I have often wondered why it is that some of the most well-known fantasy books are written by Brits: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia. And many more of my favorites are written by members of the commonwealth, or however it is called: Jonathan Stroud and the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Robin McKinley's books. Admittedly, they probably aren't the end all and be all of great fantasy, but the British have something when it comes to fantasy. And I have been wondering why.
I think there are multiple factors, of course. First of all, I imagine that part of it is just publicity, and because it is literature from across the pond, it gets more press when it is successful over here. And I think we tend to look at things that are homegrown with less excitement. So there is that.
But today, I came across this article Why are fantasy accents British?, which really seemed to give a good explanation. I think one reason why British fantasy has such a strong presence is because of their history--they had witches and magic and lore to base their fantasy on. And the mythological history of America is different, and since I am not a native of that culture, it isn't a mythology I relate to. My roots are in England, so that has somehow shaped my idea of fantasy. It is interesting to consider. It also makes one think about American fantasy. I think, for one thing, I need to read more of it, but it seems like it has a very European flavor. But how much of that is the mindset I bring to the book?
Anyway, it is interesting to think about. I'd be interested to know what your experience has been with fantasy.
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