Settings of Fantasy: Time

From my MLA 2012 Fantasy presentation

Time:

·       Past/Present/Future in relation to Earth’s timestream – These usually apply to Alternate Earths or Slipstream Earths, places that are intimately involved with versions of our reality.

·       Internal time stream of a different land – the timestream of a place completely separate from Earth would have no reference to earth events. Author must create their own timeline.

·       Time moving differently – Where there is a connection between Earth and a Different Land, time becomes an issue. It might move very differently between the different worlds or planes and that can be a major element of the plot.  “Rip van Winkle” by Washington Irving.

·       Alternate time – Alternate version of an Earth time period not taking place on Earth. Medievalist worlds are numerous, for instance. Katherine Kurtz’s Dyreni series is a great example.  Many of the elements of medieval society are present – a very powerful church that is pretty close to Catholic, monarchy, chivalry, gender roles, feudalism, etc.  But it is obviously not Earth – different geography, cultures, presence of magic, etc.