Bangsian fantasy


Bangsian fantasy is a fantasy genre which concerns the use of the afterlife as the main setting within which its characters, who may be famous preexisting historical or fictional figures, act and interact. It is named for John Kendrick Bangs, who often wrote it.

Definition

According to E. F. Bleiler, in his 1983 Guide to Supernatural Fiction, "Bangs' most noteworthy achievement was a contribution to literary typology: the so-called Bangsian story, in which important literary and historical personalities serve humorously as characters in a slender plot line. Bangs did not invent this subgenre, but his work gave it publicity and literary status."
Bleiler's definition does not take into account that some of Bangs' stories, including the definitive Associated Shades series whose characters reside in Hades, are set in the afterlife. Jess Nevins' 2003 definition says it is "a fantasy of the afterlife in which the ghosts of various famous men and women come together and have various, usually genial, adventures", which closely agrees with Rama Kundu's 2008 definition.
The genre was part of ancient Greek literature such as several dialogues of Lucian of Samosata and Aristophanes' Frogs. Dante's Divine Comedy also features a voyage through Hell and interactions with famous people in the afterlife.

Selected works of Bangsian fantasy

By Bangs

The four Associated Shades books may be considered collections rather than novels. The first three, at least, were first published as serials in Harper's Weekly shortly preceding their publication as books by Harper & Brothers. All were illustrated by Peter Newell.