ESB028 Fantasy from the Perspective of Aesthetics

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Málková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Dr. phil. Jakub Mácha, Ph.D.
Department of Aesthetics – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Málková, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Aesthetics – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 16:00–16:50 D41, Mon 17:00–17:50 D41, except Mon 20. 4. to Fri 24. 4., except
Prerequisites
The course has no special requirements and is open to all students regardless of programme or faculty.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 17/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Abstract
Based on the secondary literature, students will be introduced to different ways of handling fantasy literature and its genre-specific features. Topics from aesthetic, literary theory and ethics will be discussed with emphasis on the impact on the audience.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the student will be able to:
- distinguish characteristic features of fantasy literature and consider their aesthetic impacts;
- discuss the most frequent ethical questions appearing in the genre;
- apply terminology and theses from secondary literature on his own reading experience.
Key topics

  • Fantasy as a genre: definition, terminology, boundaries of the genre.
  • Joseph Campbell: The Hero with a Thousand Faces  –  Fundamental structure of (not only) fairy tales
  • J. R. R. Tolkien: On Fairy-stories  –  Relation between imagination and reality
  • Aristotle: Poetics - Impossible and incredible
  • I. Možný: Smrt jako člen rodiny  –  The aesthetic significance of death in literature
  • Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics  –  The virtues of the hero
  • M. Bachtin: Román jako dialog  –  The hero’s journey and development
  • J. R. R. Tolkien: On Fairy-stories  –  Recovery, Escape, Consolation
  • Translations of fantasy: genre-specific features


Study resources and literature
    required literature
  • GAIMAN, Neil. Nikdykde. Přel. Ladislava Vojtková. Frenštát pod Radhoštěm: Polaris, 2006
  • CAMPBELL, Joseph. Tisíc tváří hrdiny. Translated by Hana Antonínová. Vydání druhé, v Argu prvn. Praha: Argo, 2017, 382 stran. ISBN 9788025721841. info
  • TOLKIEN, J. R. R. Netvoři a kritikové a jiné eseje. Translated by Jan Čermák. Vyd. v tomto souboru 1. Praha: Argo, 2006, 266 s. ISBN 8072037889. info
  • ARISTOTELÉS. Poetika : o básnické tvorbě. Translated by Antonín Kříž. Vydání: I. V Praze: Jan Laichter, 1948, 123 stran. URL info
  • BACHTIN, Michail Michajlovič. Román jako dialog. Vydání první. Praha: Odeon, 1980, 479 stran. URL info
  • ARISTOTELÉS. Etika Níkomachova. Translated by Antonín Kříž. 2. rozš. vyd. Praha: Rezek, 1996, 493 s. ISBN 80-901796-7-3. info
    recommended literature
  • PROPP, Vladimir Jakovlevič. Morfologie pohádky a jiné studie. Vyd. tohoto souboru 2. Jinočany: H & H, 2008, 343 s. ISBN 9788073190859. info
  • HEREC, Ondrej. Z teórie modernej fantastiky. Bratislava: Literárne informačné centrum, 2008. ISBN 978-80-89222-50-6.
  • CHESTERTON, G. K. Ortodoxie. Brno: Nakladatelství Tomáše Janečka, 1993, 156 s. ISBN 80-900802-4-3. info
  • ECO, Umberto. Umění a krása ve středověké estetice. Translated by Zdeněk Frýbort. Vydání druhé. Praha: Argo, 2007, 227 stran. ISBN 9788072038923. info
  • Dějiny krásy. Edited by Umberto Eco, Translated by Gabriela Chalupská. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2005, 439 s. ISBN 8072036777. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Seminar with active discussion based on obligatory reading.
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Continuous assessment based on e-learning tasks and tests.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2027.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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