On Fairy-Stories
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| - | '''Escapist fiction''' is [[fiction]] which provides a psychological escape from thoughts of everyday life by immersing the reader in exotic situations or activities. | + | '''"On Fairy-Stories"''' is an essay by [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] which discusses the fairy-story as a literary form. It was initially written for presentation by Tolkien as the [[Andrew Lang lecture]] at the [[University of St Andrews]], Scotland, in 1939. It first appeared in print, with some enhancement, in [[1947 in literature|1947]], in a [[festschrift]] volume, ''Essays Presented to Charles Williams'', compiled by [[C. S. Lewis]]. [[Charles Williams (UK writer)|Charles Williams]], a friend of Lewis's, had been relocated with the [[Oxford University Press]] staff from [[London]] to [[Oxford]] during the [[The Blitz|London blitz]] in [[World War II]]. This allowed him to participate in gatherings of [[Inklings|The Inklings]] with Lewis and Tolkien. The volume of essays was intended to be presented to Williams upon the return of the OUP staff to London with the ending of the war. However, Williams died suddenly on [[May 15]] [[1945]], and the book was published as a memorial volume. |
| - | The term is not used favorably, though the condemnation contained in it may be slight. Those who defend works described as escapist from the charge either assert that they are not escapist -- such as, a science fiction novel's satiric aspects address real life -- or defend the notion of "escape" as such, not "escapism" -- as in [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s "[[On Fairy-Stories]]" and [[C.S. Lewis]]'s quotation, in his "On Science fiction" of Tolkien's question of who would be most hostile to the idea of escape, and his answer: jailers. | + | ''On Fairy-Stories'' was subsequently published with ''[[Leaf by Niggle]]'' in ''[[Tree and Leaf]]'', as well as in ''[[The Tolkien Reader]]'', published in [[1966 in literature|1966]]. The length of the essay, as it appears in ''Tree and Leaf'', is 60 pages, including about ten pages of notes. |
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| - | Genres which include elements of escapist fiction include: | + | |
| - | * [[Bodice ripper]]s | + | |
| - | * [[Chick lit]] | + | |
| - | * [[Detective novel]]s | + | |
| - | * [[Horror fiction]] | + | |
| - | * [[Fantasy fiction]] | + | |
| - | * [[Romance novel]]s | + | |
| - | * [[Science fiction]] | + | |
| - | * [[Spy novel]]s | + | |
| - | * [[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]]s | + | |
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| - | == See also == | + | |
| - | *[[Escapism]] | + | |
| - | *[[Formula fiction]] | + | |
| - | *[[Genre fiction]] | + | |
| - | *[[Pulp magazine]]s | + | |
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"On Fairy-Stories" is an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien which discusses the fairy-story as a literary form. It was initially written for presentation by Tolkien as the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, in 1939. It first appeared in print, with some enhancement, in 1947, in a festschrift volume, Essays Presented to Charles Williams, compiled by C. S. Lewis. Charles Williams, a friend of Lewis's, had been relocated with the Oxford University Press staff from London to Oxford during the London blitz in World War II. This allowed him to participate in gatherings of The Inklings with Lewis and Tolkien. The volume of essays was intended to be presented to Williams upon the return of the OUP staff to London with the ending of the war. However, Williams died suddenly on May 15 1945, and the book was published as a memorial volume.
On Fairy-Stories was subsequently published with Leaf by Niggle in Tree and Leaf, as well as in The Tolkien Reader, published in 1966. The length of the essay, as it appears in Tree and Leaf, is 60 pages, including about ten pages of notes.
