{"id":2284,"date":"2026-03-27T12:38:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/?page_id=2284"},"modified":"2026-03-27T12:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:39:08","slug":"36-2-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/36-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"36.2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Cover image of Volume 36 Issue Number 2 of the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Become a Member of the International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purchase from Favian Press<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JFA 36.2 – Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Afro-cosmicism: On the Craft of Seizing Speculative Reparations <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Chris Campbell, Hartwell Award Finalist<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anarres: Where Women Hold Up Half the Sky\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Natalie Fourmyle, Hartwell Award Finalist<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magneto\u2019s Power to Survive the Holocaust: Examining the Fantastic Relationship Between Character and Setting in Greg Pak\u2019s X-Men: Magneto Testament<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Alexander Banks, Hartwell Award Finalist<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parasitism, Coexistence, and Colonialism in Animorphs<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Miranda Miller, Hartwell Award Winner<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creative Think Piece: Frank Belknap Long Letters, Written to Michael E. Ambrose, 1976-1979\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Katherine Kerestman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Dracula <\/em>Anti-Semitic?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Steven Brehe<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapping Magic in Fantasy Novels: Magic Systems and Thematic Undercurrents in Mark Lawrence\u2019s Book of the Ancestor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Finley Dunn<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economics in Frank Herber\u2019s Dune<\/em> and its Use as a Storytelling Tool\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Amelia Kerns<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creative Think Piece: What One Can Become on the Verge of Global Unity\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Tracy Ross<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical Fantasy and History\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Jared van Duinen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith, Dogma and Vision in Mr. Pye<\/em>: A Quest for Synthesis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Ruchira Mandal<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m Dead, I\u2019m Dead, It\u2019sGood<\/em> to Be Dead!\u201d: The Uncanny Epiphanies of Ray Bradbury\u2019s \u201cJack-in-the-Box\u201d and H. P. Lovecraft\u2019s \u201cThe Outsider\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Misty L. Jameson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

REVIEWS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maia Gil\u2019Ad\u00ed\u2019s Doom Patterns: Latinx Speculations and the<\/em> Aesthetics of Violence<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Rev. by Alexander Banks<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles L. Crow\u2019s California Gothic: The Dark Side of the<\/em> Dream <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Rev. by Karin Beeler<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie Wosk\u2019s Artificial Women: Sex Dolls, Robot Caregivers,<\/em> and More Facsimile Females<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Rev. by Ashley Perry<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abstracts<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Steven Brehe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Dracula<\/em> Anti-Semitic?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This essay questions the widely accepted critical opinion, now in circulation for thirty years, that Bram Stoker\u2019s Gothic novel Dracula<\/em> (1897) is in some sense anti-Semitic, reflecting caricatures and stereotypes of the nineteenth century, and that Dracula\u2019s appearance and actions reflect such prejudices. The essay calls attention to Christianized religious and popular ideas about the Devil that are central to Stoker\u2019s characterization of Dracula; some of those ideas have also been used for centuries to mischaracterize Jews. These ideas explain the perceived similarities between anti-Semitic stereotypes and Stoker\u2019s independently created character, similarities that may have distorted some readers\u2019 views regarding the book and its author. This essay argues that Stoker\u2019s writings and his personal and professional associations indicate that he was not anti-Semitic and that his book does not reflect or advance anti-Semitic ideas; Dracula<\/em> does, however, reflect lore about the Devil that may not now be widely understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finley Dunn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapping Magic in Fantasy Novels: Magic Systems and Thematic Undercurrents in Mark Lawrence\u2019s Book of the Ancestor<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This essay argues that magic has the potential to become a notable site for critical explorations within fantasy studies because of the ways in which magic contributes to the major themes of the text. In particular, when fantasy literature thematizes environmental concerns, it often does so through the dramatization of the environmental implications of magic use. A better understanding of how patterns of magical potential and magic\u2019s use by characters may work in fantasy will make analysis of these kinds of environmental messaging clearer. This essay proposes that magic and magic systems in fantasy operate on two core mechanics. The first is the location of the magic source. The second core mechanic is the condition of using the magic source. An aim of this essay is to suggest a heuristic approach to magic through provisional categories: intentional magic, spiritual magic, wild magic, and hybrid systems. Using textual analysis of key examples, the objective is to demonstrate that magic in fantasy can be broadly categorized through its conditions of use, as a way of approaching the questions of what magic is, how it is constructed, and what might it be doing. This essay illustrates patterns of magical potential by examining the ways in which magic constructs and supports thematic and narrative interests in Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor <\/em>series, demonstrating that magic is present not just as an instance of wonder but as a constructed element of a consistent fantasy world. As a constructed element within a consistent framework, magic can be grasped