Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
5-2006
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
English
Committee Chair
Skinner, Jeffrey T.
Author's Keywords
Original writing
Subject
Fantasy fiction, American; Fantasy fiction, Japanese
Abstract
This creative thesis follows the opening story arc to a larger fiction project in the genre of high fantasy fiction. Structurally and stylistically, by incorporating contemporary contributions to the genre from Japanese popular culture, this story immerses itself in American-Japanese syncretism. This work confronts two central challenges: first, as an American writer, to faithfully integrate conventions originating from a Japanese cultural context; second, to find written analogues for conventions currently anchored to the visual mediums of anime, manga and video games. What post-war Japan has made of the high fantasy genre increasingly saturates American pop culture. It remains to be seen how Americans will re-contextualize modern Japanese high fantasy. Working with central concepts to Japanese high fantasy, such as Murakami's superflat, Edo Period's ukiyo-e art style, and Shinto's ch'eng spiritual state, this story attempts to participate in a paradigm shift occurring in the visual channels of American pop culture.
Recommended Citation
Ritchie, Robert 1981-, "Ukiyo." (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1211.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1211
