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72-407: Nimona is a science fantasy graphic novel by American cartoonist ND Stevenson . The story follows the title character , a shapeshifter who joins the disgraced knight Ballister Blackheart in his plans to destroy the over-controlling Institute. Blackheart's intent to operate under his code of ethics contrasts him with the impulsive Nimona. Stevenson began working on Nimona while attending

144-467: A Cybils Award , and a Cartoonist Studio Prize . Reviews and academic analyses have highlighted themes of queerness and fluidity of identity and how they oppose and subvert traditional controlling institutions and exclusionary systems. An animated film of the same name was released on Netflix on June 30, 2023, to critical success and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at

216-564: A donkey in The Golden Ass . Proteus was known among the gods for his shapeshifting; both Menelaus and Aristaeus captured him to obtain information, and they succeeded only by holding on through his many transformations. Nereus told Heracles where to find the Apples of the Hesperides for the same reason. The Oceanid Metis , the first wife of Zeus and the mother of the goddess Athena,

288-402: A utopia full of wealth which is also without pain or death, they crave the pleasures and hardships of human societies. Transformation into human form is said to be rare, and usually occurs at night. The encantado will often be seen running from a festa , despite protests from the others for it to stay, and can be seen by pursuers as it hurries to the river and reverts to dolphin form. When it

360-413: A June 30, 2023, release date. Nick Bruno and Troy Quane served as the film's new directors, having worked on the project since 2020, with Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor rewriting the script and Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed returning to voice Nimona and Ballister Blackheart, renamed "Boldheart", respectively, along with Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin. Science fantasy During

432-556: A butterfly. The most dramatic example of shapeshifting in Irish myth is that of Tuan mac Cairill , the only survivor of Partholón 's settlement of Ireland. In his centuries-long life, he became successively a stag, a wild boar, a hawk, and finally a salmon before being eaten and (as in the Wooing of Étaín) reborn as a human. The Púca is a Celtic faery, and also a deft shapeshifter. He can transform into many different, terrifying forms. Sadhbh ,

504-465: A colossal beast that escapes to kill the Director and ravage the city. A flashback shows Nimona trapped by villagers. She claimed to be one of their children, but they believed she was a changeling impersonating a child who died; it is never confirmed which scenario is the truth. The Institution took Nimona and experimented on her. Blackheart tells Goldenloin about Blitzmeyer's device, which he uses to fight

576-457: A costume that people who weren't interested in looking particularly buxom or sensual might want to dress as". Other characters and a story followed as Stevenson revisited the concept several times over his junior year, and later received approval for the comic to be his senior thesis. Stevenson initially published Nimona online on Tumblr . The comic began as a collection of one- and two-page comics. Stevenson says that he "had no idea what Nimona

648-484: A course at Maryland Institute College of Art, ND Stevenson received an assignment to create a new character, and revisited an idea from high school of a female shapeshifter . According to Stevenson, he created Nimona by combining this shapeshifter with a Joan of Arc -inspired character that he was drawing at the time. Nimona's look was based on his own experiences with cosplay ; Stevenson preferred cosplaying as male characters rather than female characters, and wanted "to do

720-427: A deliberate attempt to apply the techniques and attitudes of science fiction to traditional fantasy subjects. Distinguishing between pure science fiction and pure fantasy, Rod Serling argued that the former was "the improbable made possible" while the latter was "the impossible made probable". As a combination of the two, science fantasy gives a scientific veneer of realism to things that simply could not happen in

792-436: A doctor calls Nimona a monster, and Blackheart insists she is not. When the same doctor returns moments later, Blackheart realizes that the first "doctor" was Nimona. He chases after her, but she disappears into the crowd. Blackheart and Blitzmeyer find a lab together, and Goldenloin and Blackheart become closer. Blackheart never sees Nimona again, to his knowledge, but wonders about every stranger and animal who looks at him. In

