-theological symbolisms and strokes. 2. “The Chronicles of Narnia“ Consistently repeats the mythological cosmogonic archetypes that, after the creation of the universe, inevitably implies the enthronement of the King-Demiurge as an earthly double ordained by the supreme deity – the hypostasis of the deity himself. 3. Lewis’ characters are thrown with magical rings from our world – from Earth –in a fantasy world that has become an accomplice in the creation of a new world. All of them represent the three realms of the cosmos in the model architecture of the universe in a personified anthropomorphic form – the face of the supernatural is the lion Aslan, the face of the semisphere / earth is children, and the demonic representative of the underworld is the magician (who appears from another world). “The Chronicles of Narnia” is built not only on the principle of three scales / spheres but also on the mediating link between these spheres: the archetype of the cosmic axis without which the cosmic model cannot take the form of a final solid structure. Thus, in the Chronicles of Narnia, each character, as well as its dwelling or passage, approaches and expresses any part of the cosmic architecture of the universe. Such configuration of “Cosmos“ / Narnia and the characters seem to be a deliberate decision for Lewis – to fit everything into the traditional structure of the mythological cosmic model.

Aesthetic Characteristics of Character Make-up of Villainess and Witch Image -A case study of makeup in ‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)-

David Ayer’s (2016), a fantasy genre movie based on DC comics, won 89th academy award for best makeup and hair styling, and received attention for the creative makeup by production crew. The Villainess and Witch in the movie are depicted as independent characters who maximize their role as women with their charm, rather than figures that good-hearted leading character should stand against. The purpose of this study is to identify images of Villainess and Witch focusing on Harley Quinn and Enchantress in the movies and explore characteristics of the makeup and hair styling and their aesthetic qualities. It’s expected to see this study will understand importance in image making and makeup in playing characters and be helpful in coming up with design idea and providing basic data in future. Literature review with relevant articles and news reports and Internet information review with international news and YouTube were conducted. For case study, 57 pictures that captured scene of , especially close-up photos were chosen to analyze characteristics and aesthetics of the movie character makeup and hair styling. Harley Quinn, the Villainess showed various costume coordination in colors, jumper, dress, letter stockings, and accessories. Shapes and color variations were brought into her hair design. And her body makeup was airbrushed with some tattoos. She put on dramatic, colorful smoky makeup and tried nail arts in different colors, design and coordination. Enchantress, the Witch got tattoo and put on deep, impressive black smoky makeup with pink lips. And her body makeup, letter design makeup with ancient magic spells, and black color nails were used. Harley Quinn’s makeup and aesthetic quality expresses aesthetics of reality and playfulness. She’s well dressed up with proper coordination to show her social status as a doctor, but she put on natural makeup, wearing real prisoner’s uniform when she was imprisoned. Once she transformed into Joker, excessive hair rollers, tattoo makeup and nail arts showed playfulness in terms of design. On the other hand, Enchantress aims to express aesthetics of surrealistic and playfulness. She put on surreal body makeup with oriental patterns, tattoo, accessories, body makeup with coordination, special effect witch’s eyes. Plus, she styled with playful, over-sized hair accessories. When comparing two characters featured in the film in this study, it turned out Harley Quinn as Villainess has potential to show diversity. And the research findings indicate that makeup is important way in playing dual roles and the digital makeup with special effect has become prevalent.

MYTHOLOGICAL AND FOLKLORE COMPONENTS IN MODERN FANTASY ("THE LAST TIME" BY Sh. IDIATULLIN)

The article explores the features of a modern novel, identifies the components of its internal structure by the example of Sh. Idiatullin’s novel "The Last Time" (2020). The analysis highlights the leading techniques of the fantasy genre, in which mythological and folklore components are structure-forming. The author of the article shows the originality of the picture of the world created by the writer, the use of motifs, keywords, and methods of organizing the image system. The results can be used in the further development of the typology of the novel, in the identification of development trends in the modern literary process; can be introduced as a basis for analysis in the study of the work of a particular author. The main methods are typological, comparative-historical, and comparative.

El género fantástico como trasgresión: La representación de la madre en el cuento "Conservas" de Samantha Schweblin

This article proposes to analyse the representation of the protagonist, a young mother-to-be of the short story "Conservas" by the Argentine writer Samanta Schweblin through the relationship that this character has with her pregnancy and the possibilities of the fantasy genre.    

