Speaking in Symbols (Reader)

Speaking in Symbols (Reader)Fantasy, Gothic, Science Fiction, Mystery, and Detective: these genres are currently all the rage in twenty firstcentury America. A quick look at the current best sellers about vampires and whatnot will be proof enough. But everything sold in todays bookshops, although somewhat enter_taining, is not necessarily good. There is virtually only one proof of literary legitimacythe test of timeand most of the works contained in this anthology have

Fantasy, Gothic, Science Fiction, Mystery, and Detective: these genres are currently all the rage in twenty-firstÐcentury America. A quick look at the current best-sellers about vampires and whatnot will be proof enough. But everything sold in todayÕs bookshops, although somewhat enter_taining, is not necessarily good. There is virtually only one proof of literary legitimacyÑthe test of timeÑand most of the works contained in this anthology have with_stood that test. ¦ This work seeks to do several things. First, it attempts to show the very origins of imaginative works through the stories of oral tradition, and thus introduces the ÒcoreÓ of all good modern fantasy works. It also attempts to show the connection that the various genres have with one another. Finally, this anthology encourages student readers to penetrate the mere enter_tainment value of a good story in order to under_stand its deeper levels of meaning.