'A Bizarre Mirror Version of the Real World': Modernity in Three Mythic Fiction Novels by Emma Bull, Keith Donohue and Tad Williams.

Abstract

Traditionally, fantasy literature has often been suspicious of modernity, typically portraying rural, pre-industrial communities as threatened by the destructive forces of modernisation. However, it has been suggested that more nuanced pictures may be found in fantasy works with contemporary settings. This paper examines constructions of modernity in three such novels: War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue, and The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams. These novels all place fairy creatures drawn from Celtic folklore in modern urban environments, and the aim of this paper is to investigate the visions of modernity that emerge through these encounters. The paper is structured around three focus areas: the picture of the modern city and urbanisation, the effects of modernisation on the natural environment, and the transformation of society under modernity. Theories on modernity, supplemented with ecocritical theory and writings on urban literature, illuminate the discussion. As this paper demonstrates, the juxtaposition of the modern world and ancient folklore raises a range of fundamental questions about the essence of modernity, including the relationship between culture and nature, the place of history and tradition within modernity, and the relationship between the individual and society. Furthermore, by exploring the sometimes very different visions in the three novels, this paper refutes the claim of an inherent ideology of fantasy.