Debates discussion

This is, I feel, a lesser debated and lesser known topic.

I believe that Tolkien is the father of modern fantasy to a pretty large extent, although of course Lewis had a lot to do with it too.

But then I know there are people who hate LotR because they feel it was a waste of time - further, they think that the man who wrote At the Back of the North Wind, George MacDonald, is actually the father of modern fantasy.

I might be the only one here who holds a strong opinion on this, or maybe you all agree with me.

But I'm curious: who is the father of modern fantasy?

I dunno. XD

I'd say CS Lewis for certain.

Tolkien influenced Lewis, so I'd say Tolkien is the Father of Fantasy.

YES KAYLEEE!!!! :D

K

TOLKIEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd say God. I mean, let's face it. We live in a fantasy world and the story of the world is His Story (get it? History? lol)

If you don't think this world is a fantasy world, let me remind you of all the ridiculous awesome creatures in this world. And in the Bible, we've got superpowers, dragons, water turning to blood, enchanted gardens, angels and demons, talking animals, and a deity taking on the form of humanity.
Sounds like a fantasy story to me.


But, if we've got to stick to mortal authors here, I'd say there is no one father of fantasy. Fantasy is as old as the earth.

If I had to pick ONE person to be the father of fantasy, I'd say Homer. He was writing fantasy around the time of the book of Judges, I think. (I might have my timeline a little off lol). And his works heavily influenced hundreds of thousands of authors to follow him. Anyone else who you might argue was the father of fantasy (Virgil, George Macdonald, Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, etc.) was heavily influenced by him or by someone who was heavily influenced by him.
But fantasy didn't start with Homer. No doubt he was heavily influenced by other writers of fantasy from before his time... and it goes on and on, all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

Oh wow, I've never thought of it that way! God is a great answer!

Lol that is another way of looking at it Joseph! I mean, I was more referring to mortal authors, but God is the best answer there is. Which is why I take writing fantasy so seriously. You're basically following in God's footprints, or as Andrew Peterson says, "a toddler capturing the Sistine chapel with finger paint on a paper plate." That was a horrific paraphrase... But it gets the point across!

^^^^

so true!