The Worlds of Fantasy

In the last ten years, fantasy has been one of the biggest forces in popular culture, conquering everything from books to interactive games. The first part explores the role of child heroes and heroines from Peter Pan to Harry Potter and asks why they have such an enduring appeal to writers of fiction for all ages. The second part tells the story of Tolkien and Peake, how these men dreamt up the characters, the languages and the fantasy worlds that made up their vast narrative sagas. The third part asks how this happened and what it says about people. It also asks whether fantasy is the pure escapism many think it is – or whether it has something significant to say about the human condition.