[Sandying]

Don't mean to sound ignorant, but I've written something and am having difficulty classifying it for submission.

Would anyone classify a book like Watership Down as a fantasy. If not. How would you classify it?

Also, if a story like Lady and the Tramp were written for an adult audience instead of for children, would it be classified as fantasy? If not, then what?

Thanks in advance for your replies?

[James Barclay]

Good question.

Personally, I would classify it as a fantasy in that it deals with 'another world', in this case that of dear old rabbits. Never mind that it's set in rural England, it examines a separate society to our own, is a great adventure and has its own mysticism.

On the other hand, we could have fun creating a whole new genre name for books like it and Duncton Wood... 'Agricultural Fiction' maybe or 'Eco-fiction'

Suggestions on a postcard...

[Vroomfondel]

I agree with NOM. Looking at my own copy of Watership Dowm (which is a really great book, by the way) I notice that it is classified as just "Fiction" not "Fantasy". I think I'd classify it as just fiction, although NOM brings up an interesting point.
"Eco-Fiction"......has a nice sound. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Cadfael]

Hmmm... 'Animal Fiction'... no... I don't like that. Eco-Fic sounds like something Greenpeace would publish, and even though I am in accord with their principles... I don't think this would work either. I am wracking my brain here... and still cannot come up with an answer.

But I do know there is a need for this kind of Fiction to have a name. Some of the best books out there have had this subject matter...

Call of the Wild, Jack London
Ring of Bright Water, Gavin Maxwell
Tarka the Otter, Henry Williamson
Shardik, Richard Adams
The Plauge Dogs, Richard Adams

And anything writen by William Horwood

[sueVee]

Isn't the Redwall series classified as fantasy? Wouldn't this be the same thing?

[Vroomfondel]

Redwall sereis is the bridge between fantasy and this "eco-fiction" or whatever th' heck ya wanna call it http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif Redwall books, oddly enough, are listed in the fantasy section...go figure.

[wolfshead]

I'm not big on the 'talking animals' type book. I did think Adams' SHARDIK was an excellent and much underrated novel, though....

[Cadfael]

Wolfshead... to be honest... Shardik is not really a 'talking animal' book, and I don't know why I put it up there... but it is a fine read... I just wish Adams would take us back to Ortelga(sp?).

[Brendan]

redwall is fantasy because ther are no humans (to teh best of my recolection) at all in in while watership down has people. it reminds me a lot of the farthing wood tv series which was kinda based on teh same idea. i dont think watership down counts as fantasy though possibly animal fiction