Scepticism and Hope in Twentieth Century Fantasy Literature

Front Cover
Popular Press, 1992 - Literary Criticism - 160 pages
Religious discourse has become alien to the secular and skeptical western societies of the twentieth century. There is real discomfort when religious discourse appears either in the popular press or in society. But even in a secular society, there is still a psychological need (one might even use the stronger word will), if not to believe, then at least to hope. Dr. Filmer states this need is met in the literature of fantasy.
 

Contents

Fantasy and the Displacement of Religious Discourse 1222
1
The Author as ProphetPriest
12
Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings
23
C S Lewis Saves Face
32
The Shadows of Earthsea Ursula Le Guin
43
Walking Riddles and the Last Visible Dog Russell Hoban
54
That Hideous 1984 Two Views on Dystopia
66
Religion and Romanticism in The Neverending Story
79
Some American Fables Sardonic and Satirical 90
91
Transcending Time and Space Fantasy for Children
107
In the Paths of the Prophets Some Recent Trends in Fantasy Literature
127
Fantasy Imagination Healing and Hope
138
Notes
146
Works Cited
149
Index
157
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