Imagining the Impossible: International Journal for the Fantastic in Contemporary Media

Imaginary beings, from the winged horse Pegasus to the monstrous creature in Alien, have consistently been a key feature of the fantastic. Noel Carroll, in A Philosophy of Horror, argues that monsters horrify us because they are “categorically interstitial, categorically contradictory, incomplete, or formless” (32), and so they combine forms or states that violate our sense of ontologically distinct categories, such as the living dead or the werewolf. Yet the same fusion of categories can also be a source of wonder, such as mermaids or superheroes. In some narratives, the same being can be either wondrous or terrifying, as the dragon is. In this issue we welcome original articles on the role of imaginary beings in classical and contemporary narratives.

The fantastic is replete with imaginary objects, often imbued with great power, such as magical swords, truth serums, occult figurines and technology so advanced it borders on magic. Artifacts frequently serve as plot catalysts, as in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, or as totalizing concepts, as in Boye’s Kallocain. On screen, objects and design are crucial for world building and often impart vital story information about sci-fi or fantasy universes. Unlike imaginary beings, however, which often combine ontologically distinct categories, imaginary artifacts are harder to define. Some imaginary objects could theoretically be created, whereas others are fundamentally impossible. Sentient AI complicates all of these categories, as it can be both an imaginary being and an imaginary object that many believe will be created one day. This issue focuses on the role and design of imaginary artifacts in fantastic fiction and entertainment media.