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864-468: A dwarf, a giant, or even a human, depending on the exact myth, but in all variants, he transformed into a dragon—a symbol of greed —while guarding his ill-gotten hoard. His brother, Ótr , enjoyed spending time as an otter, which led to his accidental slaying by Loki. In Scandinavia , there existed, for example, the famous race of she-werewolves known by the name of Maras, women who took on the appearance of huge half-human and half-wolf monsters that stalked

936-438: A full human, she uses her beauty to seduce men and eat their hearts (or in some cases livers where the belief is that 100 livers would turn her into a real human). In Somali mythology Qori ismaris ("One who rubs himself with a stick") was a man who could transform himself into a " Hyena-man " by rubbing himself with a magic stick at nightfall and by repeating this process could return to his human state before dawn. ǀKaggen

1008-607: A headache, so Hephaestus clove his head with an axe. Athena sprang from her father's head, fully grown, and in battle armor. In Greek mythology , the transformation is often a punishment from the gods to humans who crossed them. While the Greek gods could use transformation punitively – such as Medusa , who turned to a monster for having sexual intercourse ( raped in Ovid's version) with Poseidon in Athena 's temple – even more frequently,

1080-490: A hen and ate him. She became pregnant, and he was reborn as a baby. He grew up to be the bard Taliesin. In the Book of Taliesin , he mentions many forms which he is able to take, including that of lantern-light. Tales abound about the selkie , a seal that can remove its skin to make contact in human guise with people for only a short amount of time before it must return to the sea. Clan MacColdrum of Uist 's foundation myths include

1152-400: A hospital to treat poison victims but is captured. Goldenloin guards him, having been demoted from champion. The two talk, and Goldenloin admits that the jousting incident was not an accident. The Director offered him the position of champion on the condition that he win the joust against Blackheart and gave him an explosive lance to ensure his victory. He initially refused; however, after losing

1224-406: A mare to escape Poseidon , but Poseidon counter-transformed himself into a stallion to pursue her, and succeeded in the rape. Caenis , having been raped by Poseidon , demanded of him that she be changed to a man. He agreed, and she became Caeneus , a form he never lost, except, in some versions, upon death. Clytie was a nymph who loved Helios, but he did not love her back. Desperate, she sat on

1296-648: A natural scientific basis. Science fiction critic John Clute chose the narrower term "technological fantasy" from the broader concept of "science fiction". The label first came into wide use after many science fantasy stories were published in the American pulp magazines , such as Robert A. Heinlein 's Magic, Inc. , L. Ron Hubbard 's Slaves of Sleep , and Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp 's Harold Shea series. All were relatively rationalistic stories published in John W. Campbell Jr. 's Unknown magazine. These were

1368-556: A quasi-historical figure who appears in the Icelandic Sagas , according to which she was the wife of Eric Bloodaxe , was credited with magic powers – including the power of shapeshifting and turning at will into a bird. She is the central character of the novel Mother of Kings by Poul Anderson , which considerably elaborates on her shapeshifting abilities. In the Finnish epic poem Kalevala of ancient folklore, Louhi , Mistress of

1440-423: A ransom. Math fab Mathonwy and Gwydion transform flowers into a woman named Blodeuwedd , and when she betrays her husband Lleu Llaw Gyffes , who is transformed into an eagle, they transform her again, into an owl. Gilfaethwy raped Goewin , Math fab Mathonwy 's virgin footholder, with help from his brother Gwydion . As punishment, Math turned them into different types of animals for one year each. Gwydion

1512-546: A rock with no food or water for nine days looking at him as he crossed the skies, until she was transformed into a purple, sun-gazing flower, the heliotropium . As a final reward from the gods for their hospitality, Baucis and Philemon were transformed, at their deaths, into a pair of trees. Eos , the goddess of the dawn, secured immortality for her lover the Trojan prince Tithonus , but not eternal youth, so he aged without dying as he shriveled and grew more and more helpless. In

