Discussion: Magical Realism

scififanatic and I were discussing magical realism yesterday at a Denny's. Wait, it's not important that we were at a chain diner. Or is it? What if I said it was a Denny's that served as a portal to an alternate universe where our server was a violet plumed rooster who scratched thin symbols into the trembling ground, and strutted off as a thick green beanstalk shot through the markings, producing jug-sized pitchers for our mimosas?

Actually, I had a Zinfandel.

So. Our discussion could be detailed as such:

a) What is magical realism?

b) What distinguishes magical realism?

c) Who gets to use the term magical realism?

Read my writeup of our attempts to answer these questions under the cut:

( No points for saying Gabriel Garcia Marquez, everyone says that, and frankly it's lazy. )