Assignment Week Eight: Stardust by Neil Gaiman + Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett (6 points) (4 points)

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  Stardust by Neil Gaiman was the book I read from this week. Stardust has always been a movie I was captivated by. However, the movie doesn't give me enough of the world on the other side of the wall. The book gave me the information and sense of world building I was looking for. This book holds a different approach of fantasy, like many of his other books. Due to it being like the magical world is a part of our own and we ourselves can experience it if only we decide to go over our "wall". 

    Stardust gives readers a spark of hope and wonder of this world being real, more so than harry potter (only witches and wizards are able to be a part of this world). With a magical realm/ kingdom laying just next door is a different approach for it erases that line of separation in writing. Laying in between fantasy writing that is in a different world entirely, or it exists but only for special few. The world also semi mirrors our world with its hierarchy of a monarchy and even slaves. This book also doesn't have just magic, it has steampunk aspects as well, giving the book a feel like the golden compass. The main aspect for me was the concept and story behind stars. 

    In Stardust, stars are presented as people, beautiful humans, who shine when they are happy. However, whenever one of them falls they are sought after by witches and many others who want to use them to gain beauty or power. With the story the main character finds out near the end that the star he fell in love with can't cross the wall, for the piece of hair he got from her turned into stardust when he crossed. Thus, tying to the name of the book, and giving an interesting concept of the world being that stars are represented as anthropomorphic. 

Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett was a short story I read for this week as well. For Troll Bridge, the different approach is that the barbarian is actually just talking with the troll about the old times. Thus giving us another story inside that one. Then making us connected in a way that the troll and barbarian are telling us a story, directly, like a bedtime story. Both Stardust and Troll Bridge give us two different fantasy elements but connect us in an intimate way. 

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