From: Andromeda Yelton <ayelton@orion.ac.hmc.edu>

On Sat, 21 Jun 1997, Echenagu wrote:

> 	Why is so much fantasy set in the Middle Ages? Why don't we have
> loads of fantasy novels set in the early Industrial Revolution or the Ice
> Ages or the Renaissance?

I think because we are twisted and deluded on what constitutes
"fantasy"...we think of it, of these heroes and beauties and magics and
marvellous things, as something totally outside the realm of possibility.
Thus we set themselves as far from ourselves as we can (without completely
stepping out of our (perceived) cultural paradigm) -- that way we can sort
of rationalize them to ourselves (since we want, need our fantasy worlds)
without violating our belief that these things cannot be true.

The fatal flaw in that logic is that they can and are....

Andromeda :)