Genre Fiction Workshop: Fantasy
Fantasy dominates film, gaming, and literature charts, and this MIT OpenCourseWare workshop asks why readers drawn to democracy and modern technology still crave wizards, dragons, and kings. Offered through Comparative Media Studies/Writing, the course pairs critical reading with hands-on writing practice. Students read published fantasy novels and articles analyzing the genre's appeal and conventions, then write their own exercises and short stories that experiment with those conventions. Discussion centers on what fantasy reveals about its audience's anxieties and desires, treating the genre as a serious object of literary study rather than escapism. Materials include the syllabus, reading list, and writing assignments as published by MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate offered. The workshop suits anyone interested in craft-focused creative writing or in genre fiction as a subject of critical inquiry.