REFLECTIONS
The lack of fantasy at Boi Mela
According to readers, the reasons, though manifold, generally boil down to the same thing: there simply has not been a culture of reading fantasy amongst their peers or even their family.
With Ekushey Boi Mela now in full swing, the excitement surrounding the discovery of new releases should be hanging palpably in the air. After all, there is no other part of the year that sees new releases popping up at such high rates. But the world of genre fiction, particularly fantasy, can be a difficult field to explore in Bangladesh. With fantasy, we find a genre that is left largely untapped—the brilliance of fantasy, especially when explored with Bangladeshi culture in mind, can open new avenues of storytelling. So now the question is, where is all the Bangla fantasy?
In Boi Mela, seeking out innovative Bangladeshi fantasy stories can often feel like a lost cause. After hours spent browsing bookstores over the span of an entire weekend, my findings for books that may be considered fantasy or of a tangential genre ended with only a handful of names to look into. Horror seemed to fare much better with the crowd, with a new horror book (typically a collection of ghost stories) showing up in almost every store, ready to give the readers (most of whom tend to be children) a scare. Science Fiction, too, has been a beloved genre for quite some time now However, with fantasy, there seems to be a barrier to entry that is too high to cross. But not all hope should be forsaken, as some stalls most certainly house these stories that evoke wonder in impossible worlds that manage to feel all too real through mere words.
In that regard, Rajkahon (Benzene Prokashon, 2023) written by Aminul Islam was one of the first fantasy novels to catch my eye. The book, despite its release last year, has remained a top seller this year for the only stall to house it. The story falls neatly under the medieval fantasy category and has elements of magic and mythical weapons that feel rather strongly inspired by western fantasy—almost to a fault, given how strong the influences can feel to a reader. And yet, with a lack of fantasy that feels decidedly 'Bangali', be it in the presentation of culture or style of storytelling, this is not entirely unexpected.
Towards the side of historical fiction, one new release that caught my eye was Parishundori (Kingbodonti Prokashon, 2024) by Sohel Amin Babu. While not quite in the realm of fantasy, the book certainly scratches a similar itch with the way it sets up its world. The story takes place in 1859, when colonial rule had tattered the landscape of the subcontinent and the characters' lives. With a darkly imaginative setting like this, the book—alongside many pieces of historical fiction—has seen some interest from readers.
Another book that falls squarely under a science fiction/fantasy umbrella is The Old World (Anindya Prokash, 2024) written by Mostaque Ahmed. Set in the near future where much of civilisation has been laid to ruins by ant-like creatures known as the 'Ridilin', the story follows a small host of characters and their journey through this debilitating world. Even from reading the synopsis, it becomes clear that the pandemic from COVID-19 may have had a role to play in inspiring the story. The story is structured almost like an adventure, however, and fans of Hollywood films with similar settings may find themselves an engrossing read.
While fantasy itself may be unpopular, genres like science fiction and horror get significantly more attention. With Science Fiction titles like Chayapoth (Afsar Brothers, 2024) compiled and edited by Siddique Ahmed and Salman Haque featuring numerous popular authors now flying off stalls, it is clear that there is a desire from readers for stories featuring vibrant worlds and fantastical concepts. And yet, why is it that fantasy does not attract the same readership?
According to readers, the reasons, though manifold, generally boil down to the same thing: there simply has not been a culture of reading fantasy amongst their peers or even their family. Some talk about the distaste fantasy has among older family members. Parents who introduced children to reading never quite approved of reading fantasy—thus they never quite developed a taste for it. Others talk about translations—and how great fantasy stories are already present in Bangla if one is interested in picking up a translated work. While translations are undoubtedly important, they can't exist to make up for the lack of original work in Bangla. And on top of that, translations cannot capture the cultures and mythologies—of which there are plenty—in Bangladesh and South Asia at large. Only original releases can do that, and fantasy is nothing but a genre to allow for the expression of those very stories. While some may discard fantasy as 'unserious', there needs to be an acceptance that all genres have stories that range in seriousness, and all genres deserve celebration for the new angles in which they can tell a story.
Raian Abedin is a poet, a student of Biochemistry, and a contributor for The Daily Star.