Older, but no wiser

It would be a very dull world indeed without fantasy. I just finished watching the Henson studio version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” recorded a couple of days back. If you’ve not seen it, don’t assume too much from the title – when did Henson ever tell a conventional story?

I know fantasies tend to have ridiculous storylines and absurd characterisations, and yet... I often feel better for having watched them, so long as the actors have you believe in what they're saying.

Fantasy does more than just feed escapism. In fantasy worlds, good conquers evil (but only after a struggle in which all seems lost), true love wins through and more than anything else the impossible becomes possible, by dint of heroic effort and a bit of magic.

So in all seriousness, I reckon a dose of fantasy every now and then is a Good Thing. It creates new thought-patterns in our minds; patterns of possibility, excitement, right-ness, love. It lets our minds practice suspending disbelief – and unless we can do that, how does anything innovative ever come about?

And who says there’s no such thing as magic?