Fantasy as Antifantasy 2 (5) The Ridiculous and Fraud: Aspiration for the Eternal in Antifantasy (original) (raw)
In Peter and Wendy, the essential theme of fantasy literature was summarized in a highly deconstructive manner, and the subject of “division and reintegration of the ego,” which used to form the central theme of fantasy literature, was caricatured as a hidden backstory. In this respect, Peter and Wendy can be said to be a parody of fantasy literature, or a bitter criticism of its intrinsic subject.
The Dreadful Credibility of Absurd Things: A Tendency in Fantasy Theory
Historical Materialism, 2002
In Britain it has been estimated that 10% of all books sold are fantasy. And of that fantasy, 10% is written by Terry Pratchett. So, do the sums: 1% of all books sold in Britain are written by Terry Pratchett. Coo. 2 Although it is unclear whether, by 'fantasy', Butler intends a narrow de nition (generic fantasy, i.e., imitation Tolkien heroic or epic fantasy and sword 'n' sorcery) or a broad de nition (the fantastic genres, i.e., generic fantasy, sf (science ction), horror, supernatural gothic, magic realism, etc.), such statistics nonethless make the need for a Marxist theory-or preferably, Marxist theories-of the fantastic selfevident. The last twenty or thirty years have witnessed a remarkable expansion in the study of fantastic texts and genres. Literary studies has embraced the gothic, fairy tales and sf, and screen studies has developed a complex critique of horror and is now beginning
Fantasy as Antifantasy and Systems Theory
Fantasy as Antifantasy and Systems Theory Completeness of Reality as a Systems Theory "Supernatural System Theory and Antifantasy," a paper by Makoto Kuroda available on Academia.edu, explores the concept of "Antifantasy" in relation to systems theory, particularly through the lens of the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Antifantasy, as presented in the paper, is not a rejection of fantasy but a framework that reinterprets fantastic elements within a structured, systemic understanding of reality, aiming to achieve a form of completeness that integrates both the natural and the supernatural. In this context, Antifantasy views the completeness of reality as a systems theory by proposing a meta-systemic structure that transcends conventional logic and narrative boundaries. It suggests that reality-encompassing both the mundane and the fantastical-can be understood as a cohesive system where seemingly illogical or supernatural elements (like magic) are not mere anomalies but integral components that contribute to a broader, unified whole. This perspective draws a parallel to mathematical concepts like compactification, where infinite spaces are "completed" by adding points at infinity to make them finite and manageable. Similarly, Antifantasy posits that fantastic elements, which might appear chaotic or beyond comprehension, can be organized and rationalized within a higher-order framework. The paper compares this approach to the "mental sketch" principle of Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa, where the act of creation (whether poetic or magical) bridges the gap between fiction and reality, mind and matter. In The Last Unicorn, magic is not just a plot device but a performative act that interacts with reality, suggesting a system where the supernatural enhances the completeness of the real by revealing underlying connections. Antifantasy, thus, frames reality as a dynamic system that includes the supernatural not as an external disruption but as an essential layer that enriches its structure. This systemic view implies that completeness arises from the interplay of all elementsnatural and supernatural-within a meta-framework that accounts for their interactions. Rather than dismissing the supernatural as illogical, Antifantasy integrates it into a comprehensive model of reality, akin to how systems theory examines interdependent components to understand a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The paper argues that this approach mirrors philosophical attempts to reconcile opposites (e.g., self and other, finite and infinite), positioning Antifantasy as a tool to explore how reality achieves coherence through its apparent contradictions. In summary, Antifantasy, as discussed in "Supernatural System Theory and Antifantasy," views the completeness of reality as a systems theory by constructing a meta-system that organizes both natural and supernatural elements into a unified, structured whole, where the fantastic enhances rather than disrupts the systemic integrity of reality.
