Continuing with my series on the origins of stuff, here's one that's actually quite close to my heritage - fairies, or the Fae, or changlings. Fairies were a kind of catch-all reference for otherworldly spirit beings, typically connected to pre-Christian pagan myths...
Now's another time for looking at the origins of the modern fantasy genre, and today we're looking at vampires - those pasty-faced, hemoglobin-loving agoraphobics who've become the basis of several multi-million dollar franchises.The Name of the CountThe word,...
In a discussion with my most esteemed friend, Mab Morris, the topic of folklore and the underpinnings of fantasy as a genre came up. She takes the view that fantasy as we know it is nothing without folklore, whereas I take the stance that the genre has long since...