But really, it can all be summed up thus:
The squalling of “oh, fantasy isn’t about REAL issues or proper use of metaphors” we’re seeing once again from critics and writers who should know better by now ignores the fact that ALL good fiction invokes moral and psychological themes – and emotional themes, too. And fantasy, in particular, excels at that precisely because it frames it outside our daily realities.
In the immortal words of Ursula K. “National Book Fellowship Medalist for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters” Le Guin: “Fantasy is probably the oldest literary device for talking about reality.”
Deal with it, litsnobs. And deal with it, Mr. Ishiguro.