RE: What distinguishes a fantasy book from the bible?
August 2, 2011 at 6:07 am
(This post was last modified: August 2, 2011 at 6:08 am by ElDinero.)
So basically, Rhythm is defining fantasy as anything not proven to be real, and you're being a bit more stringent in your (valid) definition, saying that it is a specific genre of literature. Both right.
Now even though it was written by multiple authors over centuries, that doesn't make it any less a fantasy. I think the Old English fantasy poem Beowulf is thought to have multiple authors and have been written over about three centuries, if I remember correctly. So while it is different in that respect to something like LotR, the difference doesn't take it out of the realm of fantasy. If you're looking for specific examples of things in the Bible that would qualify as fantasy writing, I think I can oblige through a reasonable knowledge of the Bible and a good knowledge of Tolkien's works:
1. Nature being conscious
2. Talking animals
3. Spirits/demons (In the Tolkien universe, Morgoth is essentially Satan)
4. Miracles
5. Gods intervening in human affairs (Gandalf is actually a demi-God of sorts whose purpose is to lead Men to victory over Sauron)
6. Resurrection
7. A flood washing away the impure people (Tolkien sinks the island of Numenor after the people attempt to reach the Undying Lands)
8. Fulfillment of prophecy (Aragorn, also see Darth Vader and Harry Potter)
I could go on and on, honestly. Some fantasy works, like the Chronicles of Narnia, are direct allegory to the Bible, with Aslan replacing Jesus, so it really isn't hard to make comparisons. All of the above are common elements of many fantasy works, from Harry Potter to Pirates of the Caribbean to Star Wars.
To the original question posed, I will flippantly add that most fantasy books have a protagonist that is likeable.
Now even though it was written by multiple authors over centuries, that doesn't make it any less a fantasy. I think the Old English fantasy poem Beowulf is thought to have multiple authors and have been written over about three centuries, if I remember correctly. So while it is different in that respect to something like LotR, the difference doesn't take it out of the realm of fantasy. If you're looking for specific examples of things in the Bible that would qualify as fantasy writing, I think I can oblige through a reasonable knowledge of the Bible and a good knowledge of Tolkien's works:
1. Nature being conscious
2. Talking animals
3. Spirits/demons (In the Tolkien universe, Morgoth is essentially Satan)
4. Miracles
5. Gods intervening in human affairs (Gandalf is actually a demi-God of sorts whose purpose is to lead Men to victory over Sauron)
6. Resurrection
7. A flood washing away the impure people (Tolkien sinks the island of Numenor after the people attempt to reach the Undying Lands)
8. Fulfillment of prophecy (Aragorn, also see Darth Vader and Harry Potter)
I could go on and on, honestly. Some fantasy works, like the Chronicles of Narnia, are direct allegory to the Bible, with Aslan replacing Jesus, so it really isn't hard to make comparisons. All of the above are common elements of many fantasy works, from Harry Potter to Pirates of the Caribbean to Star Wars.
To the original question posed, I will flippantly add that most fantasy books have a protagonist that is likeable.
