Challenge 176

Tripping Over the Light Fantastic

Most of the stories in this issue qualify as fantasy, and in them we find a very wide range of comedy. In particular:

Katherine Allen’s “The Mating Game” turns on a wart. Do you think Princess Charming might be more concerned about the blemish than she seems to be? Would it help to have her distracted from it by the noise of the suitors?
In Clyde Andrews’ “Awakening” serious matters of adolescent development and the witch’s coven’s evil machinations alternate with humorous fantastical situations and outright slapstick scenes. What does “Awakening” show us about the nature of comedy?
Jeff Haas’ “The Cacophony of the Spheres” is a fantasy in its premise of a collapsing universe. It also uses slapstick, but only to a limited extent. In what way do potential tragedies and a catastrophe become comedy?

Remember that Shakespeare’s Richard III can be played as either a tragedy or a comedy. Take any horror story in Bewildering Stories and rewrite it for laughs.

Responses welcome!