How to cook a dragon: a novel & "Food and cheer and prose": the gastronomy of fantastic literature

This creative writing thesis comprises a novel and critical commentary. How to Cook a Dragon is a high fantasy novel with an urban fantasy subplot centered on an annual cooking competition known as the Banquest and unfortunately this year it is plagued by violence and tragedy. The journeys of Banquestors half-elf Adrini Frey and halfling Jacque Bloomer are intersected with that of draconi Inspector Kallista Okoias as she unfolds mysteries close to her heart and tied to her past. The accompanying critical commentary rests at a junction of food studies and creative writing that defines “the gastronomy of fantastic literature.” I first analyze how the terroir of fantastic food influences the “taste of place” in fictional words. This thesis also shows how food can be identified and qualified within the taxonomy of Objects of Alimentation. Additionally, there are infrastructures of subcreation—nature, culture, language, and mythology and philosophy—where writers use the food of the Primary World to allow for more realized Secondary Worlds in fantastic literature. Finally, there is the consideration of the context and creative practice of the novel is viewed through genre and characterization.