[jbcohen]

worthy of intellectual study in university settings?

[matthewajg]

Much of fantasy is considered "fluff" and not worthy of literary merit, with the possible excpetion of Tolkein's work. There are programs, however, at the University of Iowa that specialize in the study of science fiction. Yes, fantasy gets short shrift, as many people see the vast majority of fantasy as a re-telling of Tolkein or just one step above pulp novels and romance!

[Peregrine]

And yet I am sure you could find a professor somewhere who would encourage a thesis on romance or pulp fiction. It is all on the angle taken, a sociology department would probably be quite happy for you to study aspects of why fantasy is popular - studying fantasy for its mereits? In a way we all have. MacBeth is fantasy. So too is a Mid-Summer Nights Dream, Morte de Athur and any other 'romances' you care to mention. In fact in most european languages the equivilent for romance is still used rather than 'fantasy'. In one odd way I sort of think that if fantasy had kept the 'romance' tag, and the new meaning for a love-story had never developed, then fantasy would be seen as having more of a prestigious heretage and might be more worthy of study.

Chris

[Penumbra]

Fanatsy, as opposed to basic fiction, is considered by the effete snobs of literati as juvenile escape, unfortunately. Whenever I have been involved in a debate on the issue, reinforcing the genre with its many and wondrous examples, they throw things at me such as comic books, cartoons and other items that they consider mindless idiocy. They say that J.K Rowling's current reign with the Harry Potter series proves their point, whereas I know many competent readers and authors who believe she has written something endearing, regardless of the fact that she was simply trying to support her family.

So I am often forced to wield the Tolkien mace and they are charged to admit that he, at least, was potent and deserves merit, with the proviso that he tended to cross all genres by attracting afficianados who don't bother to read other examples of Fantasy. They are correct about that and it usually brings us back to square one.

Therefore, until we get more authoritative Fantasy writers recognized by the establishment, such as it is, I am afraid we must suffer their slings and arrows, my own offerings included.

[Caliban]

The universities that I studied at had specific courses on science fiction and fantasy literature. Granted, they were liberal arts institutions, but it's a step in the right direction.

When this professor was asked about the great author's of the twentieth century, he placed Tolkien, Asimov, Bradbury and Poe along with the standard writer's that most critics include in such lists.

[k4085]

I remember when I was in University, there was a course that studied popular fantasy. I remember some of the authors that had to be read during that course. They included Robin McKinley and Ursurla Le Guin. There were a couple authors that I can't quite remember.

[jbcohen]

Odd, I never heard of a University or College actually offering a class in the Fantasy literature genre. There is much great literature to be studied there.

As for Rowling, there are many other authors that followed the same path. Charles Dickens for one. A friend told me that A Christmas Carol was originally written for children.

What can be done to break this mold?

Is fantasy literature doomed for all time to be a neglected literature genre?

[Bardos]

I would like to ask WHY all these scholars of literature think that fantasy has no worth? What is the REASON?
At least, I want to know if there IS a reason behind it, or they are just closed-minded.

[Caliban]

That's a good point Bardos. What is it specifically?

[jasers]

I think it has more to do with bias than anything else really. It happens all over our culture, not just in books. Action movies hardly ever get recognition by the Oscars. When was the last teen/younger skewing tv show ever nominated for an Emmy? When people think of fantasy, IMO, they think its for the younger, more simple mind. Although this is false, there is always a bias that anything geared toward younger people is just "fluff."