Hat tip to Sheila for passing along a link to some fascinating musings from a panelist with the middle grade Science Fiction/Fantasy list. Critique de Mr. Chompchomp notes the reliance of Fantasy authors on magic doodads (trivia note: dubbed "Macguffins" by none other than Alfred Hitchcock). He spots a trend toward one item in particular:
But there is a general consensus among the nominees that the most
powerful of magical items are books. Books as portals, books as secret
codes, books simply emanating power, books offering either narrative or
knowledge. This idea isn't new, but its omnipresence does seem a
little, I dunno, prophetic?
Read the whole thing. I particularly love his last line. See if you agree.
--Anne Levy
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