“I do believe in fairies”: Fantasies based on fairytales
As writers’ we have the privilege of creating new and exciting worlds. Within those worlds we can populate it with fantastical creatures. Lands possessed by Orcs or countries ruled by peaceful elves are just some of the possibilities open to a fantasy writer. One of the most popular characters to include in a fantasy novel is faeries. Faeries can be found in many different cultures folklore and religious texts. But fairies are not just a character of the past many modern writers include them as either central characters or as flavor for their world. Here is a short introduction to two very different takes on the fairy character.
One of the most famous faeries is Thumbelina. This beloved fairy has been a source of inspiration and joy for not only children but countless authors. Thumbelina is a typical fairy story geared more toward young and young at heart readers. A more modern rendition of the fairy genre is the Tithe series by Holly Black. This series takes the usual tropes associated with the genre and turns it upon its head. Faeries are not nice and kind and children’s friends, but are fierce and complex characters. This series shows faeries as a force to be reckoned with. As can be seen there is a wide variety of fairy stories to choose from and to compose.