Matthew Sangster is Professor of Romantic Studies, Fantasy and Cultural History at the University of Glasgow, where he co-directs the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic. His other books include Living as an Author in the Romantic Period (2021), Institutions of Literature, 1700-1900 (co-edited with Jon Mee, 2022) and Remediating the 1820s (co-edited with Jon Mee, 2023).

• Introduction; 1. Fantasy, Language and the Shaping of Culture; 2. The Value of Iteration; 3. Root Formations; 4. Enlightenment and its Shadows; 5. Fashioning Worlds; 6. Fantastic Communities and Common Ground; Envoi.

'Matthew Sangster offers us an entirely new way to look at fantasy and its cultural significance. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' to Dungeons and Dragons, and gracefully integrating ideas from a number of disciplines, Sangster offers a convincing account of one of the major cultural phenomena of the past century and a half.' Brian Attebery, Emeritus Professor of English, Idaho State University

Matthew Sangster is Professor of Romantic Studies, Fantasy and Cultural History at the University of Glasgow, where he co-directs the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic. His other books include Living as an Author in the Romantic Period (2021), Institutions of Literature, 1700-1900 (co-edited with Jon Mee, 2022) and Remediating the 1820s (co-edited with Jon Mee, 2023).

• Introduction; 1. Fantasy, Language and the Shaping of Culture; 2. The Value of Iteration; 3. Root Formations; 4. Enlightenment and its Shadows; 5. Fashioning Worlds; 6. Fantastic Communities and Common Ground; Envoi.

'Matthew Sangster offers us an entirely new way to look at fantasy and its cultural significance. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' to Dungeons and Dragons, and gracefully integrating ideas from a number of disciplines, Sangster offers a convincing account of one of the major cultural phenomena of the past century and a half.' Brian Attebery, Emeritus Professor of English, Idaho State University

Matthew Sangster is Professor of Romantic Studies, Fantasy and Cultural History at the University of Glasgow, where he co-directs the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic. His other books include Living as an Author in the Romantic Period (2021), Institutions of Literature, 1700-1900 (co-edited with Jon Mee, 2022) and Remediating the 1820s (co-edited with Jon Mee, 2023).

• Introduction; 1. Fantasy, Language and the Shaping of Culture; 2. The Value of Iteration; 3. Root Formations; 4. Enlightenment and its Shadows; 5. Fashioning Worlds; 6. Fantastic Communities and Common Ground; Envoi.

'Matthew Sangster offers us an entirely new way to look at fantasy and its cultural significance. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' to Dungeons and Dragons, and gracefully integrating ideas from a number of disciplines, Sangster offers a convincing account of one of the major cultural phenomena of the past century and a half.' Brian Attebery, Emeritus Professor of English, Idaho State University