Shift or Dissolution? Fantasy Literature and the Emergence of “All-age”

Abstract

From its origins in ancient myths and legends to its modern manifestations, the fantasy genre has undergone many shifts from being recognized as “major” for adult audiences to being considered “minor” children’s literature, and vice versa. In recent years, however, a new category has emerged in addition to this binary of children’s texts and adult texts: the so-called “all-age” literature, which pertains to fantasy in particular. Therefore the question arises whether this is the beginning of the established binary’s dissolution, or whether it is merely another shift that gradually allows fantasy to enter the realm of “major” literary texts once again. This paper examines whether all-age fantasy literature dissolves the established binary between children’s and adult literature, or whether all-age merely shifts the perception of fantasy as a children’s genre towards fantasy as suitable for adult readers while leaving the binary itself intact. With Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy serving as an example, it will be shown that both shift and dissolution can take place at the same time.