Reuter 1

MEMO
TO: Brother Griffin
FROM: Chloe Reuter
DATE: October 2022
SUBJECT: “Limitations of the Fantasy Genre”

PURPOSE

I am interested in researching the limitations of the fantasy genre and what could be done to
improve upon it. I would like to connect the fantasy genre’s drawbacks to the downsides of
contemporary novels as well as other forms of storytelling, such as movies, television shows, and
more. I also plan on researching what is done well in the fantasy genre and how to use that
information to help authors to avoid the restraints and weaknesses that come with writing
fantastical stories. I hope to see this information help writers who are enamored with the fun
parts of writing in the fantasy genre, like fictional creatures and magic systems. Although these
things can lend a lot of wonder to a story, I want authors to bring their focus back to the plot,
characters, and the theme of the story. I believe that this research will be able to prove that there
are improvements that can be made on the fantasy genre to help create a new wave of enhanced
fantastic stories in the future. My research will focus on these questions:

 What are the limitations of the fantasy genre on contemporary novels?

BACKGROUND

Over time, I have read a variety of fictional literature that belongs either to a specific genre or
one that is unspecified. In my personal reading, I have come across novels with trendy subgenres
such as science fiction, fantasy, etc. My experience with reading fiction that did not belong to
specific subgenres mainly came from reading for classes. As I have taken more and more classes,
I have noticed more of the limitations that come with writing with a genre in mind. I tried to read
a few fantasy novels from an author who’s popular among my peers recently, and this is
specifically when I saw many drawbacks.

The books did well at immersing me in a new world and entertaining me with the prospects of
the plot, but there was always one thing that always felt off to me: the characters. Arguably the
most important part of the story, the characters in the novels were lacking emotional appeal and
humanity. They were just little puppets put in place to move the story along. As I’ve read other
fantasy books and reflected on my past reads, I have seen this pattern show up more and more
frequently. Of course, there are some fantasy novels that have good characters as well as all the
 Reuter 2

other story elements. However, this seems to be a significant issue that needs to be discussed
further to help fantasy novels become better.

SIGNIFICANCE

The chosen topic will lend insight into the failing storytelling that has been happening across a
wide number of mediums. This phenomenon has only become prevalent in the last few years and
presents a concerning question: do audiences not care about whether a story is well crafted
anymore? There is an increasing amount of people who are infuriated at these new stories and
wishing for it to become better. However, there are others who are defending of the same stories
because of certain elements of the story that they like. It seems that good storytelling is being
traded out for niche trends that some people like, even though it may not be impactful at all for
the rest of the audience. This topic is relevant for anyone who reads or watches digital media,
and I would like to seek answers for the problem in question.

DESCRIPTION

I will be conducting secondary research using literary analysis articles and research articles that
have studied various topics on the fantasy genre. I will also research relevant fantasy novels and
other forms of media in the genre. These resources will be found using the databases located on
the David O. McKay Library website, including, ESBCO, JSTOR, ProQuest, and OverDrive.

OUTLINE

Working thesis: Writers of fantasy novels are held back from greatness by fantastical elements
and would improve their writing if they focus more on the components of good storytelling.

Introduction: 1. Introduce a few popular literary works in the past few years. 2.
Discuss thesis and the subjects that will be presented.

Writer's Position: 1. Talk about the limitations of the fantasy genre. 2. Discuss
the failures of modern storytelling.

Opposing View: 1. Consider the strengths of the fantasy genre and what it lends
to the larger world of storytelling. 2. Emphasize why people are defensive of
modern fantasy and the new representation it brings.

Response: 1. There are positive parts of modern fantasy, but it overshadows more
important aspects of storytelling. 2. The strengths and weaknesses of the fantasy can
both be considered to create reforms in the genre.

