Monday, March 30, 2009
Pratchett's Definition of Fantasy
I'm not sure if everyone's copy of Hat Full of Sky has this in it, but mine includes an extra interview with Terry Pratchett in the back. Pratchett is asked, "The fantasy genre is ofter thought of as escapism, but is it escapism with a firm root in reality?" He goes on about escapism, but ends by saying, "Fantasy--the ability to envisage this world in many different ways--is one of the skills that makes us human." I really like this definition and liked that it is somewhat different from what we touched on in class and on the blog. Just thought I'd share.
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I did notice that within the story itself, in the Wee Free Men, that Feegles saw Tiffany's world as their heaven while Tiffany imagined heaven to be elsewhere. So I do believe it is possible for one world to be viewed by each living/non-living, animate/inanimate thing in a way that is different to each and his/her own. This is especially true for those that believe in reincarnation because a person may have lived through and seen many many centuries without even possessing the knowledge of it. It's a very feasible definition. Very open-minded and open-ended as well. That's the way everything should be, continuous and never-ending. This might cause some confusion along the way, but what's life without troubles and silly misunderstandings caused by such a state of continuity. It's not so bad revisiting the beginning...I've also noticed that as people grow older and wiser due to the newbie mistakes in life(consequently, cross my fingers, hopefully) the older version of yourself tends to want to revisit more and more of childhood memories. While it is good to remember your past, the key is to not get hung up on it or stuck in it in the case of falling into a random warp hole that might have just appeared out of nowhere.....the most important thing I've learned and have come to practice is remember I'm in the present and that's what I need to focus on, living and cherishing the present.
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