Study of Fantasy Literature Compiled in Annotated Last Unicorn and Annotated Peter and Wendy
Kuroda’s Annotated Last Unicorn and Annotated Peter and Wendy correlate in their speculative perspectives by treating their respective texts as antifantasy narratives that use metafiction, ridiculousness, and metaphysical themes to challenge fantasy’s norms and explore existential ontology. The Last Unicorn speculates on a universal, monistic cosmos through absurd irony and poetic ambiguity, while Peter and Wendy speculates on temporal and imaginative fragility through whimsical nostalgia and cyclical loss. Both studies position their texts as speculative masterpieces that transcend genre, with The Last Unicorn leaning toward postmodern and quantum-inspired cosmology and Peter and Wendy rooted in Romantic and pre-relativistic metaphysics. Their shared focus on narrative as a speculative act—bridging fiction, reality, and consciousness—unites Kuroda’s analyses, revealing fantasy’s potential as philosophical inquiry.
Fantasy as Antifantasy 2 (4) Fabulous Hero in Antifantasy
The Last Unicorn features a typical "hero" who plays a central role in the romance universe. Of course, it's Prince Lír, who offers a chivalrous courtship to Lady Amalthea, who's true identity is the unicorn. As a brave knight, Lír embarks on various adventures, defeating ferocious monsters and withstanding heavy ordeals. However, in this story of anti-fantasy, which subtly reverses the conventional perspective of fantasy, even if a hero is one of the important characters who serves as a brave knight, he can never be a true protagonist who is the centripetal presence in the story world. Prince Lír inherits his cursed kingdom after the dramatic destruction of his father King Haggard, and as a result of his coronation, he becomes "King Lír." But in this work, which has many allusions to Shakespeare's plays, the comical aspect shown by the hero who is forced to bear the outstanding nomenclature of "Prince Lír," brilliantly illuminates anti-fantasy or anti-romance traits that are the basis of this story. Through a detailed examination of the depiction of his actions, let us review some of the unique narrative strategies based on a ridiculous and satirist descriptive methodology, which has won a striking contrast with typical chivalric romance and typological fantasy. Prince Lír first appears in the story shortly after the unicorn's journey was joined by the wizard Schmendrick and the outlaw mistress Molly. It is in a small episode that is added to the main plot of the story, temporarily set up for the closing scene of the chapter. At this time, he showed up as a nameless figure, in front of the unicorn's party.
First chapter of my comprehensive study of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn. This is an introductory part of the discussion of the influence of quantum mechanics on the generation of fantasy literature. This is included in "Fantasy as Antifantasy 2; A Study of The Last Unicorn", published in the year 2009, in Japan. Together with the concluding part of it, "Supernatural System Theory and Antifantasy: Space-Time Equivalence Principle and Persona Shifts", my argument on the implication of fictionality as space-time mind continuum is completed. I introduced the index "antifantasy" in my study of fantasy literature, in order to fully discuss the peculiarity of several speculative works. In the precursor of this study "Fantasy as Fantasy", this idea is applied to the study of another antifantasy "Peter and Wendy", written by James M. Barrie.
Ideological Framework of Antifantasy
Overview of Antifantasy project which explores fantasy literature through a lens that subverts existing genre conventions, using metafiction and irony to critique romanticized tropes. Its philosophical framework as a speculative cosmology and its traditional precursors are argued, together with its expected criticism on the present academic organization in its way of administration.
Journal of Language and Politics, 2021
Many scholars have drawn attention to the affective power that aspects of discourse and practice exert in our social and political life. Fantasy is a concept that, like structures of feeling, rhetoric, myth, metaphor, and utopia, has generated illuminating explanatory and interpretive insights with which to better understand the operation of this power. In this piece I argue that there are distinctive virtues in affirming the value of the category of fantasy, from a theoretical point of view. Importantly, however, I also argue that the qualification 'critical' in Critical Fantasy Studies captures something about how such studies can draw out the normative, ideological, and politico-strategic implications of psychoanalytic insights and observations, and thus become part of a broader enterprise in critical theoretical and empirical research.