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Mythic Fantasy

© Debbie Ledesma

Myth, according to The Merriam Webster Dictionary, is a usually legendary narrative that presents part of the beliefs of a people or explains a practice or natural phenomenon. The secondary definition is an imaginary or unverifiable person or things. These definitions are correct but superficial. Joseph Campbell and other scholars have studied mythology, stating that myth is a vital part of human culture that everyone needs. Fantasy is rooted in myth. Mythic Fantasy is a powerful sub-genre of Fantasy that draws on the eternal themes of mythology and the archetypes of our collective unconscious. Mythic fantasies can take place in the secondary worlds of Epic Fantasy or in our world of the Contemporary Fantasy sub-genres. Many authors have produced memorable works in this category.

One of the prominent authors of Mythic Fantasy is Robert Holdstock. He writes books that take place in our world or in the internal places of our minds. His first book of a sequence is Mythago Wood. This is a story of a remnant small forest in England that is bigger on the inside than outside. People and creatures of myth come alive in the forest generated by the unconscious part of the human mind. Characters undergo transformative journeys in each book of this series. The books are memorable and touch something deep in the reader.

A recent author to the sub-genre is Neil Gaiman. He brings mythic elements to life in North America with his Contemporary Fantasy novel American Gods. This is a complex story of a man drawn into a battle between the old gods brought to America from Europe and the new gods of media and technology. The book has a strong sense of what myths modern America might create through its history. Already an award winner, this book is nominated for the Nebula Award too.

Mythic elements can be found in the sub-genre of Epic Fantasy too. Fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay weaves elements of Arthurian legend and Celtic myth into his trilogy the Fionavar Tapestry. The three books tell the story of five people's destinies in saving all worlds. Mr. Kay fills his books with vivid descriptions that touch the reader, leaving a memorable experience in their thoughts.

Women authors are strong contributors to the sub-genre. Ursula K. LeGuin is a mistress of Mythic Fantasy. Her books, set in the world of Earthsea, portray characters going through transformative journeys that changes their lives and world. Ms. LeGuin's books explore mythic themes of death and finding identity through the heroic journey. The story of Ged, a young man with great power is told in A Wizard of Earthsea. Ged must pursue and face his Shadow in order to save his world. He undergoes a mythic jouney that every human takes early in life. All of LeGuin's books possess complex themes told in vivid, descriptive words.

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