Introduction

Abstract

The initial motivation for undertaking the research presented in this book is an interest in ‘best-selling ethics’: the ethical ‘patterns of meaning’ embedded in best-selling literature. Due to the commercial success of fantasy literature over the past two decades, this genre has been chosen as a point of departure for the investigation of ‘best-selling ethics’ here presented. The enormous popularity of fantasy texts such as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series makes their reflection (or refraction) of cultural values relevant to understanding contemporary Western society, and the persuasiveness of these texts suggests that their formative ethical influence is significant, perhaps globally.