Conclusion: 1. Go over main points and emphasize their significance. 2. Remind

PROBLEMS

I believe there may be some problems with researching this topic because this is a new topic that
has come up in past years. There may not be many literary analyses or studies done for me to
work on. I may possibly have to research in more creative ways, such as researching similar
topics that go outside of the main one a little bit. I can also see time being a considerable restraint
on this project, so I will be sure to schedule time out of each day to work on the paper so that I
can stay on target.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ashitagawa, Yuko. “Can Fantasy Be More Real than Reality? The Fantastic, the Realistic, and
Textuality in Literary Criticism.” Pennsylvania Literary Journal (2151-3066), vol. 1, no.
1, June 2009, pp. 29–51. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=aph&AN=45480224&site=ehost-live. This article
examines whether the fantasy genre represents a good depiction of reality. This can lend
support to my argument that fantasy can fall short of creating a good depiction of real
life. H31owever, it can also support my counterargument in how there are some ways
that fantasy depicts real life well.

Baker, Deirdre F. “Musings on Diverse Worlds.” Horn Book Magazine, vol. 83, no. 1, Jan. 2007,
pp. 41–47. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=aph&AN=23337097&site=ehost-live. This article
considers the diversity present in classic fantasy novels, but also how in some of these
novels, they are not as diverse as they could be. This could give support to a
counterargument about how the positives of modern fantasy literature. It can also lend
support to my main argument of how fantasy literature could improve.

Baker, Deirdre F. “Special Effects.” Horn Book Magazine, vol. 82, no. 5, Sept. 2006, pp. 621–
25. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=aph&AN=22034550&site=ehost-live. This article
discusses different ideas on the elements of good writing in the fantasy genre. This could
lend support to my argument of how modern fantasy is lacking good storytelling
components.

Khuri, Ronny. “The Plight of High Fantasy.” Booklist, vol. 118, no. 22, Aug. 2022, pp. 70–71.
EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=aph&AN=158462100&site=ehost-live. This article
presents the history of “high fantasy” and how it has become less prevalent in recent
years. It discusses some of the great strides that fantasy has taken and how it can
improve. This will help as a counterargument against my points and will also provide
helpful suggestions for improving the genre.

Kurkjian, Catherine, et al. “Worlds of Fantasy.” Reading Teacher, vol. 59, no. 5, Feb. 2006, pp.
492–503. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.59.5.10. This article discusses the
 Reuter 4

characteristics of modern fantasy literature versus traditional fantasy literature. This can
be used as support for my argument about the change in modern fantasy literature.

Lea, Susan G. “Seeing Beyond Sameness: Using The Giver to Challenge Colorblind Ideology.”
Children’s Literature in Education, vol. 37, no. 1, Mar. 2006, pp. 51–67. EBSCOhost,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-005-9454-2. This article examines a specific novel for its
use of colorblindness in storytelling, what that represents, and the strengths and
weaknesses of it. This article can help to support my argument of how fantasy novels are
too far removed from reality. It can also support a counterargument on how fantasy
attempts to make great strides in representations.

Shearin, Lisa. “4 Keys to World Building in Fantasy.” Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.), vol.
124, no. 8, Aug. 2011, p. 13. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=aph&AN=62660495&site=ehost-live. This article gives
advice to writers on how to masterfully create fantasy worlds. This can give support to
my conclusion, which goes over how fantasy writers can improve in the future.

Zipes, Jack. “Why Fantasy Matters Too Much.” The Journal of Aesthetic Education, vol. 43, no.
2, 2009, pp. 77–91. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40263786. Accessed 19 Oct.
2022. This article discusses how fantasy is important to us and even how it can help us.
This can lend support to the many parts of my paper because it is talking about the value
of fantasy, which why I want to make this paper; I want the genre to improve.

REQUEST FOR APPROVAL

This topic is relevant to me and many writers who are wanting to create good fantasy novels for
the rest of the world. It is also important for the audiences that read them and are desiring for
more relatable and better reading material. Studying the limitations and strengths of fantasy
novels may help to inspire current and future writers to be better and it will audiences feel
confident to ask for more from authors. With all of these considerations in mind, I humbly seek
for approval of this research idea.