In One of Tolkien’s widely recognized essays "On fairy stories" he emphasized that the happy ending, the "eucatastrophe", is an essential element of Fantasy, necessary for it to fulfill its major functions: Recovery, Escape, Consolation. It is ironic ...

It was anime that introduced me to Fanservice.

You may or may not have heard the term, but it refers to those moments of gratuitousness inserted into a show for the fans - rippling pecs you didn't need to see, a panty shot because of a perfectly placed gust of wind, etc. In short, those little extras that are needed for the story, but are ...

What makes the legends of King Arthur so popular? Why has the tale of an ancient Briton chieftain become a classic of literature? Because, besides having all the elements of a good tale: history, blood-and-guts battle scenes, romance, and chivalry, ...

I enjoyed talking with my grandfather on many occasions prior to his death and, not surprisingly, our conversations often strayed into the realm of his greatest creation - Dune - and its marketing to the general public. There were many times when Grandpa laughed about this, because he saw Dune as something unique and far removed from the marketable world. Later he began to realize Dune wasn't just unique but was a parable of human life that would endure ...

Poetics first appeared in India:

Although poetry appeared in many countries of the world from times immemorial, it was only in India that an enquiry started on the questions as to what is poetry, how it could be reated, and why it should be written. In the wake of this enquiry, a large body of scientific knowledge regarding the mechanics of poetry and its purpose developed and began expanding through the centuries. ...