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University of Pittsburgh student Andrew Bulman, right, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., leaps to make a pass during a Quidditch match in Pittsburgh 2012. (Gene J. Puskar/PA Images)

Fantasy films/programmes: Why so serious?

Sssshhh don’t tell them it’s not real…

HARRY POTTER THE encyclopedia is on the way JK Rowling has confirmed.

The encyclopedia will answer all the questions you ever had about the Harry Potter world.

But is an encyclopedia about a world that doesn’t exist really needed or is it all just a bit of fun?

And do these movies and TV programmes’ fantasy worlds think that they are real?

Harry Potter – Keeping with Potter, fans of the series have transformed the beloved magical sport Quidditch from fiction into a real athletic competition.

Quidditch, which is the sport that Harry plays on the back of a broomstick, is now a real-life sport and is being played by hundreds of schools and colleges around the world. We take it that these players don’t physically fly in the air but the sport, created by JK Rowling, even has an International Quidditch Association. There is even a Quidditch World Cup:

(Via YouTube/)

@PotterheadsRock can’t wait for technology to move on and tweeted:

(Image via @PotterheadsRock)

According to the Metro Boston, the captain of Boston University’s Quidditch team Kedzie Teller said the sport is a cross between rugby, handball and dodge ball. “Basically, you have to learn how to tackle with a broom,” he said.

Star Trek – There can be no doubt that the fans of the Starship Enterprise take the programme very seriously. There are numerous conventions held around the globe each year where thousands of fans turn up in costume.

(Denis Poroy/AP Photo)

A new language, Klingon, was born from this television programme with many people attempting to learn it.

@ladybugverta tweeted that she was finding it a bit of a difficult task:

But if you would like to meet the man who actually invented the new language you can head along to the SETIcon 2012. Dr Marc Okrand, the inventor of the language is a guest speaker at the scientific conference.

He devised the Vulcan language in Star Trek II and later developed the Klingon language. He coached the actors in the languages and has written three books – The Klingon Dictionary (1985), The Klingon Way (1996), and Klingon for the Galactic Traveller (1997).

Fans worldwide who adopted the alien dialect even have their own Klingon opera. The opera, called “u,” had a three-day run at the Zeebelt Theater in The Hague, Netherlands in 2010.

(Via YouTube/)

But if you missed that, die-hard fans can head along to ‘Destination Star Trek London‘ in October. For the first time in ‘trekkie’ history all five TV captains will be on stage together.

Lord of the Rings – Tolkien’s epic stories have also created some dedicated fans. Many try and keep the story alive through fan sites such as the Council of Elrond. The site provides a one-stop-shop for all you need to know about the world of trolls and hobbits. There is even an encyclopaedia that explains the flora and fauna of the world, the races, cultures and people and the history of all the battles.

You can also brush up on your Elvish language amongst others in Michael Adams book ‘Exploring Invented Languages‘. The book explores the origins, purpose, and usage of these curious creations in fantasy culture.

Star Wars – The ‘emerald garrison’ or the Irish Star Wars fans can look forward to a gathering much closer to home this year. The 2012 ‘Invasion Dublin‘ takes place in CityWest Dublin.

(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

Do you think participating in science fiction/fantasy games is:


Poll Results:

B - A bit of fun (361)
C - A bit sad (156)
A - Deadly serious (24)

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