Comments on: Understanding the Appeal of the Fantastic: Escape from the Habitus to Promised Lands http://www.theofantastique.com/2008/12/19/understanding-the-appeal-of-the-fantastic-escape-from-the-habitus-to-promised-lands/ A meeting place for myth, imagination, and mystery in pop culture. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:56:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TheoFantastique | A meeting place for myth, imagination, and mystery in pop culture. http://www.theofantastique.com/2008/12/19/understanding-the-appeal-of-the-fantastic-escape-from-the-habitus-to-promised-lands/comment-page-1/#comment-4031 TheoFantastique | A meeting place for myth, imagination, and mystery in pop culture. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:20:17 +0000 http://www.theofantastique.com/?p=517#comment-4031 [...] concept of habitus (discussed at TheoFantastique in regards to Roger Aden’s thought on the appeal of fantasy), Clifford Geertz’s theories of culture, and Victor Turner’s idea of liminality. Burton is a [...] [...] concept of habitus (discussed at TheoFantastique in regards to Roger Aden’s thought on the appeal of fantasy), Clifford Geertz’s theories of culture, and Victor Turner’s idea of liminality. Burton is a [...]

]]> By: TheoFantastique | A meeting place for myth, imagination, and mystery in pop culture. http://www.theofantastique.com/2008/12/19/understanding-the-appeal-of-the-fantastic-escape-from-the-habitus-to-promised-lands/comment-page-1/#comment-1392 TheoFantastique | A meeting place for myth, imagination, and mystery in pop culture. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:51:58 +0000 http://www.theofantastique.com/?p=517#comment-1392 [...] “Understanding the Appeal of the Fantastic: Escape from the Habitus to Promised Lands” [...] [...] “Understanding the Appeal of the Fantastic: Escape from the Habitus to Promised Lands” [...]

]]> By: admin http://www.theofantastique.com/2008/12/19/understanding-the-appeal-of-the-fantastic-escape-from-the-habitus-to-promised-lands/comment-page-1/#comment-321 admin Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:26:02 +0000 http://www.theofantastique.com/?p=517#comment-321 This is a great comment that forced me to go back and revise my post to add what is now the second paragraph. Aden does not address this much, but fantastic narratives that provide for the escape form habitus in symbolic pilgrimage should not be construed as mere escapism, and often do reinforce and critique habitus. I'd encourage my readers to sift through Aden's book to see how it might apply to the realm of the fantasic and add another dimension to our understanding. This is a great comment that forced me to go back and revise my post to add what is now the second paragraph. Aden does not address this much, but fantastic narratives that provide for the escape form habitus in symbolic pilgrimage should not be construed as mere escapism, and often do reinforce and critique habitus. I’d encourage my readers to sift through Aden’s book to see how it might apply to the realm of the fantasic and add another dimension to our understanding.

]]> By: Cory Gross http://www.theofantastique.com/2008/12/19/understanding-the-appeal-of-the-fantastic-escape-from-the-habitus-to-promised-lands/comment-page-1/#comment-318 Cory Gross Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:04:37 +0000 http://www.theofantastique.com/?p=517#comment-318 I suppose I would have to read his book to get the full argument for what basically sounds like an elaborated version of escapism. The question I would have is how he accounts for fantastic fiction that reinforces "habitus". I can think of many cases it explores and ultimately reinforces the culture, values, and world: Star Trek's consistent wrestling with social issues, Jules Verne's didactic explorations of the globe, the Universal Monsters' theistic horror, and so on. But based on how you've described it here, it seems like his case may not be so "either/or." Star Trek could be argued as doing both, wrestling with modern issues and providing a utopian alternative world. I suppose it would boil down to what the "habitus" is and if, in fact, there is such a beast. Fantastic fiction trangresses whose habitus, exactly? I suppose I would have to read his book to get the full argument for what basically sounds like an elaborated version of escapism. The question I would have is how he accounts for fantastic fiction that reinforces “habitus”. I can think of many cases it explores and ultimately reinforces the culture, values, and world: Star Trek’s consistent wrestling with social issues, Jules Verne’s didactic explorations of the globe, the Universal Monsters’ theistic horror, and so on.

But based on how you’ve described it here, it seems like his case may not be so “either/or.” Star Trek could be argued as doing both, wrestling with modern issues and providing a utopian alternative world. I suppose it would boil down to what the “habitus” is and if, in fact, there is such a beast. Fantastic fiction trangresses whose habitus, exactly?

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