Microsoft Word final-current Developments at the Intersection of British Children-online-version doc

Inkheart
trilogy.
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In the style of Ende’s The Neverending Story, the main characters of 
Funke’s trilogy travel between a literary secondary realm and a realistic primary world. A 
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Garth Nix. The Keys to the Kingdom. Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, Drowned Wednesday, Sir Thursday, 
Lady Friday
, Superior Saturday and Lord Sunday London: HaperCollins Children’s Books, 2004-2009.] 
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Nix, Sir Thursday, p. 261.
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Ibd., p. 271.
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Cornelia Funke. Tintenherz. Hamburg: Dressler, 2003; Cornelia Funke. Tintenblut. Hamburg: Dressler, 2005; 
Cornelia Funke. Tintentod. Hamburg: Dressler, 2007.

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story literally comes to life when the characters appear in the fictitious reader’s world and 
vice versa; thus intensifying the magical traits of the fantastic beings. Whereas Funke’s 
concept of a fictional cross of fantasy and reality is not unprecedented, her characters are 
originals. 
4.1.4
 
High-tech magic 
As we have seen, the juxtaposition and/ or combination of traditional elements with 
innovations are widespread and popular phenomena of modern British fantasy for children. 
Above, the general outlines of both traditional and modern magic, the use of traditional fairy 
tale elements as well as the contact with fantastic or magical creatures in modern novels were 
subjects of our analysis. In the following, a further interesting aspect of developments shall be 
examined: Magic in use. On the basis of selected examples we will inquire into the nature of 
technology and its compatibility with magic.
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In this respect, Rowling’s Harry Potter heptalogy sheds light on the junction between 
conservative magic and its modern interpretation. In its role as a mediator between the two 
approaches, Harry Potter depicts two seemingly independent parallel societies. The non-
magical one operates with the help of technology, whereas the wizarding community relies on 
its magic potential. Both function in their individual ways and have only few points of 
contact. On the rare occasion, contact is established through the wizards’ initiative. Frequent 
and intense cross-border traffic sets in with Harry Potter’s evacuation into the non-magical 
world. This has far-reaching implications; involving breaches of the respective borders and 
direct confrontations of the two societies.
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The main characters Harry, Ron and Hermione embody these cross-border contacts in 
various stages. Born and bred wizard Ron is slowly introduced to the ways and technological 
achievements of the non-magical society through his contact to Harry and Hermione. In 
return, Ron helps Harry and Hermione to gain a foothold in the wizarding world. 
Ambassadors of their respective societies, the three children depend on mutual help and 
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As a result, this approach therefore excludes inevitably and explicitly those novels which voluntarily confine 
themselves to traditional elements of magic. In this connection, the often lively mutual exchange on an 
intertextual basis does not influence the inventiveness of magic and technology this study is interested in here. 
A representative of this kind of novel is for example Paolini’s Inheritance cycle.
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Even if those incidents are hushed up times and again by the wizarding community, they take place all the 
same.

