REALMS OF THE IMAGINATION EXHIBITION

[Agentorange]

Went to see this at the British Library on Friday. A history and exhibition about fantasy in literature down the ages from Gilgamesh through to modern authors such as N J Jemisin. takes in RPG's, anime and other side quests as it goes along. last day tomorrow sadly but is due to go on tour....so maybe if it's near you  you can treat yourself. the british library advert is a bit rubbish, so I'lll post a little clip i found on Youtube to give you a flavour. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
 

 

[Agentorange]

Not one comment ? I'm disappointed in you my fellow lovers of literature  😁

[Joerg]

An interesting collection of way too short glimpses into the wider genre, but visiting it as a museum exposition would feel a bit weird to me. On the levels of the experience of myths that are presented in Cults of RuneQuest: Mythology, this is (barely) the first level, reading about there being myths. Little context is given about the people who are the target group of these myths - we might recognize ourselves in quite a few of the exhibits, but we may also feel ourselves being misrepresented. Not dissimilar from Imperialism Age anthropology exhibitions if visited by people from the cultures exhibited, I guess.

[Agentorange]

8 hours ago, Joerg said:

An interesting collection of way too short glimpses into the wider genre, but visiting it as a museum exposition would feel a bit weird to me. On the levels of the experience of myths that are presented in Cults of RuneQuest: Mythology, this is (barely) the first level, reading about there being myths. Little context is given about the people who are the target group of these myths - we might recognize ourselves in quite a few of the exhibits, but we may also feel ourselves being misrepresented. Not dissimilar from Imperialism Age anthropology exhibitions if visited by people from the cultures exhibited, I guess.

Except it's not about mythology it's about fantasy literature as a reading genre. Obviously there is some overlap:  Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Arthur etc are myth cycles, but they are also stories to be told as entertainment and for enjoyment. Looking at some of the themes often seen in such literature: portals, gods and deities, hero journeys etc etc. it's not aimed at the hardcore mythological buff it's aimed at book lovers and readers..

[Joerg]

1 minute ago, Agentorange said:

Except it's not about mythology it's about fantasy literature as a reading genre. Obviously there is some overlap:  Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Arthur etc are myth cycles, but they are also stories to be told as entertainment and for enjoyment.

Myth has always had an entertainment component. By giving the forces of nature a face, they become an entity you can deal with - even if it is the baby-faced smiling sun of the Teletubbies.

9 minutes ago, Agentorange said:

Looking at some of the themes often seen in such literature: portals, gods and deities, hero journeys etc etc. it's not aimed at the hardcore mythological buff it's aimed at book lovers and readers..

Speaking as a reader, looking at a book on diplay behind glass is not even close to reading. It isn't even a potential read like you get when you visit a library.

Seeng an rpg on display behind glass is like seeing the shrink-wrapped collection of a hard-core collector. Personally, I prefer shelfies of rpg books that have seen some use, that wait to be pulled out and put to work. If only to give ideas for a different rpg's session.

[Agentorange]

50 minutes ago, Joerg said:

Myth has always had an entertainment component. By giving the forces of nature a face, they become an entity you can deal with - even if it is the baby-faced smiling sun of the Teletubbies.

Speaking as a reader, looking at a book on diplay behind glass is not even close to reading. It isn't even a potential read like you get when you visit a library.

Seeng an rpg on display behind glass is like seeing the shrink-wrapped collection of a hard-core collector. Personally, I prefer shelfies of rpg books that have seen some use, that wait to be pulled out and put to work. If only to give ideas for a different rpg's session.

It used the books to illustrate the themes and as how things we might not consider to be obviously  fantasy may well be so. It is after all a library - books are going to be central to what they do. i liked the idea of being able to see C S Lewis original map of Narnia . For those who read books but have never considered an RPG the D & D exhibit may have lead people to consider fantasy in a different light, maybe the Study in Emerald  might have done the same.

Some people may have seen LOTR or the Narnia movies been lead to the books but never considered the roots of what they've read. Most of us here have been RQ/Glorantha folk for many years even the frivolous ones ( eg me )may well have read more myth and history than the average  person. But I still found much to enjoy about the exhibition.