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Mentioned in 1 episodes
The Politics of Fantasy
Magic, Children's Literature and Fandom in Putin's Russia
Book •
Eliot Borenstein's 'The Politics of Fantasy: Magic, Children's Literature and Fandom in Putin's Russia' explores how fantasy narratives and fandom communities have been received, translated, and politicized in Russia.
Borenstein analyses controversies, translations, parodies, and moral panics surrounding works such as Harry Potter to show how cultural products become sites of ideological struggle.
The book considers both escapist impulses and patriotic or nationalist appropriations of fantasy, revealing how literature can both inspire change and reinforce resignation.
Through close readings and engagement with fandom practices, the study demonstrates the symbolic stakes of children's literature in debates over Western influence and Russian identity.
Ultimately, Borenstein argues that fantasy occupies a contested cultural terrain where politics, morality, and imagination intersect.
Borenstein analyses controversies, translations, parodies, and moral panics surrounding works such as Harry Potter to show how cultural products become sites of ideological struggle.
The book considers both escapist impulses and patriotic or nationalist appropriations of fantasy, revealing how literature can both inspire change and reinforce resignation.
Through close readings and engagement with fandom practices, the study demonstrates the symbolic stakes of children's literature in debates over Western influence and Russian identity.
Ultimately, Borenstein argues that fantasy occupies a contested cultural terrain where politics, morality, and imagination intersect.
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Mentioned in 1 episodes
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as a study of fantasy, children's literature and fandom (notably Harry Potter) and how they intersect with politics in Russia.


Mark Galeotti

In Moscow's Shadows 243: Who Controls The Story In Russia?



