by Jessica Nelson
Fairies always have and always will be an integral part of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Whether they be the mischievous tricksters from Mary Robinette Kowal’s Weaving Dreams (Apex Magazine, issue 41) or the cute and pleasant helpers from Alex Bledsoe’s Sprig (Apex Magazine, issue 42), humankind is utterly enchanted by fairies. They come in all shapes and sizes, both winged and not, although these days the most common fairies are humanoid and small in stature, with wings not unlike those of a dragonfly.
Artists such as Amy Brown and Josephine Wall are heavily inspired by fairies. Wall uses them often in her works, often intermingled with leaves, butterflies, and other wispy airborne things. Amy Brown deals in fairies fairly exclusively, creating nymph-like beauties with wings reminiscent of leaves and torn clothing, dressed mostly in dark colors, with a penchant for striped stockings. Illustrator Brian Froud has worked with luminaries such as Terry Jones and Alan Lee to create beautiful and humorous books dedicated solely to fairies and their mythologies, such as Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, and Faeries, respectively.
But what is it about fairies that keeps us bringing them into our artwork and our fiction? Maybe it’s the sense of magic inherent in everything they do. Whether they’re tricking you out of your freedom, stealing babies away, or safely entertaining your children with a song at a renaissance festival, nothing a fairy does is as mundane as it seems. A sprinkle of pixie dust, an enchantment, a charm … by whatever means, there is always a sense of wonderment involved.
From the time we are first introduced to likes of Tinkerbell and other sweet fay folk, we are mesmerized by the innocent qualities fairies always seem to have. As we learn of others of similar ilk, though they may have more malicious intents, that sense of innocence is still there, lingering in the background. Perhaps they’ve played a nasty prank, but nasty or not, this is still play. Perhaps they’ve worked some horrible magic to exact vengeance upon someone who has injured them in some way; still, there is an innocence there. That they could love so strongly that they must lash out because it is the only means they know to ease their own pain is a very childlike form of expression.
Perhaps, as children, we can identify with these small folk so like ourselves, who are so willing to feel all of life. As we grow, we look at fairy stories and we still see that child inside of us. We recall, in the deepest reaches of memory, what it was like to live life so fully, so passionately, when everything either was or was not. And indeed, the lives of fairies seem utterly devoid of gray areas. A thing is good, or a thing is bad. Even when the victim of a prank deems it bad, the fairy thinks it good and fun, or they would not have bothered to do it. Every single thing a fairy does is full of feeling and purpose. If there is no joy or satisfaction to be taken from doing something, they simply will not do it.
And really, shouldn’t we all live like that? The allure of a life filled with joy and passion, of clear-cut decisions, of easy answers … this is the allure of fairies. A thing is, or a thing is not. And who wouldn’t like a little pinch of pixie dust to help them out every now and again?
