• The Rise of Fantasy Novels and Robert Jordan

    I read somewhere recently that fantasy novel sales are rising faster than most genres. USA Today even did a story on the genre, crediting The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Wheel of Time collections with repopularizing a classic literary style in popular culture.

    Of course, Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings is more than 50 years old and was revived by the three recent films. C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia are also making a surge back into the mainstream with the recent release of the film The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are literally the hottest items worldwide, not to mention the four films that have already been through the theaters.

    Given less attention, perhaps only because his major fantasy series has yet to be translated to the big screen, is story-telling powerhouse, Robert Jordan. The breadth of his epic’s scope alone boggles the mind. in The Wheel of Time saga, Jordan creates another world with detail to rival or exceed Tolkein. His fantasy world is not founded on as many biblical themes as Tolkein (see The Simarillion), though the essential themes are there.

    Book reviews will be posted as soon as I am able to write them. I plan to review Jordan, Lewis, Tolkein, Rowling, and possibly more as they grab my attention. There is something that cannot be explained away and dismissed about the grand appeal of fantasy epics. Something deeper than literary tools and methods.

    John Eldredge has some interesting thoughts on fantasy, heroism, and epic adventure. I may try to weave his thoughts into the discussion for an extra perspective.

    More to come soon…