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1584-467: A runtime of two hours and seventeen minutes, and is unabridged. Reviews and academic analyses have presented Nimona as a depiction of identity, particularly fluid identity. Nimona's form is unsettled and indefinable, though Mihaela Precup said that Nimona's queerness was mostly hinted at through linguistic markers and fashion choices. Precup noted the "subversive potential of a specific kind of queer cuteness", while James J. Donahue said that Nimona shows

1656-481: A scholar who focuses on U.S. popular and youth culture, said that Nimona added to the varieties of medieval aesthetics in modern media. The artwork has been described as light and sketchy and compared to that of Kate Beaton , Eleanor Davis , and Faith Erin Hicks . Stevenson produced Nimona a page at a time, resulting in a development of art style over time. Alex Browm, reviewing the book for Tor.com , said that while

1728-434: A science fantasy franchise has been debated. In 2015, George Lucas stated that " Star Wars isn't a science-fiction film, it's a fantasy film and a space opera ". Shapeshifting In mythology , folklore and speculative fiction , shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism , as well as

1800-519: A tavern, begging him to send Nimona away instead. Blackheart meets Dr. Meredith Blitzmeyer, who has made a device powered by "anomalous energy". When Nimona is near the device, she cannot transform. Goldenloin continues to refuse orders to kill him; it is hinted that Blackheart and Goldenloin were more than just friends. He agrees to kill Nimona and capture Blackheart. At a public event, the two spread more poison, and while people panic about its effects, Blackheart speaks and convinces people to rebel against

1872-510: A union between the founder of the clan and a shape-shifting selkie. Another such creature is the Scottish selkie, which needs its sealskin to regain its form. In The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry the (male) selkie seduces a human woman. Such stories surrounding these creatures are usually romantic tragedies. Scottish mythology features shapeshifters, which allows the various creatures to trick, deceive, hunt, and kill humans. Water spirits such as

1944-437: Is "the blurring of boundaries", especially when it comes to institutions, bodies, and motivations, that allows for these institutions to be undermined. Nimona won an Eisner Award, a Cybils Award , and a Cartoonist Studio Prize . It was also nominated for another Eisner Award and a National Book Award. The hardcover collection of Nimona became a New York Times bestseller . Nimona received acclaim. Lauren Davis, reviewing

2016-441: Is a demi-urge and folk hero of the ǀXam people of southern Africa. He is a trickster god who can shape shift, usually taking the form of a praying mantis but also a bull eland , a louse , a snake, and a caterpillar . Amazon river dolphins are curious and lack of fear of foreign objects, are apex predators , and the male Amazon river dolphins are very physically aggressive during their mating period, particularly around

2088-435: Is among the most commonly known, but other such creatures include the bakeneko , the mujina , and the tanuki . Korean mythology also contains a fox with the ability to shapeshift. Unlike its Chinese and Japanese counterparts, the kumiho is always malevolent. Usually its form is of a beautiful young woman; one tale recounts a man, a would-be seducer, revealed as a kumiho. The kumiho has nine tails and as she desires to be

2160-481: Is sometimes cited as an example of science fantasy. Writer James F. Broderick describes Star Trek as science fantasy because it includes semi-futuristic as well as supernatural/fantasy elements such as The Q . According to the late science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke , many purists argue that Star Trek is science fantasy rather than science fiction because of its scientifically improbable elements, which he partially agreed with. The status of Star Wars as

2232-400: Is the huli jing , a fox spirit that usually appears as a beautiful young woman; most are dangerous, but some feature as the heroines of love stories. Madame White Snake is one such legend; a snake falls in love with a man, and the story recounts the trials she and her husband faced. In Japanese folklore obake are a type of yōkai with the ability to shapeshifting. The fox, or kitsune