Квазиреалии поздних романов Уильяма Морриса: вопросы перевода с английского на русский язык

The purpose of the research is to classify quasi-realia found in the late novels of W. Morris, the founder of the fantasy genre, using E. M. Bozhko’s works. The paper considers the definition of quasi-realia, identifies the mechanism of its functioning in the aspect of translation, compares each case where quasi-realia are used by the author with their rendering in the Russian translation. Scientific originality of the research lies in conducting a comprehensive analysis of quasi-realia found in William Morris’s late novels. Idionyms and polyonyms of the second and third order were found, the presence of xenonyms was not detected. It was shown that quasi-realia participate in the author’s creation of an archaised style, although they do not constitute its main feature. As a result of the research, all identified cases of quasi-realia have been given, their detailed classification has been carried out, the features of their functioning in the style of William Morris’s late novels have been described.

Development and Characteristics of The Image Fantasy Genre in Korea and China from the 1990s to the 2010s -Focusing on The Gingko Bed, A Terra-Cotta Warrior, Goblin: The Lonely and Great God, Startling by Each Step-

Development and Characteristics of The Image Fantasy Genre in Korea and China from the 1990s to the 2010s -Focusing on The Gingko Bed, A Terra-Cotta Warrior, Goblin: The Lonely and Great God, Startling by Each Step-

Dictionary of Fantasy Terms

Today fantasy has become a renown genre not only in the literature, but also in the pop-culture such as TVs and movies. Even in the movies, there are considerable number of the fantasy genre, and among those movies, The Lord of The Rings (LOTR) and Harry Potter (HP) are ranked at the top. Moreover, based on Gamble and Yates’ explications, LOTR franchises fall into category (1) because they tell a story of a whole new universe. While HP franchises fall into category (2) and (3) because the stories are about secondary world which can be entered through various portal, and indeed, that’s a ‘world within-a-world’. This means that, both movies are considered as a ‘high fantasy’. Furthermore, this such could be more interesting when the focus is highlighted to the elements, words, or terms that constitute a fantasy genre, for instance, terms which refer to a certain creature or people in the realm of fantasy. These data thus can be compiled into one set of entries, which leads to a project of dictionary-making. In short, the purpose of this project is to conduct a mini scale dictionary contains words in relation to the fantasy genre, especially LOTR and HP universes. Since they are the most popular and categorized as ‘high fantasy’ which contains more reference concerning the fantasy terms.

The main methods of introducing design elements and graphics in video

The subject of the study is the process of many aspects of audiovisual creativity that must be taken into account when creating a video. The object of the work is to create a movie trailer through the use of design elements and graphics in the video sequence. The study examines the trailer of a post-apocalyptic fantasy genre called "Genesis", in which the two main characters are depicted as opposites. The work examines and describes in detail all the stages of creating a video trailer for the film, including visual representation (rendering the texture of the central objects, choosing a font to display the title of the film, controlling the movement of actors and moving frames), audio accompaniment of the video sequence (music, voiceover, sound effects). The paper notes that the main goal of all the stages of trailer development considered in the article is to create an audiovisual project of professional quality. The main methods used in the study are visual effects modeling and 3D modeling in Houdini, creating realistic matte paintings in Photoshop and video compositing in Nuke. The main conclusions of the study are those specialized programs that allow you to create a high-quality author's product. This software will become the core of the project, since it is in it that all the elements will be combined into one final clip due to the high-quality integration of various objects of the scene. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that within the framework of the work, the characteristics of the possibilities of working with various video editors and graphic programs were carried out, which together help the creators of movie trailers and other similar products to realize the tasks of entertainment and quality of the projects produced.

Utopian and Dystopian Themes in Tolkien’s Legendarium

Utopian and Dystopian Themes in Tolkien’s Legendarium

To English and Back Again

As Anglocentric fantasy scholarship continues to globalise, the challenges and complexities of translation, specifically into English, reveal that an overreliance on tradition in translation has anglicized global fantasy. Fantastic creatures are a cornerstone of the fantasy genre and are also prominently featured in fantasy-adjacent texts such as mythology and folklore. As a result, translators of these texts are frequently faced with names and terminology surrounding fantastic creatures, which—whether entirely new or culturally specific—poses a unique challenge for translation. This article will identify some of the strategies that have been utilised to meet this challenge, with the goal of building a vocabulary with which to study this process further. The strategies identified are Substitution, Descriptor, Naturalisation, and Tradition. The implications and effects of these strategies are analyzed through the spectrum of foreignization and domestication in translation practices. This article discusses the potential pitfalls of Anglocentrism and Anglonormativity, primarily associated with domesticating approaches in translation into English. A case study examines how the word “giant” has been used to gloss or translate the jotunns of Norse mythology. The descriptions and behaviour of the jotunns in Norse mythology are often contradictory, and as a group they are incredibly complex and open to interpretation. This work will examine both the origins and limitations of the term “giant,” and how a dedication to tradition affirms its continued use. In conclusion, while domesticating translators hesitate to demand too much of readers by presenting complex and foreign terms, translators’ attempts to help readers can rob a creature or concept of its complexity—and perhaps the very things that make it so fantastic.

