Bangsian fantasy is a fantasy genre which concerns the use of the

afterlife The afterlife or life after death is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's Stream of consciousness (psychology), stream of consciousness or Personal identity, identity continues to exist after the death of their ...

as the main setting within which its characters, who may be famous preexisting historical or fictional figures, act and interact. It is named for John Kendrick Bangs (1862–1922), who often wrote it.

Definition

According to E. F. Bleiler, in his 1983 ''Guide to Supernatural Fiction'', "Bangs' most noteworthy achievement was a contribution to literary typology: the so-called Bangsian story, in which important literary and historical personalities serve humorously as characters in a slender plot line. Bangs did not invent this subgenre, but his work gave it publicity and literary status." Bleiler's definition does not take into account that some of Bangs' stories, including the definitive Associated Shades series whose characters reside in Hades, are set in the afterlife. Jess Nevins' 2003 definition (in ''Heroes & Monsters: The Unofficial Companion to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'') says it is "a fantasy of the afterlife in which the ghosts of various famous men and women come together and have various, usually genial, adventures", which closely agrees with Rama Kundu's 2008 definition. The genre was part of ancient Greek literature such as several dialogues of

Lucian of Samosata Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syria (region), Syrian satire, satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with whi ...

and Aristophanes' Frogs. Dante's

Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' (, ) is an Italian narrative poetry, narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of ...

also features a voyage through Hell and interactions with famous people in the afterlife.

Selected works of Bangsian fantasy

By Bangs

The four Associated Shades books may be considered collections rather than novels. The first three, at least, were first published as serials in ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper (publisher), Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many su ...

'' shortly preceding their publication as books by

Harper & Brothers Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship Imprint (trade name), imprint of global publisher HarperCollins, based in New York City. Founded in New York in 1817 by James Harper (publisher), James Harper and his brother John, the compan ...

. (Bangs was humor editor for George Harvey's "Harper" magazines from 1889 to 1900.) All were illustrated by Peter Newell. * '' A House-Boat on the Styx'' (1895) * '' The Pursuit of the House-Boat'' (1897) * '' The Enchanted Type-Writer'' (1899) * '' Mr. Munchausen'' (1901)

By others

* '' Riverworld'' series (from 1971) by

Philip José Farmer Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy novels and short story, short stories. Obituary. Farmer is best known for two sequences of novels, t ...

* '' Heroes in Hell'' series (from 1986) by Janet Morris * '' What Dreams May Come'' by American writer Richard Matheson * '' Of the City of the Saved...'' by Philip Purser-Hallard, and subsequent stories by other authors in The City of the Saved sub-series (part of the Faction Paradox series). * '' The Good Place''

References

External links