subgenre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
of
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
literature that strives to present stories set in (and often centered on) a rational and knowable world. Hard fantasy is similar to
hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...
, from which it draws its name, in that they all aim to build their respective worlds in a rigorous and logical manner.
Origins
Jane Lindskold
Jane M. Lindskold is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels.
Early life
Jane M. Lindskold was born on 15 September 1962, and grew up in Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake Bay area. Jane is the first of fo ...
, whose writing has been called hard fantasy, in 2009 attributed the origin of this term to an unnamed radio interviewer.
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...
traces the term origins to 1980s as proposed by unnamed writers of historical fantasy.
Definition
The definition of hard fantasy is amorphous in practice. Marie Brennan remarked in 2008 that "the term has been around for a while without anybody ever achieving consensus on what it refers to" and proposed a broad definition that "it's any story that treats magic like science" or fantasy stories that "are concerned with ''how stuff works, and why''".
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...
in '' The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'' concurred that the term "is used in several different ways", all attempting to create an analogy with the term
hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...
, with first definitions reserved for works that are "scrupulously faithful to historical and
anthropological
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
data" outside having some magic or myth plot elements, and later definitions being more broad.John Clute and John Grant in ''
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' is a 1997 reference work concerning fantasy fiction, edited by John Clute and John Grant. Other contributors include Mike Ashley, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, David Langford, Sam J. Lundwall, Michael S ...
'' defined it as a genre where "magic is regarded as an almost scientific force of nature and subject to the same sort of rules and principles", and which "might refer to fantasy stories equivalent to the form of hard sf known as the 'scientific problem' story, where the hero must logically solve a problematic magical situation".
Lindskold enumerates the key points of the genre as respecting reason, logic and "real world laws".
Fernando Savater
Fernando Fernández-Savater Martín (born 21 June 1947 at Basque city of San Sebastián) is a Spanish philosopher, essayist and author.
Early years and career
Born in San Sebastián, he was an Ethics professor at the University of the Basque ...
draws similar lines while contrasting hard fantasy with soft fantasy, though it is unclear whether he distinguishes between fantasy and science fiction, as he lists Jules Verne and
soft science fiction
Soft science fiction, or soft SF, is a category of science fiction with two different definitions, defined in contrast to hard science fiction. It can refer to science fiction that explores the "soft" sciences (e.g. psychology, political scienc ...
The following works have been called hard fantasy:
* '' Dragon Cauldron'' (1991) by
Laurence Yep
Laurence Michael Yep (; born June 14, 1948) is an American writer. He is known for his children's books, having won the Newbery Honor twice for his ''Golden Mountain'' series. In 2005, he received the biennial Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his ...
* ''
The Iron Dragon's Daughter
''The Iron Dragon's Daughter'' is a 1993 science fantasy novel by American writer Michael Swanwick. The story follows Jane, a changeling (legend), changeling girl who slaves at a dragon factory in the world of Fairy, Faerie, building part-magical ...
'' (1993) by
Michael Swanwick
Michael Swanwick (born 18 November 1950) is an American fantasy and science fiction author who began publishing in the early 1980s.
Writing career
Swanwick's fiction writing began with short stories, starting in 1980 when he published "Ginungagap ...
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' by
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
(1936–1970s)
* ''
The Kingkiller Chronicle
''The Kingkiller Chronicle'' is a fantasy trilogy by the American writer Patrick Rothfuss. The first two books, '' The Name of the Wind'' and ''The Wise Man's Fear'', were released in 2007 and 2011. The books released in the series have sold ove ...
'' by
Patrick Rothfuss
Patrick James Rothfuss (born June 6, 1973) is an American author. He is best known for his duology ''The Kingkiller Chronicle'', which has won him several awards, including the 2007 Quill Award for his debut novel, ''The Name of the Wind''. Its ...
Tad Williams
Robert Paul "Tad" Williams (born March 14, 1957) is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. He is the author of the multivolume '' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn'' series, '' Otherland'' series, and '' Shadowmarch'' series as well as the stan ...
Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams (born October 28, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Previously he wrote nautical adventure fiction under the name Jon Williams, in particular, ''Privateers and Gentlemen'' (1981–1984), a series of hi ...
* ''
Mistborn
''Mistborn'' is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author Brandon Sanderson and published by Tor Books. The first trilogy, published between 2006 and 2008, consists of ''The Final Empire'', ''The Well of Ascension'', and ''Th ...
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
Geoff Ryman
Geoffrey Charles Ryman (born 1951) is a Canadian writer of science fiction, fantasy, slipstream and historical fiction.
Biography
Ryman was born in Canada and moved to the United States at age 11. He earned degrees in History and English at UCLA ...
Dozois, Gardner, ''
Modern Classics of Fantasy
''Modern Classics of Fantasy'' is an anthology of fantasy short works edited by American writer Gardner Dozois. It was first published in hardcover by St. Martin's Griffin in January 1997, which also issued a trade paperback edition in November o ...
'', page xix. St. Martin's Press, 1997.
* ''
Master of the Five Magics
''Master of the Five Magics'' is a fantasy novel by Lyndon Hardy, first published in 1980. It is the first of a trilogy set in the same world; the second book is ''Secret of the Sixth Magic'' and the third ''Riddle of the Seven Realms''. The boo ...
'' (1980) by
Lyndon Hardy
Lyndon Mauriece Hardy is an American physicist, fantasy author, and business owner.
Biography
Hardy is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He attended California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology ...
See also
*
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...
Soft science fiction
Soft science fiction, or soft SF, is a category of science fiction with two different definitions, defined in contrast to hard science fiction. It can refer to science fiction that explores the "soft" sciences (e.g. psychology, political scienc ...