Never have high fantasy novels been so complex, in-depth, and all-absorbing. Never have fantasy and sci-fi board games been so multilayered, morally gray, and focused on realism. Brandon Sanderson drops a new release and you find yourself disappointed if it's not over 1,000 pages with 6 layers of political intrigue. Twilight Imperium comes out with its latest edition and you can already imagine yourself absorbed in the seventh hour of continuous gameplay. Hundreds upon hundreds of passionate fans take to the internet with their analysis, critiques, nitpicks, theories, and predictions, arguing as passionately as they would about any real-life topic.
What on [Middle] earth is happening? Was fantasy always like this? Is this what fantasy is all about?
Maybe today. But at its best, fantasy can be something much different... something much more.
The Problem
Each generation tends to think that the next is worse than those who came before, so arguments of the following nature need to be approached carefully. But I do believe that one fairly unique characteristic of young men and women today is that their lives are increasingly lived in a fake world. For many years, if they so desired, the literate and not-very-busy upper class could delve into an imaginary world of books. But never before has the majority of young American people spent so much of their time living a fake life.
Pretending to be fake characters in a fake world on a manmade screen. Twiddling their fingers around to live out their fantasies through these characters. Watching people watch people pretend to be fake characters in a fake world a screen, within a screen [because eventually you realize that the fake world isn't giving you the fulfillment you want, but maybe someone else will pretend to be fulfilled for you]. Discussing the various fake events of a fake TV show. Moving around fake characters on a fake board to accomplish fake objectives and win a fake game. Or reading about a fake world and wondering how the fake characters will overcome their fake obstacles.
Sounds pretty bleak? No wonder we find the real world so difficult to cope with - as if it wasn't hard enough already, the escapes are so numerous and so realistic that it's hard to resist...
The Shift
Fantasy has always offered an escape into a mythical world. But something has changed. Young people have increasingly distanced themselves from the real world as they grow more attached to fictional ones. Instead of using fantasy to escape and learn about the real world, modern creators are now building fantasies to replace the real world.
Think about it. You turn the last page in Return of the King, put the book down, and bask in the glow of such high and beautiful literature. You have internalized the characters and their lessons, and loved your time walking through the woods and mountains of Middle Earth. At times, your thoughts will escape back into that incredible land. But more importantly, you will be encouraged in your walk across this land. You will remember Sam's steadfastness, Aragorn's leadership, Frodo's courage, and desire to become like them in some small way. You will be reminded of the stark reality of good and evil, light and shadow, and resolve to stand against the overwhelming darkness around you.
That is fantasy's potential. That is fantasy's purpose. To impact, instruct, inspire, and yes, to provide a good and restful escape for the weary soul. It teaches truth, it delivers beauty, and it inspires goodness.
Contrast this with the offerings of modern fantasy. I loved The Way of Kings by Sanderson but found that as the Stormlight Archive went on, it became less about the values listed above and more about the world itself, the plot itself, the characters themselves. Sure he tries to work in some moral lessons to close each book, but thanks to his lack of Scriptural foundation in real right and wrong, his points tend to fall flat. I keep trying to make it past the halfway point of Oathbringer, and just can't bring myself to see the value. My favorite character, Kaladin, has become extremely unrelatable and morally grey. There are at least forty reasonably important characters that I'm supposed to keep track of, and forty-eight subplots that I'm supposed to care about.
And again, that's because this isn't about and escape anymore, or about a lesson. The fantasy is trying to be the real world, and when you have enough going on in your real world as it is, the reading shifts from being a delight to a chore.
The same has become true for me in the world of board games. I thought this was supposed to be a fun retreat with friends and family. Since when was a board game supposed to be something you have to block out a day for, and think of nothing else for the hours that you're playing? Do we not have real lives to attend to?
No Such Thing as Evil
This is perhaps the worst development in modern fantasy literature, film, games, etc. There is no such thing as evil. Yes, Thanos wants to kill trillions indiscriminately - but look at his noble intentions and difficult sacrifices! Yes, the Voidbringers have come to destroy the world - but look at their rich cultural heritage! Yes, Voldemort wants to terrorize the world - but look at his tough orphan childhood!
Again, let's compare this to a creator that actually believes and understands the reality of good and evil, like Tolkien. He is not interested in excuses, caveats, complex intentions or cultural background: evil is evil, and he will call it evil. Good is good, and he will make it good, and the good will overcome the evil.
A godless society needs everyone to be gray in some way, because it believes everyone and everything to be gray. This is a tremendous lie, and a sinister poison that not only degrades the quality of fantasy but also deceives the human soul.
The Answer
God's Word, obviously. You have to start there. Then you need to have film-makers, writers, game designers, etc. who understand what Scripture teaches, believe it, and allow it to shape their work. The state of modern fantasy is not a surprise, but a logical symptom of our increasingly godless nation. If we want the life to come back to our fantasy, it needs to return to its original function: An extended parable, built around truth, beauty, and goodness, set in a world of great wonder, imagination, and inspiration.
And thank God for J.R.R. Tolkien and men like him who showed us how to do this the right way.
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