Ensorcelled is an annual print and online publication dedicated to the publication of works of fantasy and science fiction that will improve the quality of entertainment. Our goal is to show that works of fiction—namely fantasy—can be just as worthwhile as any ‘literary’ piece, as well as to provide a source of clean entertainment.

A Note from the Founders

As an enthusiastic fan of fantasy and science fiction ever since I read my first book, it did not take long for me to notice that a great many people seem to look down upon or outright dislike these stories for various reasons—whether it is that they find them hard to believe in, far too formulaic, or just plain unrealistic. What people fail or refuse to see is that a lot of these common objections are either beside the point or easily refuted.

There are many excellent fantasy stories with characters not so different from the people in our own world. They may live in universes unlike our own, but they have jobs, face troubles, deal with growing up and death, and fall in love just like anyone from this world in which we live. You do not have to believe in magic to find in fantasy people and events that share the truths of our own experiences.

A lot of the ideas and concepts discussed in ‘literary’ works are similarly discussed and sometimes even better represented in works of fantasy and science fiction; the only difference is the mediums through which these authors choose to make their point. While I will not deny that there are many fantasy books out there that are formulaic, there are also a great many treasures, unique stories just waiting for people to reach out, give them a try, and discover them. The problem of formulaic-ness is a problem faced by all categories of writing, and is better blamed on the people who choose to publish them than the genres to which they belong.