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This project is an investigation into the extent to which popular fantasy fictions entice their audiences to imaginatively reconsider their ethical commitments, relationships, and world views. Building upon the work of Richard Rorty and Martha C. Nussbaum's ethical criticism, I argue that the popular fantasy fictions by C. L. Wilson, George R. R. Martin, and Jim Butcher can assist audiences to understand the constructed nature of individual identity and the social construction of reality, allowing them to participate in discursive communities that empower them to see beyond stereotypes and to consider other people, no matter their differences, as humans equally capable of and entitled to their own decision-making. C. L. Wilson's Tairen Soul series provides a lesson on the importance of inclusion and communication, as it demonstrates that the differences people perceive in cultural groups are constructed and not actual. George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire demonstrates that buying into others' notions of identity, particularly in terms of gender, can be debilitating and restricting, and Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files shows that people with differing religious identities and beliefs can cooperate to solve problems even when they cannot agree upon their constructions of reality. Fantasy as a genre is valuable for cultural criticism, as it can function allegorically to allow audiences to experience emotions genuinely in an arena outside of their assumptions, engaging in experience-taking and learning how constructed realities are dependent upon their own interpretative, but not infallible, frameworks. Fantasy, in other words, can be used to engage people in discussions about values independent of real life that can then be applied to real life, allowing more people into the discussion about how to increase human happiness, a project that Rorty sees as the goal of human progress.

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) has announced its selections for the 2016 Reading List as well as the short lists and read-alikes. Established in 2007 by the CODES section of RUSA, The Reading List seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction that merit special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them.

Secondary World Fantasy has changed significantly since the foundational work of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the rising popularity of such works necessitates a critical analysis. Lacking the necessary framework and categorization to discuss high fantasy in the proper context, I have coined the terms traditional, post-traditional, and metatraditional to refer to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, and Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle, respectively. Throughout this thesis, these three works will highlight the trajectory of this immersive fantasy genre, as well as the difficulties of categorizing it according to more mainstream movements. Particularly, this thesis will focus on Rothfuss’ work as an example of a new movement in the genre that oscillates between the traditional and post-traditional through a series of textual, character-driven acknowledgments of traditional fantasy conventions and a rejection of post-traditional fantasy conventions. Each section of this thesis seeks to ground the discourse in textual examples of the construction of traditional conventions, the post-traditional subversion of traditional conventions, and the synthesis that Rothfuss draws from to create his metatraditional text. This thesis also explores the role of stories within The Kingkiller Chronicle and how they assist in addressing the meta concepts present in the movement, celebrating traditional conventions and allowing the characters to recognize and discuss elements such as archetypal characters, traditional plot progression, and broader thematic elements. Focusing tightly on the respective works and their use of magic systems, divine prophecy, archetypes, and narrative tools, by the end of this thesis, this delineation will frame the discussion within the genre in terms of the genre itself, instead of in relation to other genres of literature.

\"If people can find z. way to properly monetize some of the screaming outlets, the potential can be huge,\" says Cindy Cu, regional marketing manager ⅛ dance music at Warner Music Asia. [...]despite smartphone penetration reaching 73% in 2017, Indonesia's music market faces the same challenges in producing higher revenue as other emerging markets, most notably an ingrained lack of willingness to pay for music, says Yonathan Nugroho, managing director at Trinity Optima Production, one of Indonesia's biggest local labels. Aside from its burgeoning pop and hip-hop scenes, Indonesia and Thailand are the top markets for electronic music consumption in Southeast Asia, says Gu. Because catalog consumption is so heavy (up to 50% of streams come from releases older than 18 months), legacy acts often do well in Indonesia, but it's difficult to break new dance hits there, she says.

Information about the bestselling books for the week of June 9, 2014 is presented.