What reality? What fiction?

In a humorous post from Golden Eagle called Definitions of Genres: a Comprehensive Guide, we learn that the fantasy genre "comes from people who have a hard time with the separation between reality and fiction, and a fondness for the utterly . . . fantastical."

Seriously, I have to agree. I often wonder, though, where the boundary line between reality and fiction lies. Is it a carefully calculated line such as the boundary between Florida and Georgia. Or is it a bit more flexible like, say, where the ocean ends and the land begins?

The real or imagined uncertainty between reality and fiction is, of course, one of the tools in the fantasy author's cabinet. We really do want the reader to wonder: is this monster real? Or, is it what's making that odd sound outside my bedroom window on this dark and stormy night?

Wondering whether a story just might have happened or might be about to happen keeps readers turning those pages while experiencing the joyfully dissonant feeling that everything that is "out there" might really be inside their thoughts. Or maybe "it" is dancing on the boundary line of reality and fiction and can only be found with intuition and a good imagination.

Meanwhile, thank you for your great post, Golden Eagle.

--Malcolm

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