Hollywood’s Viral Outbreaks and Pandemics: Horror, Fantasy, and the Political Entertainment of Film Genres

Films revolving around big natural catastrophes, the end of the world, and global pandemics are viral in Hollywood. Some authors claim that 9/11 enticed the proliferation of disasters, zombies, and apocalyptical narratives. Will the coronavirus further increase these narrative tropes? A cinematic apocalypse takes many shapes, including zombie infestation, nuclear war devastation, and aliens’ attack. Watching films such as Twelve Monkeys (1995), Children of Men (2006), or Contagion (2011) during a real-life global pandemic creates a much different viewing experience than when these films were released. Certain films kill humans with a deadly virus and turn them into zombies emphasizing and pushing forward to a cinema of genre its entertainment features, such as I Am Legend (2007), Train to Busan (2016), or Blood Quantum (2020). However, they also use horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres to portray a realistic compelling family drama or discuss structural racism and systemic colonialism against America’s indigenous peoples. In all these films, scientific ambition, political greed, and economic power intermingle, becoming the unknown forces and real detractors behind these catastrophes. Whether or not the end of the world is an appropriate story for entertainment attracts most viewers to Hollywood cinema. Conventional postapocalyptic tropes create a film riddled with relevant political concerns. Every year, hundreds of films transpose to the screen compelling narratives related to pandemics and their effects. In Coronavirus’s times, I analyze and contextualize several of Hollywood’s viral outbreaks to situate their narratives to current political subjects and understand how disaster and pandemic films have become entertaining.
 
 Keywords
 Hollywood cinema, Film Genres, Pandemics, Coronavirus, Racism, Indigenous, Covid19, Politics, Film Aesthetic, Disaster Films.

The Bridge That Binds Us: Exploring How Self-Forgiveness Can Help People Live a Content Life

This article aims at exploring the importance self-forgiveness to help people live a content life. Self-forgiveness is a willingness to abandon self-resentment in the face of one’s own mistake while fostering compassion, generosity, and love toward one-self. Self-forgiveness itself is still an underrated topic because there has not been a lot of research into it. This article explores the reason behind the difficulty of self-forgiveness and ways that someone can take to self-forgive. Moreover, we use Conceptual Analysis of Self-Forgiveness, a psychological approach. The finding of this article is in the form of a novella. The novella tells a story using a contemporary fantasy genre, about a girl and a boy, Luci and Von, who are struggling with their past guilt. After spending time together, Luci is able to muster up the courage to apologize which helps her forgive herself and Von also learns the truth about the accident that happened in the past then visits his dead parents’ grave which also helps him forgive himself and move on.Keywords: self-forgiveness, novella, contemporary fantasy

The Cloud over My Head and Other Stories: Children’s Picture Books on Children’s Anxiety

This creative work is in five children’s picture book format for the target of age five to nine and the topic focuses on children’s anxiety. My stories will be in low fantasy genre, where the anxiety in each story has various forms. The main theme of my stories is to show that what anxiety produces negative thoughts that are not based on reality. To show how children can have anxiety, I use Cognitive Distortions theory, and to show how children can cope with their anxieties, I use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) theory. Each of my stories will be about how anxiety happens to the main character and how the main character solves the problem. From the research I did, I found that anxiety happens to children and it produces negative thoughts that are later proven to be untrue. With CBT, children can also learn how to cope their anxieties by self-monitoring their own emotions and turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Keywords: Children, anxiety, cognitive distortions, cognitive behavioural therapy

Two-world Nature of Sibel Atasoy's Fantasy

Modern Turkish mass literature is extremely diverse. Fiction has taken a special place among the popular genres in 2000. Fiction, in turn, is largely defined by the genre of fantasy, which has become a mainstream one. Genre forms classification of Turkish fantasy is still in its formative stages. However, three sub-genres of fantasy are clearly present in Turkish literature. These are sword and sorcery fantasy, urban fantasy and dark fantasy. Each of these genres blends two worlds - the real one and the magic one - mixing two together and splitting the timeline of the work, causing the reader to doubt the reality of the events. In the sword and sorcery fantasy, the magical events appear mostly in the background of the Middle Ages, whereas in the urban and dark fantasy, modern times become the main setting, making it more multilayered and colourful. In Sibel Atasoy's novel The Grinning Red Moon (2000), the two-world nature of fantasy literature can be observed at all levels of a fiction text, presented as a monologue of the protagonist. Her monologue narration often disrupts time and space layers, aiming to better represent the character of a woman narrator who was also split into two. The protagonist's narrative clearly shows how her past and present are intertwined, how they become equal, and how the past finally replaces the present. The past and the present protagonists are two very distinct people in terms of psychology, trying to find contact with each other