systematically and analytically. This essay recasts magic as a critical tool and presents provisional categories as a potential aid to fantastic analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amelia Kerns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economics in Frank Herbert\u2019s Dune <\/em>and its Use as a Storytelling Tool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This evaluation analyzes the use of in-world economics in Frank Herbert\u2019s Dune<\/em> and its incorporation of financial principles as a storytelling tool. Herbert utilizes commodity and fiat currencies, the Law of Supply and Demand, and operations finance to create an in-depth world, give the plot depth, and enhance character motive and choice. Academic literature on Dune <\/em>has mostly focused on economics\u2019 relationship through the purview of politics, environmental concerns, and spice\u2019s allegory to oil, drugs, or historical seasonings. In the scope of this greater dialogue, a study of Dune<\/em>\u2019s use of economics and finance and its corresponding impact on writing craft has yet to be fully explored. The economics presented do not exist in a vacuum, but are used in conjunction with political, religious, environmental, and social aspects of the novel. Scarcity plays a large role in both water and spice, which are then used as focal points to drive character action. In particular, the spice mining operations and their profits are of importance to the characters of Dune<\/em> when numerical data is given. This analysis will use real-world financial models to determine these numbers\u2019 validity, including a reconstruction of partial financial statements, five-year forecasts, and net present value calculations to bring further insight into character internality and action. This essay argues that Dune<\/em>\u2019s inclusion of specific economics and finance adds a rich layer to the narrative with benefits to writing craft by creating a world steeped in realism and characters with tools to act that subsequently drive the plot. Through its use within the narrative, Dune <\/em>showcases that economics is a well-poised writing tool with broader implications for use in fantastic fiction works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jared van Duinen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical Fantasy and History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This essay engages with the historical fantasy genre from the perspective of a historian. It begins by looking at how historical fantasy\u2019s close engagement with the received historical record has led some scholars to see in the genre a capacity for socio-cultural critique. It then examines the way in which historical fantasy\u2019s purposeful ambivalence regarding real and unreal, or fantastical or mythical, aspects of the past serve as a useful reminder of the ambiguity inherent in the historical record and historical sources. Analysis of Mary Gentle\u2019s Ash: A Secret History<\/em> explicates this metahistorical aspect. The essay finishes by briefly discussing new developments in the field of history that adumbrate historical research that is more amenable to the fantastical and supernatural. This essay suggests new means by which myth and fantasy\u2014core ingredients of historical fantasy\u2014can be incorporated into the discipline of history, thereby introducing a new perspective of the purview of historical fantasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruchira Mandal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith, Dogma and Vision in Mr. Pye<\/em>: A Quest for Synthesis<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published in 1953, Mervyn Peake\u2019s novel, Mr. Pye<\/em>, is about an odd but affable evangelical who arrives at the island of Sark to convert its population to his creed of love.  This tale not only reflects the author\u2019s ambivalent attitude toward Christianity but, as it becomes a discourse on art and artistic vision, examines the wholeness of human experience, as Peake perceived it. Reading Pye<\/em> in reference to some of Peake\u2019s other works, particularly the Titus Groan novels and the novella, Boy in Darkness<\/em>, this essay examines the theme of shared human experience via the fantastic through the lens of a Jungian reading to address the question of why Pye\u2019s evangelical mission fails, and what this failure to convert to religiosity says about the character of Pye, about twentieth-century concepts of Christianity in relation to human nature, and about the collective consciousness of mid-twentieth century colonial society.  Pye is a microcosmic representation of the collective psychological fragmentation of the colonial world. This paper proposes that the failure of both Pye\u2019s mission and Thorpe\u2019s artistic visions is a result of this fragmentation; Pye\u2019s journey in this novel and beyond is an attempt to find synthesis, first in the society of Sark and then within himself, just as Thorpe repeatedly struggles to find synthesis on canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misty L. Jameson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m Dead, I\u2019m Dead, It\u2019s Good<\/em> to Be Dead!\u201d: The Uncanny Epiphanies of Ray Bradbury\u2019s \u201cJack-in-the-Box\u201d and H. P. Lovecraft\u2019s \u201cThe Outsider\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray Bradbury and H. P. Lovecraft are Weird writers whose works are not often studied comparatively. This essay analyzes Bradbury\u2019s \u201cJack-in-the-Box\u201d as a sequel to Lovecraft\u2019s \u201cThe Outsider\u201d and examines these stories for their similarities in plot, setting, characterization, theme, and use of the uncanny. These works have na\u00efve protagonists whose narratives are structured around journeys and small discoveries that eventually lead to sudden, painful epiphanic moments triggered by a traumatic encounter with the abject. Using the American Gothic tradition in literature as a backdrop to understand parallels between these two narratives, ultimately, this essay reveals how Lovecraft\u2019s focus on cosmic terror in the weird tale is transformed by Bradbury to an emphasis on the uncertainties and fragilities of childhood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cover image of Volume 36 Issue Number 2 of the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts Become a Member of the International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts Purchase from Favian Press JFA 36.2 – Table of Contents Afro-cosmicism: On the Craft of Seizing Speculative Reparations         Chris Campbell, Hartwell Award Finalist Anarres: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2284","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2284"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2287,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2284\/revisions\/2287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-arts.org\/jfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}