We are all children when it comes to reading through a tale. Fantasy stories bring us back to a time when fairies and enchanted forests, animals and weapons of power were uppermost in our minds.
Stories like 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' and 'The Sleeping Beauty' by The Brothers Grimm; epic tales like 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' by Homer; and 'The Ramayana' and 'The Mahabharata', epic religious classics from India, have always brought much joy and delight to the children of many a clime and age. Of course, there are numerous other classical stories, all written with their particular inherent messages, but rife with magical outpourings to awaken the sense of wonder in any child's heart. This was then a powerful tool of authors of all ages to bring their tales to the ears of even the littlest of children.
And with what joy these tales were retold by many a mother and father to engender an enquiring tendency in the minds of their young ones. An offshoot of such homely practices understandably turned those very youngsters into avid readers, wanting to fill their time with discovering newer and fresher pastures of the magical kind. Those who have been bitten by one of those 'magically enchanting' bugs no doubt will continue to read these same stories to their children and grandchildren, whatever the time, clime and age.
When we take it a step further, a whole new horizon opens up to our enquiring gaze. The child of yesteryears grows into a teenager and later, into an adult. The bite of that not-often-remembered 'magically enchanting' bug has indelibly left its mark on his or her subconscious mind, which no doctor's prescription can ever heal.
The advent of Super heroes and their powerful personalities has no doubt captured and enraptured the hearts of readers and moviegoers alike. The human spirit is not content with just being able to walk, run or swim. It wants to soar freely in the never-ending sky of its particular dreams and designs. Perfection is the goal to be desired above all else. After all, haven't we come a long way from the time of horse-carriages and such.
The stars and planets in the vast sky are becoming relatively nearer to us because of the inventions and innovations of our researchers and scientists. Mystical experiences of a growing number further lend weight to the theories, concepts and conclusions that the physical world around us may not be the only one given to us to experience. What if we could be endowed with vaster mystical powers and produce destructive missiles through merely willing their coming into being? Our lives may then well become scenes from a Superman or Spiderman movie.
Yes, as long as the human spirit continues to dream about acquiring newer knowledge and understanding in the pursuit of Perfection, fantasy stories will always awaken awe and wonder in the hearts of readers and hearers alike.