Elliot Kessler

Sci-fi and fantasy are my two favorite genres. They’re filled with beautiful locations, weird creatures, interesting concepts, and exciting stories. They’re fun to experience and explore, with limitless potential for what stories they have to offer. But do these stories even matter? They’re set in imaginary worlds with imaginary people doing imaginary things. Nothing is real. They’re fantastical myths. How can fantasy matter?

Escapism is a word people use a lot when discussing why they read or watch fantasy. After a long day, they’ll sit at their TV or open a book and use fantasy to get away from everything. They imagine themselves in another world, preforming legendary feats and battling monsters. They use escapism to relax for a while. The audience’s worries are gone for as long as they’re immersed in these incredible worlds. They long for the sense of adventure rather than being stuck in their boring, daily lives.

But escapism isn’t the word I would use to describe why fantasy matters. While it can be nice to get away from things for a little bit, that’s not why I love fantasy so much. I often read and watch sci-fi to think about the concepts and ideas the writers present. I’m not there to get away from worry.

But if relaxing isn’t why fantasy matters, what else could it be?

Could it be entertainment, pure and simple? Does fantasy matter merely because it is fun and enjoyable to experience? Well, partly. But I think there’s more to it than that.

Fantasy is important because it inspires us. We read about legendary figures and heroes doing the impossible, and we wonder why we wouldn’t be able to do that as well. Why couldn’t I make the team? Why couldn’t I become a doctor? Frodo marched head-first into Mordor. Luke fought a Rancor. Jake rode a Toruk. Gilgamesh sailed to the end of the world. Odysseus faced tons of scary monsters. Why can’t we do impossible things like them?

It’s not easy to do the impossible. That’s why those things are called impossible. But we know all things are possible through God, and with these fantasy stories there to show us that these tasks are simply improbable, we gain the strength to stand back up and keep fighting.

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day.