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understanding.
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Their friendship bridges all gaps and overcomes prejudices, thus uniting the 
two societies on a personal level.
Whereas the normal humans or Muggles, as Rowling calls them, live with 
technological progress, the witches and wizards rely on magic instead. Means of travel and 
communication
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are just as effective, if not swifter than their technical equivalents. Through 
the presentation of both views, the lifestyle of the other group is experienced as the alienation 
of one’s own. This effect is well reflected upon and illustrated by Ron’s father. The employee 
at the Ministry of Magic dedicates his life to the study of Muggles and their strange way of 
life; researching into exotic apparatuses like the telephone, the car or plugs. 
Serving as an original and exemplary connecting link between old and new, i.e. magic 
and technology, Harry Potter unites and embodies current trends of modern British children’s 
fantasy. While Rowling’s series obliges the nostalgic wish of a preservation of traditional 
magic with all its medieval charm, Harry Potter does not exhaust itself by an exclusively 
backward alignment. Rather, Rowling ensures a simultaneous exploration of future ways in 
the form of progress in “real life”. Thus, tension arises and is held by the conscious clash 
between two seemingly incompatible stages. The contrast between old and new works in a 
dual way. Either the main emphasis lies on a retrospective point of view, or it is directed 
towards a possible future.
Noticeably, a great number of the novels in our corpus retain and/ or develop this 
retrospective aspect; either by being set entirely in a medieval-like, conservative world, or at 
least for the main part. However, this preservative effect is shifted from past to present once 
the main emphasis is put on progress and innovation. Then, the modern primary world can be
depicted as underdeveloped compared to a further advanced fictitious parallel, future or other-
dimensional civilisation.
In the following, the focus will be on the analysis of this very phenomenon of a 
conscious innovation of magic and technology in British fantasy novels for children. 
Technicised fantasy novels may still be the minority, but several courageous and creative 
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Interestingly, only Ron has an unambiguous sense of belonging. By contrast, Harry descends from a mixed 
union of pure wizard and magically talented human. Raised as a “normal” human, Harry is initiated to the 
magical society at the age of eleven. Hermione is a magically talented girl with two “normal” parents. 
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These include for instance floo powder, port keys, the magical version of beaming, Apparating or the Knight 
Bus. Written correspondence is sent and delivered by post owls, whereas the equivalent of a tele-conference 
takes place in the participants’ own fireplaces. Depending on the respective interpretation as either accident or 
intention, the active witnessing of someone else’s thoughts stored in a pensieve can quite possibly be part of 
communication, too.

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breakaways open up new perspectives and horizons. Those authors have realised the 
advantages of a replenishment as well as a restructuring
of constellations. Pioneers, they have 
pegged out new claims and proceed to dig below the surface. What has been unearthed so far 
is promising, but a huge potential for innovations still lies dormant. Ready to be awakened, it 
can point the way ahead to possible new directions of fantasy novels for children.
In those innovative novels, magic as the core “discipline” is directly contrasted with 
technology and its possibilities. Conspicuously, not only a rejuvenation,
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but also a 
mechanisation of magic takes place. More and more frequently traditional magic is nowadays 
substituted or at least supported and extended by machines, media or other devices. Such a 
mechanisation of magic can for instance be found in Brennan’s series.
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In three novels so far, 
the Irish author develops connections between two parallel worlds; a realistic primary one and 
a fantastic fairy realm. Interactions between these worlds take place via Stargate-like portals. 
However, access to these portals is limited. On the fairy side, only selected members of the 
royal family, above all Prince Pyrgus and Princess Blue, use these portals intentionally, 
whereas the human teenager Henry and the ex-bank-robber and pensioner Fogarty only 
accidentally stumble across one of them.
In the primary world, old Fogarty is a tinkerer and inventor. His chaotic workshop is 
bursting at the seams, as in its unfathomable depths lie dormant innumerable technical 
marvels and treasures. Often genius can be close to madness, and Fogarty is the prime 
example for this. Very distrustful and eccentric, the pensioner has developed a persecution 
complex. Due to this vein, he appears much more susceptible to abnormal or exotic 
occurrences. So the appearance of the fairy Prince Pyrgus in his back garden does not clash 
too much with his world view.
On contact with the alien fairy technology of the realm Fogarty is immediately in his 
element. Fascinated by the new technology, the pensioner quickly acquires the complex 
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The term rejuvenation encompasses the combination of traditional, “retro-style” magic elements with new, 
highly topical technological innovations or gadgets. Current British fantasy for children has discovered and 
begun to make good use of the magic inherent in ultramodern technical devices. Since their mysterious 
complex and specialised mechanisms in themselves resemble the effects of ancient magic, no inconsistencies 
arise. The rejuvenation process invigorates fantasy at the cost of a partial loss of the nostalgic flair of ancient 
magic. Considering the enormous gain through mechanisation, this loss seems a small price to be paid for the 
development of the genre.
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Herbie Brennan. Faerie Wars. London: Bloomsbury, 2003; Herbie Brennan. The Purple Emperor. London: 
Bloomsbury, 2004; Herbie Brennan. Ruler of the Realm. London: Bloomsbury, 2006; Herbie Brennan. Faerie 
Lord
. London: Bloomsbury, 2008. 

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know-how, which he can now develop further for his own purposes.
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Even though the fairy 
realm offers many technological inventions and spells, these devices and the magic involved 
do not clutter the plot, but fit in well with the overall concept. By contrast, novels such as