What purpose do you think fantasy literature serves, or should serve? Why? I have my own views on the matter, but for now how about sharing yours first?

you may as well ask the same question of all books. What a loaded question! It's a style of writing that people enjoy - simple as that

A pure release from everyday worries and strife.

That is the purpose of fantasy [img]smile.gif[/img]

Does it have to serve a purpose? I´ve only read Tolkien. That didn´t serve a purpose I think. It gave me some hours af calm enjoyable reading though.

The fact that it doesn't serve much of a purpose except to entertain people is what makes it so great.

Still, I think I can delve deeper. I think lots of people enjoy fantasy because of the very different characters, settings and stories contained within. In this way, it is an "escape" from reality, yes, but I also think it is just something very fresh and constantly creative. Almost everybody appreaciates originality, creativity and something different, apart from the same old same old IMHO.

If you try to find reasons and purposes for everything you will probably go insane quite quickly, either by what you discover or when you discover that you cannot discover all reasons and purposes [img]tongue.gif[/img] In my opinion some things should just be left alone and enjoyed without being dissected and examined....

That being said I agree that it's an escape from reality, a chance to live something else and experience something alien. And even though it's fantasy litterature you CAN learn real things from it [img]tongue.gif[/img]

A chancec to be MEEEE!!!! :D

A chance to be MEEEE!!!! :D </font>[/QUOTE]FF, I doubt that anyone would bother to write their worst nightmares and then publish them [img]tongue.gif[/img]

entertainment.

Hellraiser, Friday 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and the Teletubbies - I rest my case [img]tongue.gif[/img]