Does 'intertextuality' support a work of fantasy? Contextually does it add interest in readers?

Intertextuality (dialogism, heteroglossia, etc.) is indeed present in any literary work, and speculative fiction is no exception. Whether it provides readers with contextual information or not--and to what extent, that depends on the readers' cultural background, previous reads, specific expertise, etc. I would go a bit further along these lines and add that translators of speculative fiction, for example, must be highly knowledgeable in how intertextual presences--or discoursive spectralities--are articulated so that the target readers of their translation find themselves exposed--rather than in possession of--to the same contextual, hypertextual, intertextual and intratextual constituents as the original readers.

Intertextual elements would definitely help in portraying the author’s perception of the world in his literary work. This work, once finished, shall be an utterance in an open-ended dialogue, rejecting, emphasizing, modifying the other utterances’ perception of the world. This is simply what is meant by dialogism whether it is supralogically or equalogiclly delivered. The reader, who has the knowledge of dialogic relationship between too many cultural representations, resembles those who have an eye bird (panoramic) view of the complete elements of a scene, or the whole discourse of literary works in the open-ended dialogue of the most inclusive context of culture elements. I think my M.A. Thesis; Bakhtin’s Dialogism …., (with my humble devised perception of dialogism) would help much to fully understand the concept of “Intertextuality” as a manifestation of “Dialogism” with its variable shapes.

Intertextuality, while having been around in all art forms since the beginning of time, takes on more importance from the postmodern era and onward. As culture seeks to present variations on set structures, the "narrative effects" become as, and in some cases more, important than the story itself. Therefore, assuming a competent reader with common knowledge of other works, authors use intertextuality as common practice, as readers rejoice from being able to recognize an author's references. See Umberto Eco's work on this. Also, Mittel and his work on complex narratives in serials.

Eric Alloi, thank you for the suggestion. We do enjoy the author's references in works. When I was reading a work by Neil Gaiman for my research, I wondered how someone could understand and relate these intertexts and hypertexts he has imbibed in his novel. As Daniel Nisa Cáceres mentions, one must know how targeted readers achieve these. Alamir Muhamad Hindawy Sultan thank you. I will look into your M.A. thesis (if available online). أ.بدرية عامر القاسمية I agree it enhances the value of the fiction, and it does influence the imaginary world. Glad to know all your thoughts. It is definitely helpful to me.

A S Raagavi My M.A. thesis (while being available online if you can read French) had nothing to do with Intertextuality, I was studying identity and subjectivity in the intermedial works of Marilyn Manson! lol (I was in comparative literature at the time) I am now ongoing a Ph. D. in cinema, in research-creation option. My work continues to be about intermediality, which is a pretty important concept here in Montréal (Québec, Canada). I also did my B.A. in French Literature, so concepts like intertextuality are pretty basic stuff for me. You might be interested in reception studies, like Jauss and Eco. Concept of model reader.

Intertextuality enriches the narrative by adding layers of meaning and connections to other texts, myths, and cultural references.In the fantasy genre, which often relies on world-building and myth-making, intertextuality provides depth and resonance by linking the fictional world to archetypes, stories, or historical events.Intertextuality supports fantasy works through world-building, reader engagement, and adding layers of meaning.Examples of intertextuality in fantasy works include Tolkien's references to Norse mythology and medieval literature in The Lord of the Rings, and Neil Gaiman's integration of myths and literary texts in American Gods.Intertextuality not only deepens the thematic and narrative complexity of fantasy works, but also increases their appeal by engaging readers on intellectual and emotional levels.