BFS Journal #26 - Kevan Manwaring

In this special issue on the Nature of Fantasy, we have a fecund

cross-section of scholarship and discussion. Alongside our Regular

Features, where Oliver Holingdale discusses the creation of his short

film, The Green Knight, I explore eco-activism and 'The Art of Revolt'

through the form of the graphic novel with the help of the remarkable

talents of Luke Oram in our special preview strip 'The Gest of Lob

Barleycorn and the Guizers', we have Special Features on how tabletop

roleplaying games provide a ludic, democratic space for exploring

environmental issues through the rise in ecogames in Chloé Germaine's

article on 'Fantasy, the Anthropocene, and Tabletop Gaming; and in

'Fear's Messenger: Monstrous Nature' by Eilís L. Phillips we look at

how the increasingly frequent extreme weather events of anthropogenic

Climate Change are 'monstered'. Embracing the full spectrum

of Fantasy in all of its myriad forms, we go to the theatre to discuss

the development of the play celebrating the neglected figure of Mary

de Morgan in 'The Vegan Tigress' by Claire Parker. In 'Awakening

the Goddess: Neo-Animism, Eco-Spirituality, and Ritualistic Care

in Harvest Moon' by Sam Campbell, we look at how an example of

ecoFantasy can explore resonant themes and belief systems. Finally,

in our Reviews we focus on primarily works that have a green aspect

of some kind: Tiger's Work by Ben Okri, Scuttler's Cove by David

Barnett, Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country by Emily Tesh,

The Vegan Tigress by Claire Parker, Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings,

and The Chronicles of Future Earth Player's Guide by Sarah Newton.

Among our other Regular Features Anna Milon looks at filming

in LARP, Katy Soar delves into the ancient roots of Horror, Alexandra

Beaumont considers the ecological aspects of Folk Horror,

Lauren McMenemy takes a bite at the vampire in the first of a

3-part series, and PS Livingstone considers the hag, the crone, and

the monstrous feminine in folklore, popular culture, and fiction.

We also have some other 'miscellaneous' features: one on the

biography of Conan author, Robert E. Howard; and another of what

I hope will be a regular series: In Conversation With, where I inter-

view writers of Fantastika. This issue we meet the amazing Grimdark

author, Anna Smith Spark.