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2304-527: The 96th Academy Awards , but lost to The Boy and the Heron . Nimona is a shape-shifter, usually a human girl, but able to grow and shrink and take any human or animal form. She insists on being the sidekick to Ballister Blackheart. Blackheart was once a knight for the Institution but lost an arm in a joust with Ambrosius Goldenloin – now the Institution's champion – so he was kicked out. Blackheart seeks to destroy

2376-611: The Aswang , a vampiric monster capable of transforming into a bat, a large black dog, a black cat, a black boar, or some other form to stalk humans at night. The folklore also mentions other beings such as the Kapre , the Tikbalang , and the Engkanto , which change their appearances to woo beautiful maidens. Also, talismans (called " anting-anting " or " birtud " in the local dialect), can give their owners

2448-487: The Golden Age of Science Fiction , science fantasy stories were seen in sharp contrast to the terse, scientifically plausible material that came to dominate mainstream science fiction, typified by the magazine Astounding Science Fiction . Although science fantasy stories at that time were often relegated to the status of children's entertainment, their freedom of imagination and romance proved to be an early major influence on

2520-622: The Maryland Institute College of Art , revisiting a character he had created in high school. Stevenson published Nimona as a webcomic from 2012 through 2014, initially through Tumblr , developing the story and the art style as time progressed. The finished work ultimately doubled as his senior thesis . After an agent reached out to Stevenson, HarperCollins released Nimona in print form in 2015. It has been translated into at least 16 other languages and adapted into an audiobook . Nimona 's accolades include an Eisner Award ,

2592-552: The each-uisge , which inhabit lochs and waterways in Scotland, were said to appear as a horse or a young man. Other tales include kelpies who emerge from lochs and rivers in the disguise of a horse or woman to ensnare and kill weary travelers. Tam Lin , a man captured by the Queen of the Fairies is changed into all manner of beasts before being rescued. He finally turned into a burning coal and

2664-579: The huli jing of China, the obake of Japan, the Navajo skin-walkers , and gods, goddesses and demons and demonesses such as the Norse Loki or the Greek Proteus . Shapeshifting to the form of a wolf is specifically known as lycanthropy , and creatures who undergo such change are called lycanthropes. It was also common for deities to transform mortals into animals and plants. The prefix "were-" comes from

2736-469: The "New Wave" writers of the 1960s, who became exasperated by the limitations of "Hard Science Fiction" . The term "science fantasy" was coined in 1935 by critic Forrest J. Ackerman as a synonym for science fiction. In the 1950s, the British journalist Walter Gillings considered science fantasy as a part of science fiction that was not plausible from the point of view of the science of the time (for example,

2808-412: The "ultimate other" that threatens stability. Multiple analyses have viewed the Institution as one that persecutes queerness and establishes heteronormative hegemonic ideologies through structural violence . Nimona presents a potential to challenge and abolish these systems. In this way, the comic has been compared to The Legend of Korra and Steven Universe . One paper on the work concluded that it

2880-476: The Giant Killer and The Black Bull of Norroway , feature shapeshifting. Pwyll was transformed by Arawn into Arawn's shape, and Arawn transformed himself into Pwyll's so that they could trade places for a year and a day. Llwyd ap Cil Coed transformed his wife and attendants into mice to attack a crop in revenge; when his wife is captured, he turns himself into three clergymen in succession to try to pay

2952-444: The Institution but operates under his own code of ethics. Nimona pushes to make his plans more violent and often kills people. They discover the Institution is using jaderoot, a poisonous plant used for dark magic. Blackheart has Nimona impersonate a TV news anchor to publicize this and plant poisonous, but nonfatal, apples in markets to spread fear. The Institute's director orders Goldenloin to kill Nimona; instead, he meets Blackheart in

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3024-399: The Institution. He is captured by Goldenloin and used as a trap to lure Nimona. Her head is sliced off during the fight, but she lives and they escape. Blackheart questions her powers, and she lets slip that her earlier story – that a witch cast a spell on her as a child – was made up. They argue, and Nimona leaves Blackheart. Blackheart learns that his poison has caused deaths. He sneaks into

3096-529: The North, attacks Väinämöinen in the form of a giant eagle with her troops on her back as she tries to steal Sampo . In Armenian mythology , shapeshifters include the Nhang , a serpentine river monster that can transform itself into a woman or seal, and will drown humans and then drink their blood; or the beneficial Shahapet , a guardian spirit that can appear either as a man or a snake. Philippine mythology includes

3168-575: The Old English word for "man". While the popular idea of a shapeshifter is of a human being who turns into something else, there are numerous stories about animals that can transform themselves as well. Examples of shapeshifting in classical literature include many examples in Ovid 's Metamorphoses , Circe 's transforming of Odysseus ' men to pigs in Homer 's The Odyssey , and Apuleius 's Lucius becoming

3240-507: The ability to shapeshift. In one tale, Chonguita the Monkey Wife , a woman is turned into a monkey, only becoming human again if she can marry a handsome man. Tatar folklore includes Yuxa , a hundred-year-old snake that can transform itself into a beautiful young woman, and seeks to marry men to have children. Chinese mythology contains many tales of animal shapeshifters, capable of taking on human form. The most common such shapeshifter

3312-532: The appearance of shapeshifting, through their power, called "glamour", to create illusions, and some were limited to changing their size, as with the spriggans , and others to a few forms. But others, such as the Hedley Kow , could change to many forms, and both human and supernatural wizards were capable of both such changes, and inflicting them on others. Witches could turn into hares and in that form steal milk and butter. Many British fairy tales, such as Jack

3384-401: The art in the first two chapters was "clunky", Stevenson's technique improved as the work progressed, and by the fifth chapter, Brown said it was "an absolute joy to look at." In 2015, 20th Century Fox Animation acquired the rights for an animated feature film adaptation. It was being produced by Fox's subsidiary Blue Sky Studios , with Patrick Osborne to direct and Marc Haimes to write

3456-399: The beast. The human form of Nimona learns that Blackheart revealed the device and turns on him. Blackheart defeats the beast, but the fight damages the lab and activates its automatic purge system. Blackheart escapes, carrying Goldenloin, but Nimona does not. The disasters make clear the Institution's use of jaderoot, and Blackheart becomes a hero. While watching over Goldenloin in the hospital,

3528-435: The book for io9 , rated Nimona as one of the "Best New and Short Webcomics of 2012", while Paste Magazine called Nimona the best webcomic of 2014. A review for CNN recommended Nimona specifically for teenage readers. Reviewers noted the science fantasy setting which mixes magic with technology and highlighted the conflict between Blackheart's code of honor against Nimona's desire to kill and steal. Iain A. MacInnes,

3600-572: The completed comic as a young adult graphic novel in May 2015. The work has since been translated into several other languages, including Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, and Turkish. In August 2016, an audiobook version of Nimona was published through Audible . It features voicework by Rebecca Soler , Jonathan Davis, Marc Thompson , January LaVoy , Natalie Gold , Peter Bradbury, and David Pittu , has

3672-478: The courtship practice of object carrying. Amazon river dolphins , known by the natives as the boto , encantados or toninhas, are very prevalent in the mythology of the native South Americans. They are frequently characterized in mythology with superior musical ability, seductiveness and love of sex, resulting in illegitimate children, and attraction to parties. Despite the fact that the Encante are said to come from

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3744-476: The end, Eos transformed him into a cicada . In some variants of the tale of Narcissus , he is turned into a narcissus flower. Sometimes metamorphoses transform objects into humans. In the myths of both Jason and Cadmus , one task set to the hero was to sow dragon's teeth ; on being sown, they would metamorphose into belligerent warriors, and both heroes had to throw a rock to trick them into fighting each other to survive. Deucalion and Pyrrha repopulated

3816-443: The film. They stated that, when canceled, the film was "75% complete" and that it was to include an "I love you" scene between Blackheart and Goldenloin and a same-sex kiss. Staff also stated that they received pushback from Disney leadership, centered around the film's LGBT themes. On April 11, 2022, it was announced the film had been picked up by Netflix and Annapurna Pictures with DNEG Animation on board as animation studio and

3888-453: The fluidity of identity construction to a young-adult audience along with empowering moments. Ballister's perceived identity also shifts from a supervillain to a hero, challenging clichés around good and evil. Nimona has been highlighted as promoting alternate perspectives on gender and allowing readers to come to terms with their own identities. Nimona's monstrous nature has been discussed as representing how institutions perceive queerness as

3960-413: The form of a mare to bear Odin's steed Sleipnir which was the fastest horse ever to exist, and also the form of a she-wolf to bear Fenrir . Svipdagr angered Odin , who turned him into a dragon. Despite his monstrous appearance, his lover, the goddess Freyja , refused to leave his side. When the warrior Hadding found and slew Svipdagr, Freyja cursed him to be tormented by a tempest and shunned like

4032-550: The imaginary and the actual, the magical and the prosaic, the mythical and the scientific, meet and interanimate. In so doing, these worlds inspire us with new sensations and experiences, with [quoting C. S. Lewis] 'such beauty, awe, or terror as the actual world does not supply', with the stuff of desires, dreams, and dread." Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore published novels in Startling Stories , alone and together, which were far more romantic . These were closely related to

4104-405: The joust, he activated the lance in desperation. Blackheart is brought to an Institution laboratory, where the Director reveals their occult experiments to develop weapons. Nimona is imprisoned there; she had attempted to rescue Blackheart but was captured in a self-repairing vessel built to contain jaderoot. They take a blood sample out, but Nimona still has control over the cells, and they turn into

4176-490: The night in search of human or animal prey. If a woman gives birth at midnight and stretches the membrane that envelopes the child when it is brought forth, between four sticks and creeps through it, naked, she will bear children without pain; but all the boys will be shamans , and all the girls Maras. The Nisse is sometimes said to be a shapeshifter. This trait also is attributed to Hulder . Gunnhild, Mother of Kings ( Gunnhild konungamóðir ) (c. 910  –  c. 980),

4248-616: The oldest existent literature and epic poems such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad . The concept remains a common literary device in modern fantasy , children's literature and popular culture . Examples of shapeshifters are vampires and werewolves . Popular shapeshifting creatures in folklore are werewolves and vampires (mostly of European, Canadian, and Native American/early American origin), ichchhadhari naag (shape-shifting cobra) of India, shapeshifting fox spirits of East Asia such as

4320-588: The plague wherever he went. In the Hyndluljóð , Freyja transformed her protégé Óttar into a boar to conceal him. She also possessed a cloak of falcon feathers that allowed her to transform into a falcon, which Loki borrowed on occasion. The Volsunga saga contains many shapeshifting characters. Siggeir 's mother changed into a wolf to help torture his defeated brothers-in-law with slow and ignominious deaths. When one, Sigmund , survived, he and his nephew and son Sinfjötli killed men wearing wolfskins; when they donned

4392-435: The real world under any circumstances. Where science fiction does not permit the existence of fantastical or supernatural elements, science fantasy explicitly relies upon them to complement the scientific elements. In explaining the intrigue of science fantasy, Carl D. Malmgren provides an intro regarding C. S. Lewis 's speculation on the emotional needs at work in the subgenre: "In the counternatural worlds of science fantasy,

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4464-543: The script. On May 7, 2019, after The Walt Disney Company 's acquisition of Fox , the film was delayed from February 14, 2020, to March 5, 2021; it was later delayed again to January 14, 2022. In February 2021, Disney announced that it was shutting down Blue Sky Studios and that the film adaptation was canceled. After its cancellation, and again amid the controversy of Disney's involvement in Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill , several former Blue Sky staff members spoke to media about

4536-505: The skins themselves, they were cursed to become werewolves . The dwarf Andvari is described as being able to magically turn into a pike . Alberich , his counterpart in Richard Wagner 's Der Ring des Nibelungen , using the Tarnhelm , takes on many forms, including a giant serpent and a toad, in a failed attempt to impress or intimidate Loki and Odin/ Wotan . Fafnir was originally

4608-538: The tales using it are of amorous adventure. Zeus repeatedly transformed himself to approach mortals as a means of gaining access: Vertumnus transformed himself into an old woman to gain entry to Pomona 's orchard; there, he persuaded her to marry him. In other tales, the woman appealed to other gods to protect her from rape, and was transformed ( Daphne into laurel, Corone into a crow). Unlike Zeus and other gods' shapeshifting, these women were permanently metamorphosed. In one tale, Demeter transformed herself into

4680-515: The use of nuclear weapons in H.G. Wells' novel The World Set Free was a science fantasy from the point of view of Newtonian physics and a work of science fiction from the point of view of Einstein's theory). In 1948, writer Marion Zimmer (later known as Zimmer Bradley) called "science fantasy" a mixture of science fiction and fantasy in Startling Stories magazine. Critic Judith Murry considered science fantasy as works of fantasy in which magic has

4752-489: The wife of the famous hero Fionn mac Cumhaill , was changed into a deer by the druid Fer Doirich when she spurned his amorous interests. There is a significant amount of literature about shapeshifters that appear in a variety of Norse tales. In the Lokasenna , Odin and Loki taunt each other with having taken the form of females and nursing offspring to which they had given birth. A 13th-century Edda relates Loki taking

4824-452: The work that they and others were doing for outlets like Weird Tales , such as Moore's Northwest Smith stories. Ace Books published a number of books as science fantasy during the 1950s and 1960s. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction points out that as a genre, science fantasy "has never been clearly defined", and was most commonly used in the period between 1950 and 1966. The Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry

4896-468: The world after a flood by throwing stones behind them; they were transformed into people. Cadmus is also often known to have transformed into a dragon or serpent towards the end of his life. Pygmalion fell in love with Galatea , a statue he had made. Aphrodite had pity on him and transformed the stone into a living woman. Fairies , witches , and wizards were all noted for their shapeshifting ability. Not all fairies could shapeshift, some having only

4968-426: Was believed to be able to change her appearance into anything she wanted. In one story, her pride led Zeus to trick her into transforming into a fly. He then swallowed her because he feared that he and Metis would have a son who would be more powerful than Zeus himself. Metis, however, was already pregnant. She stayed alive inside his head and built an armor for her daughter. The banging of her metalworking made Zeus have

5040-501: Was thrown into a well, whereupon he reappeared in his human form. The motif of capturing a person by holding him through all forms of transformation is a common thread in folktales . Perhaps the best-known Irish myth is that of Aoife who turned her stepchildren, the Children of Lir , into swans to be rid of them. Likewise, in the Tochmarc Étaíne , Fuamnach jealously turns Étaín into

5112-432: Was transformed into a stag, sow, and wolf, and Gilfaethwy into a hind, boar, and she-wolf. Each year, they had a child. Math turned the three young animals into boys. Gwion , having accidentally taken the wisdom from a potion that Ceridwen was brewing for her son , fled from her through a succession of changes, which she answered with changes of her own. This ended when he turned into a grain of corn and she turned into

5184-467: Was when I started it" and that it was experimental, but that he knew very early how it would end. According to Stevenson, an agent reached out to him shortly after he had posted the first few pages. Stevenson was still at school when he learned his agent had sold Nimona to the publisher HarperCollins. The webcomic ran from June 2012 to September 2014. Stevenson described completing Nimona as both satisfying and "a little sad". HarperCollins published

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