Light Fantasy

Definition

The light fantasy is a sub-genus of the Fantasy. Humorous, this fantasy has a light tone, as its name indicates it.

It generally finds its matter while making fun or by parodying the fantasy known as traditional, particularly the High fantasy which, a contrario , generally has a serious intrigue and topics (fight of the Good against the Evil, Monde to be saved). For that, she plays with all the registers of humor: irony, satire, parody, burlesque, but can also use the nonsense and the absurdity to clarify ridiculous scenes, or their shift.

The extremely serious or horrific topics are diverted of their principal goal in the light fantasy.

The light fantasy can cross any other under kind except the Dark fantasy which is its natural antagonist.

Genesis and history

The precursor of the light fantasy, and besides one of the first authors of what one could call the fantasy, is Lewis Carroll. In 1865, Alice with the country of the wonders is thus published. At the time, its work does not aim to parody a non-existent fantasy but to caricature the friends of the author and to show the nonsense of the lessons of the British schoolboys. It thus uses the satirical register, personification and the absurdity, which thus makes of it the precursor of the stories of Fantasy Light.

In 1940, after the beginnings of the fantasy in the pulps, the first novel of the saga Harold Shea appears (not translated) written with four hands by an author more turned towards the Heroic fantasy: Lyon Sprague de Camp and his/her friend Fletcher Pratt. It is the first work of what one can really qualify like light fantasy. In the same vein, the two friends create also the series of Gavagan' S Bar.

Later, after the publication of the Lord of the Rings , off appears the parody of the work of Tolkien Bored the Rings by Henry NR. Beard and Douglas C. Kenney in 1969. This work profited, tardily, of the French translation thanks to the Bragelonne editions. It left in 2004, under the title Lord off the Ringards .

In 1970, The Eye off Argon of Jim Theis is published. Another qualified parodic work of the worst history of science fiction ever written…

Works of light fantasy

Novels

Alice with the country of the wonders of Lewis Carroll
Annals of the Disc-World and the Large Book of the Gnomes of Terry Pratchett
the magic books of Xanth of Piers Anthony
Princesse Attaches off William Goldman
Lord the Ringards
With your wishes of Fabrice Colin
When the Gods drank Catherine Dufour

Cartoons and mangas

Song of Excalibur of Christophe Arleston
Keep of Naheulbeuk and the Tower De Kyla of John Lang
Keep of Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim
Krän of Eric Hérenguel
Lanfeust de Troy of Christophe Arleston and Didier Tarquin and Trolls of Troy by Arleston and Jean-Louis Mourier

Films and telefilms

many adaptations of Alice to the country of the wonders
Crowned Graal! of the Monthy Python
The Princess Attaches
Certains films of Terry Gilliam: Gangsters, gangsters ; Jabberwocky ; Adventures of the baron de Münchhausen
the Father Pig-keeper , adapted minisery of Terry Pratchett
True story of the Little Red Riding Hood
the series of the Shrek

Series and animated

Kaamelott : parodies myth arthurien
Three Sœurcières and Accros of the rock , cartoon films adapted of Terry Pratchett also.

Others

Keep of Naheulbeuk of John Lang

See too

Category: Humorous Fantasy

External references and bonds

Random links: