Fantasy Isle – Ideal Gifts (Part II)
If the fantasy genre makes you think only of the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series, sample these other gems from authors who do their own share of taking us into realms beyond our wildest daydreams.
The trouble with pigeon-holing books by genre is that once they have a particular label attached, they only attract readers who like the sort of book with that sort of label. Seen that way, it isn’t surprising that the fantasy genre feels intimidating to the uninitiated. Another misconception is that fantasy stories are less-than-stellar fiction. Get ready to open your mind and expand your imagination with these great introductions to a story telling style that’s easy on the realism, yet never fails in delighting the inner self who longs to journey into the inexplicable, if only for the afternoon.
Plotwise: This is an intriguing trip through the eyes of Offred, a handmaid tasked to bear children for her master and his barren wife. In the
Author’s Note: Margaret Atwood won the Governor General’s Award for A Handmaid’s Tale (and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize). Atwood is also a children’s literature writer and critic.
Sample as well: The Robber Bride
By the way: The Handmaid’s Tale was adapted for the screen in 1990, starring Natasha Richardson, Robert Duvall and Faye Dunaway.
Plotwise: The first book of this popular series introduces Lyra, an 11-year old orphan (hmm, sounds familiar?) growing up in
Author’s Note: Philip Pullman has owned the Carnegie Medal (
Sample as well: The other two books from the trilogy, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
By the way: For Pullman, the greatest invention of all time are Post-it notes, the smallest yellow ones in particular. He scribbles down summaries of scenes and sticks them on a large piece of paper-allowing him to easily fix the sequence of events in his novels.
Plotwise: If you prefer the fantastic in small bites, this book is a collection of six short stories with a fairytale taste, straddling the line between reality and fantasy. Standouts include “Cold”, about an ice maiden who falls in love with a desert man. You’ll enjoy Byatt’s almost painter-like attention to details.
Author’s Note: AS Byatt is best known for her novel Possession, which won the Booker Prize in 1990 and made into the recent film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhardt
Sample as well: Her previous collection, The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye and her perceptive critique of author Iris Murdoch
By the way: Novelist Margaret Drabble and Byatt are half-sisters, though each is reluctant to refer to that fact.
Plotwise: A retelling of the popular Arthurian legend through the eyes of its women—primarily Morgaine, a Druidian priestess (and the usual villain in popular versions). It includes Arthur’s mother Igraine, his wife Gwenhyfar, and Vivienne, the lady of the lake. No hard core feminist readings here, but more on Christianity taking over the religion of the Faery, against the backdrop of Camelot politics and intrigue.
Author’s Note: Marion Zimmer Bradley’s first dream was to become an opera singer and to support her musical training by writing.
Sample as well: The Planet Savers, from her immensely popular Durkover series
By the way: Mists was made into a TV mini-series starring Julianna Marguiles, Angelica Houston and Joan Allen.
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