Coping With Romantasy

We’ve always loved a happily ever after, but in the past few years Romantasy has gone from niche subgenre to full-blown cultural phenomenon – and the arrival of the latest ACOTAR instalment, A Court of Splintered Harmony, has lured even the least likely readers into its magical realms.This week, Alice Griffin and Jannah Anderson unpack the unique appeal of Romantasy – with help from author Olivia O’Flynn – and explore what stories of fated mates, magical kingdoms and all-consuming love reveal about modern life. From yearning, desire and book boyfriends to escapism, larping and the increasingly blurred lines between fantasy and reality, they ask whether Romantasy simply is a distraction from the real world, or a way of making sense of it.☆ Thanks to Skin Studio for collaborating with us on our A Court of Splintered Harmony celebration at Coping Studio! Check out their official ACOTAR collection here. ☆Follow: Olivia O’Flynn on InstagramRead: Olivia O’Flynn’s Ever Cursed seriesRead: A Court Of Thorns And Roses series by Sarah J. MaasThey Can’t Get Enough of the Queen of Fairy Smut by Alexandra Alter, New York TimesThose Books of Smut and Wonder by Honor Jones in The AtlanticSometimes Smut Is Too Good by Michelle Santiago Cortés, The CutFalling for a Minotaur by Emily Gould, The CutEscape Artists: Romantasy at the End of the World, by Daniel Yadin in The DriftRead: A Natural History of the Romance Novel by Pamela RegisHow Romantasy Seduces Its Readers in The New Yorker podcast: Critics at LargeThe Healing and Empowering Influence of Romantasy by Suzanne Bender M.D, Psychology TodayRead: On Fairy-Stories by J.R.R. TolkienLove, Power and Fantasy in the Age of AI Companions, NYUCan two worlds bleed? How live action role-play affects your life, University of Sydney‘Reality bleed’, and the blurred lines of live-action role-playing by Davide Orazi, Monash LensWant to support our show? We&#39;d be so grateful if you hit &#39;follow&#39; or left us a 5-star review so we can bring you more Coping content.Plus, you can follow along with us on Instagram and Pinterest. Find out more about what we&#39;re up to (and how you can get involved) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠copinginc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.<p style='color:grey; font