Digging Deeper: On Joy in Fantasy

Literature isn’t the twin of addiction, it’s the twin of emotional resilience, the reminder we need, again and again, of who we can be. 

As a society, we do a mistake when we equal bleakness with depth, and joy with silliness and superficiality. 

Even writers and readers of cozies, romances and wish fulfillment do themselves a disservice by denying their stories depth, calling it only guilty pleasure, escapism, and the like, thus marginalizing the need for comfort, pairing it with shame and guilt. 

I don’t want less cozy, less pumpkin spice café romances, I want more of it, unapologetically and with purpose. As society and as story telling creatures, let's take joy seriously. And I don’t mean serious as stern in any way. I want us to accept fully the parts of us that longs for joy and connection and see them as deeply human. 

We aren’t fleeing from life because we long for joy. On the contrary: we are seeking life. Enlivement, inspiration, hope and the strength to go on through difficulties. Being present in the joy of the moment. Laugh, relax, feel at home emotionally. This is as deep as it gets. Seeking it in times of despair, being aware of the state of the world and still reaching out for joy, is a heroic act. It could save yourself, the people you care about, and the good that is still present in the world.

Full disclosure: I’m not a Christian.

But I think the religious fantasy writers, such as Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling and Sanderson, bring a sincerity to fantasy writing. The have access to something through their religion in seeing joy as a deeper feeling, in touch with important truths in life instead of fleeing from it. And that makes a difference in how they treat joy and positive feelings in their fiction. You can sense they have this access simply because they are part of a tradition that tries to understand joy on a deeper level. Lewis description of his childhood joy in his essays is particularly wonderful, well-captured and human. 

I don’t think it’s necessarily a Christianity thing (although I am aware of the connections Tolkien and Lewis make between their writing and the ‘happy news’ of the Evangelium). I’d love to read stories that are likewise inspired by other religions that bring their views on joy, and on suffering too.

What are we living for? What choices helps us as human beings and society at large? That’s what both religions and stories are giving us insights into. Joy in its many forms is the emotional compass guiding us home. Joy is the antidote to seeking its bleaker cousin: the cheap thrills and dopamine rush from various forms of addictions to escape from what we perceive as a meaningless existence. 

Literature isn’t the twin of addiction, it’s the twin of emotional resilience, the reminder we need, again and again, of who we can be.