Quotable Quote

The Real vs. The Unreal

Surely you're aware of QB's two main blogrolls--The Real & The Unreal. But do you know the difference between the two? The Real focuses on all real aspects of the imaginary, the nostalgic, and the otherworldly. Think journalistic and scholarly writing. Then The Unreal focuses on all the unreal aspects. That's the creative stuff (and fluff). Illustration: Want to see a painting? Go to The Unreal. Want to read an essay about a painting? Go to The Real.

QB founder, Christine Stoddard, came up with the idea of juxtaposing and occasionally confusing The Real and The Unreal when she first started this webmagazine. She thought it celebrated QB's fantastic subject matter. Then, rather recently, whilst reading some obscure YA fantasy fiction, Christine came across the following quotation:

"The girl stiffened, biting back a cry. Her dream. Had the worlds of real and unreal begun to overlap?"

 -Child of Faerie, Child of Earth by Josepha Sherman (Walker and Company, 1992)

Can you imagine Christine's delight in discovering that a fellow writer had phrased this dichotomy the exact same way? She immediately bookmarked the page and called Managing Editor, Josephine Stone, to deliver the news. After a moment of silence, they shared their elation over the phone. Such finds must be appreciated.

*Christine will soon be releasing a reading list specializing in YA fantasy lit from the '80s and '90s.