FANTASY LITERATURE IN IRAN (“GENIE IN A CANˮ BY MEHDI RAJABI)

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.18522/1995-0640-2025-1-138-147

This article provides a brief overview of fantasy literature in Iran, focusing on the teenage novel “Genie in a can” by contemporary Iranian fantasy writer Mehdi Rajabi. The author, who works primarily in the genre of fantasy for children and teenagers, believes it is necessary to move from writing tragedies to discussing the current problems of the modern youth generation through the prism of fantasy. Despite the fact that fantasy literature in Iran has began to develop relatively recently, it has already taken a significant place in Persian literature, allowing us to rethink the world and its representation. Mehdi Rajabi depicts a reality in which today's teenagers create their own worlds, shaping their lives in the process. In the novel, he traces the trajectory of a teenager's life and the problems and concerns he has to face. Using elements of fantasy literature, the author shows how young people sometimes cope with difficulties without the support of adults. Rajabi considers the modern teenager as a symbol of the future of humanity, its progress and its place in society and family. In “Genie in a can”, the writer harmoniously combines the real and imaginary worlds, focusing on the main character, who becomes the central figure of the novel. The article also analyzes the elements of fantasy literature from the perspective of a contemporary Iranian fantasy writer, emphasizing their significance in the context of adolescent literature.

Key words: fantasy literature, fantasy, imagination, today’s teenagers, Persian literature, Mehdi Rajabi