Diana Wynne Jones

[bluesqueak]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Anne" <anneu53714 at y...> 
<Snip>
> now I seem to be more interested in 
> stories like HP and Deep Secret (in which a magical universe/world 
> coexists with or is parallel to the "regular" or Muggle world we 
> know) than in trying to decipher and follow completely made-up 
> worlds. Oh well, guess it's just more proof of my limited 
> imagination...


Hmm... I rather doubt it. I think it takes more imagination (in the 
best sense) to believe that there may be a magical world beyond the 
mundane and the everyday, than to follow the exploits of a 
world 'long ago and far, far away'.

I always liked (and still like) the British SF stories of John 
Wyndham. Wyndham's technique in his most successful novels was to 
take the normal, everyday 1950's Britain, and then add something 
extra. Day of the Triffids, for example - one of the 'Cold War' 
1950's weapons went horribly wrong AND we had genetically engineered 
a new plant.

The new plant was a great boon to humanity. It provided cheap oil, 
cattle food and lots of other goodies. But when the system 
collapsed, this genetically engineered Super-plant proved to be a 
danger capable of destroying the survivors left after the weapons 
disaster.

Lemme see - humans accidently destroying their civilisation, and 
genetic engineering as potential disaster - SF and fantasy is *so* 
escapist, isn't it ;-)

Pip!Squeak