Fantasy Literature : : Challenging Genres / / edited by Mark A. Fabrizi.

• Superior document: Critical Literacy Teaching Series: Challenging Authors and Genre
• HerausgeberIn: Fabrizi, Mark A.
• Place / Publishing House: Rotterdam : : SensePublishers :, Imprint: SensePublishers,, 2016.
• Year of Publication: 2016
• Edition: 1st ed. 2016.
• Language: English
• Series: Critical Literacy Teaching Series: Challenging Authors and Genre
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (233 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Fantasy literature, often derided as superficial and escapist, is one of the most popular and enduring genres of fiction worldwide. It is also—perhaps surprisingly—thought-provoking, structurally complex, and relevant to contemporary society, as the essays in this volume attest. The scholars, teachers, and authors represented here offer their perspectives on this engaging genre. Within these pages, a reader will find a wealth of ideas to help teachers use these texts in the classroom, challenging students to read fantasy with a critical eye. They employ interdisciplinary, philosophical, and religious lenses, as well as Marxist and feminist critical theory, to help students unlock texts. The books discussed include epic fantasy by such authors as Tolkien and Le Guin, children’s fantasy by Beatrix Potter and Saint-Exupéry, modern fantasy by Rowling and Martin, and even fairy tales and comic books. The contributors offer provocations, questioning the texts and pushing the boundaries of meaning within the fantasy genre. And in doing so, they challenge readers themselves to ponder these tales more deeply. But through each of these chapters runs a profound love of the genre and a respect for those who produce such beautiful and moving stories. Furthermore, as with all the books in this series, this volume is informed by the tenets of critical pedagogy, and is focused on re-envisioning fantasy literature through the lens of social justice and empowerment. Prepare to be challenged and inspired as you read these explorations of a much-loved genre.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Mark A. Fabrizi -- Introduction / Mark A. Fabrizi -- In the Shadow of the Status Quo / Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto -- The Wizards Beneath / Nathaniel Gee -- You’re a Prince, Harry / Mark A. Fabrizi -- Designing a Course Integrating Critical Pedagogy, Fantasy Literature, and Religious Studies / Nathan Fredrickson -- Strong Women in Fairy Tales Existed Long Before Frozen / Martha M. Johnson-Olin -- From Fledgling to Buffy / Margaret A. Robbins and Jennifer Jackson Whitley -- Gender, Class, and Marginalization in Beatrix Potter / Hannah Swamidoss -- Depictions of Social Class in Newbery-Winning Fantasies / Danielle E. Forest -- Indifference, Neglect, and Outright Dislike / Claire A. Davanzo -- Magic as Privilege in Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s Wheel of Time Epic Fantasy Series / Louise Pisano Simone -- Seeing Harry as an At-Risk Student / Dawan Coombs , Jon Ostenson and Whitney Sommerville -- Magical Objects in Fantasy / Stephanie Dreier -- Critical Literacy in Inquiry Learning / Cynthia Dawn Martelli and Vickie Johnston -- “Bruce Banner can be an Asshole” / Rebecca Sutherland Borah -- Author Biographies / Mark A. Fabrizi.