This week: Under the Sea Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.
—William James
The sea is a desert of waves,
A wilderness of water.
—Langston Hughes
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
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A recent, widely-reported event has reminded everyone that the ocean can be deadly. But over two-thirds of the Earth's surface is covered in water, which is, of course, essential for life.
It's been noted that we have better maps of the surfaces of the Moon and Mars than we do of the ocean floor. We continue to explore, because that's what we do, but there's still much that we don't know.
Which, naturally, makes the ocean an attractive subject for Fantasy—and has been such for longer than human history.
Perhaps most obvious are the classic legends of the sea, such as mermaids, ghost ships, deadly whirlpools, and a vast array of sea monsters. All of these, and more, speak to our lack of knowledge of the ocean's mysteries, and reflect the very real dangers of ocean voyages.
Sometimes, these legends even turn out to be based on truths. A few years ago, someone obtained photographic evidence of a giant squid, long thought to be the cryptid Kraken.
While there aren't any lost civilizations thriving under the waves (well... probably not, anyway), they make great settings for fantasy stories. And though the known denizens of the deep are strange and varied enough as we know them, there's always room for more speculation.
Life flourished in the ocean for billions of years before it colonized the Earth's land areas, and most likely began there. It's no wonder we're drawn to it. |
Some fantasy for your enjoyment:
| | | Wink and a hug [13+] #2034924
Prompt : A world where money doesn't exist and people pay with social contact.
by Smee  |
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Last time, in "A Modern Take" , I talked about updating myths.
oldgreywolf scribbles  : Julien d'Huy researched the evolution of some myths ("The Evolution of Myths", Scientific American, Dec 2016).
Good to know.
BIG BAD WOLF is hopping  : Nothing wrong with borrowing - I do it all the time.
"Good writers borrow, great writers steal."
Annette  : I have repurposed one myth. One of my favorite myths of all time is the Gaul fear of the sky falling. I have used the sky falling as a symptom of a monumental change in the world.
When Coursera was new and free, I took a class on Greek mythology. The professor, someone with a PhD in ancient Greek mythology said it was perfectly fine to retell those stories in a way that they fit whatever we are trying to convey now. He said, like you, that myths have moved with the societies they represented.
It should also be noted that the Norse gods would have fallen entirely out of common knowledge if Snorri Sturluson hadn't taken it upon himself to compose the Prose Edda for our enjoyment. Marvel's use of Thor, Odin, and my personal favorite Loki is perfectly fine the way it is. Although Loki wasn't listed as an adopted (or any type of) brother at the time.
Superhero comics in general are modern myths, whether they reinvent old ones or not.
So that's it for me for June. See you next month! Until then,
DREAM ON!!!
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Fantasy: June 28, 2023 Issue [#12040]
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