On Friday at noon, I attended my second panel, The Catharsis of Myth, the Shock of Invention, which was billed as a greatest hit panel topic from Readercon 8. The panelists were Ellen Asher, Theodora Goss (Leader), Elaine Isaak, Laura Miller, and Catherynne M. Valente.

As usual, these notes are paraphrased and not guaranteed to be accurate, or complete. I welcome corrections, additions, and discussion in the comments. Here's the official blurb:

In writing or reading fiction, we place a high value on the degree to which
the plot unfolds in unexpected ways. But much of the power of myth and fairy tale derives
from the way it fulfills our expectations. How do the best works of fantasy reconcile these
seeming opposites?

( Read more... )

So why do we like to hear familiar stories? Catherynne Valente contended that we like fairy tales because they reflect our real life disappointments, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and posit that while that might be true for some people (and probably is true for her specifically), it isn't the only draw that fairy tales have.

For me, the wonder is a big part of it. I also like stories about people surviving, getting ahead, etc. I like that Cinderella uses what resources she can find to make her lot in life better. I like this about stories like Fitcher's Bird, too (but I find Bluebeard's wife lacking in agency, which makes that story much less satisfying).

Where does the balance of familiar Vs. new come in? I think there's something to the fashion analogy there. I agree with Catherynne Valente that just telling the exact story from a different point of view is not enough, but I think that one can use that as a starting point. I have to imagine that someone else could retell The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the witch's point of view and end up with an entirely different story than Wicked. What matters is not the point of view, but what the new version makes me think about, feel, enjoy, etc. I know how Beauty and the Beast goes, but I still like the feeling of stepping into Robin McKinley's world when I read Rose Daughter, even though the plot is the same.

What about things other than fairy tales? Fantasy is about more than that, after all. And is Rose Fox's fanfic observation a red herring, or does it relate to all this, too? I'd love to hear your thoughts.