In Todd Van Buskirk’s book, the interplay of language and style becomes evident through the utilization of two distinct typographic methods: italic and non-italic script (known as “roman” or “roman typeface”). The juxtaposition of these styles serves as a linguistic experiment, drawing inspiration from Richard Adams’s novels “Maia” and “Shardik.”
Specifically, the analysis centers around the presentation of italic and non-italic script within the context of a fantasy glossary. In this exploration, the glossary is viewed not only as a tool for linguistic dissection but also as a structural element with potential poetic qualities. The emphasis is on understanding how the interplay of italicized and Roman expressions contributes to poetics, shedding light on the functional and artistic aspects of a glossary in the realm of fantasy literature.
The Title:
The title of Van Buskirk’s book serves is a structured analysis that explains the content of the book in detail. Comprising a series of stanzas, the title is the poem itself. It weaves a tapestry of information, detailing the presence and distribution of “Beklan Empire” terms regarding two fantasy novels by Richard Adams.
The title unfolds with a detailed account, specifying the count of italicized words on each page for the eighty-six terms from “Maia” and the Roman equivalents for the twenty-four terms from “Shardik.”
Roman and Italicized terms:
The first focus of the book lies in the incorporation of eighty-six “Beklan Empire” terms presented in italics.
Derived from Richard Adams’s “Maia,” these terms contribute to a linguistic tapestry, with page 8 featuring 12 italicized words, gradually decreasing to 6 on page 14. Each instance offers readers a glimpse into the distinct lexicon of the fictional world of Richard Adams.
The second focus lies in the twenty-four “Beklan Empire” terms extracted from Adams’s “Shardik,” presented in Roman script .
This choice to utilize certain terms as Roman text introduces a visual contrast. Across pages 8 to 14, the frequency of terms set as Roman text fluctuates, reaching zero on page 9 and peaking at 5 on both pages 8 and 14.
Overlap of Terms:
An intriguing aspect of the book is the presence of eight terms that appear in both “Maia” and “Shardik.” An annotation is added after the description of these eight terms with square brackets framing the phrase, “this term appears in both books,” contributing to a clearer understanding of the linguistic connections between the two novels. Examples of such terms include “bramba” on page 8, “glyon” on page 9, and “zoan” on page 14.
The Definitions As Story Elements:
The choice to present the definitions of the terms in Roman text could be a deliberate stylistic decision aimed at fostering a seamless integration of the glossary into the narrative flow. Roman text, being more visually aligned with standard prose, may enhance readability and accessibility.
Moreover, this approach allows the definitions to function not only as linguistic annotations but also as snippets of a broader narrative. The definitions may serve as linguistic artifacts that offer readers brief glimpses into the fictional world’s culture, history, or mythology, indirectly contributing to the storytelling within the framework of the broader narrative. This interplay between glossary definitions and narrative context potentially allows for a more immersive exploration.
Duplication of the Glossary:
The deliberate grouping and duplication of pages 8 through 14 in six instances, alternating between italicized “Maia” and Roman “Shardik” printed page numbers, unveil an ornamental design.
This rhythmic repetition, alternating between the italicized “Maia” and Roman “Shardik” printed page numbers, serves as a visual device.
Beyond a mere organizational strategy, this repetition could be a narrative tool to signify elements within the text. The alternation between the two distinct typographic styles not only maintains a sense of rhythm.
The notable exclusion of Richard Adams’s novels, “Maia” and “Shardik”:
The deliberate exclusion of Richard Adams’s novels “Maia” and “Shardik” from the actual content of the book, as indicated in the title, unveils an intriguing facet of Van Buskirk’s literary approach. This omission positions the novels as para-textual entities. By explicitly stating that the novels are not included within the glossary, the title emphasizes their role as extratextual elements, existing on the periphery of the explored fantasy lexicon. This para-textual positioning prompts readers to consider the nuanced relationship between the glossary and the novels, raising questions about the purpose and thematic implications of their exclusion. The title, through its emphasis on the absence of the source material, invites readers to navigate the interplay of para-textual elements.
Historical Context of Typography:
The use of italicized and Roman script in literature has a rich history. Italics, introduced in the early 16th century, were initially designed to emulate the handwriting of Italian scholars. Over time, italics became synonymous with emphasis, foreign words, and titles. Roman script, on the other hand, represents the standard upright typeface commonly used in English writing.
The Glossary as a Poem:
Van Buskirk’s structure of this book can be viewed as an poetic take on the traditional glossary commonly found in fantasy novels. By incorporating eighty-six “Beklan Empire” terms from Richard Adams’s “Maia” in italics and twenty-four terms from “Shardik” in Roman script across pages 8 to 14, the author creates a visual quasi-narrative .
This fantasy glossary inclusion not only immerses readers in the intricacies of the fictional “Beklan Empire” but also echoes the familiarity of fantasy literature conventions, enriching the reading experience by providing elucidation on characters and terms from the imaginary realm.
They publish books of Conceptual Literature, whose titles describe the content in detail. 