Like the new queen of fantasy, Samantha Shannon is part of a literary genre heir to the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. If it is part of this DNA by creating imaginary and wonderful worlds, it strongly disrupts their representations, putting characters belonging to minorities in the foreground.
I read invites you to dive into the world of Day after sunset, publishing its paperback version in two parts. And if you think that fantasy is a man’s thing where dragons and fighting predominate, expect some surprises, with our three good reasons to love this literary genre thanks to the work of Samantha Shannon.
Because it’s an imaginary world populated by badass heroines
Be careful not to confuse fantasy with fantasy, which introduces supernatural elements into an otherwise realistic universe. Or even with science fiction, which looks to a future where technology is pushed to the extreme. If you want to escape into a world that has NOTHING to do with your daily life, turn to fantasy, where the marvelous is simply the norm.
And when this fictional world is populated by badass heroines, it’s even better! About Orange PriorySamantha Shannon said: “I wanted to examine the damsel in distress narrative and turn it on its head (…). I think there’s something very powerful about choosing to unapologetically focus on women and how not everything needs to be portrayed in relation to men or through the male gaze. »
Because her story is decidedly inclusive and feminist
In One day after sunset, the author goes further with characters of different sexual orientations, genders, ages and even origins. They love each other freely, in friendly, romantic, platonic relationships… In short, we find ourselves very far from this “they lived happily and had many children” stories from our childhood!
Even if he is in a dream universe, this type of story really manages to move the lines of our imagination, and why not of reality. Highlighting diverse, complex and powerful minority characters is more necessary than ever.
Because you will exercise your brain
Fantasy makes us dream, but it doesn’t just rest the brain. Unora, Sabran, Tunuva, Wulf… In this book we follow the point of view of several narrators, so it requires a bit of mental gymnastics which shouldn’t displease us.
Samantha Shannon also embraces the standards of the genre to help you find your way. The book contains maps of the kingdoms and queens (no, that’s not a typo!), a summary of the many characters, a glossary and chronology. And then you might learn new words, not bad for shining in society. For example, do you know what a dragon is?
Come on, one more reason for the trip: the genre is quite generous in terms of number of pages, you won’t risk getting bored anytime soon. The second part of Day after sunset comes out May 1st, so you can’t wait to tackle the 500 pages of the first volume!
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
