Hayden Bilbrey

This module is about having a deeper understanding of the origins, modes, and possibilities of the fantasy genre. It is a means for writers, readers, and fans to more deeply interact with the stories they love. Class One: What is a Fantasy World? (Tolkien and the Secondary World). Exploring Tolkien's idea of subcreation and what makes fantasy world feel real. Class Two: How world are built. How setting, history, and internal logic shape immersive fantasy worlds. Class Three: Different Ways Fantasy Worlds Work. Exploring how fantasy can operate in different modes and structures. Class Four: Fantasy and Reality. How Fantasy Relates to the real world and what it reveals about it. Class Five: Why fantasy matters. The cognitive and imaginative value of fantasy and why we engage with it. Class Six: Case study- The Fifth Season: Examining how modern fantasy builds complex and original worlds. Class Seven: Case study- The Golden Compass: Looking at world building across literature and adaptation. Class Eight: Case Study- The Lord of the Rings. Examining generational story telling through myth, fantasy, and multimedia adaptation. [show less]

This course is an examination of Susanna Clarke's Piranesi. It details the multi-layered influences and implications of the novel. Class 1: Introduction to Portal Fantasy, Susanna Clarke, Piranesi art and Novel. Class 2: The Labyrinth in fiction. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages1-39. Class 3: Surrealism and dream narratives. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 39-82. Class 4: The Allegory of the Cave. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 85-122. Class 5: C.S. Lewis Influence and Connections. Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 125-170. Class 6 :Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 173-217. Class 7: Assigned reading overview. Read and discuss pages 217-245. Class 8: Discussion of Complete Novel [show less]