Perrault's consumate craftsmanship and his good-natured cynicism (and 'Puss in Boots,' or the Cat as Con Man, is a masterpiece of benevolent cynicism) are not qualities much present in twentieth-century children's literature, which tends to concentrate on the nourishing of a rich, imaginative life. But perhaps the very need for a rich imaginative life is an indication that the circumstances of real life are unsatisfactory.
Angela Carter, The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault, "Afterword"
I fell in love with realism because it deflates the myths, the unexamined ideas of fantasy. It confronts them with forgotten facts. It uses past truth - history.
I love fantasy because it reminds us how far short our lives fall from their full potential. Fantasy reminds us how wonderful the world is. In fantasy, we can imagine a better life, a better future. In fantasy, we can free ourselves from history and outworn realism.
Geoff Ryman, Was
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