The VanderMeers School NPR on Fantasy Fiction

The intern has returned to tell you to catch up on your National Public Radio. Yesterday's Weekend Edition Sunday aired The Reality Behind Fantasy Fiction. Rick Kleffel does a great job interviewing Ann & Jeff VanderMeer and Tachyon's own Jacob Weisman.

Fantasy fiction is often seen as escapist literature. But that's not always the case. Fantastic elements in stories are often the only way a writer can approach a subject that is all too real. Fantasy pros Ann and Jeff VanderMeer say fantasy literature is a haven that allows them to tackle difficult real-life subjects in a way they feel is both effective and expressive.

You can listen to Ann and & Jeff's insights on fantasy, folklore, and why the genre is important, or you can read the transcript.

It's really worth checking out, or sending along to that smug guy at the office who thinks 'literary fiction' is the only fiction worth reading. You know the one I'm talking about.

Jeff VanderMeer: "The thing about life is that it's bittersweet. It is both funny and dreadful and horrific and beautiful and everything else. And so to capture that sometimes, especially in this complex world we live in, I turn to fantasy for that reason."

You tell 'em, Jeff!