Contemporary fantasy is a
subgenre
Genre () is any style or form 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 that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
set in the present day. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenres,
occult detective fiction
Occult detective fiction is a subgenre of detective fiction that combines the trope (literature), tropes of the main genre with those of supernatural fiction, supernatural, fantasy fiction, fantasy and/or horror fiction. Unlike the traditional ...
,
urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, placing supernatural elements in a contemporary urban area, urban-affected setting. The combination provides the writer with a platform for classic fantasy tropes, quixotic plot-elements, and unusual charac ...
,
low fantasy,
supernatural fiction
Supernatural fiction or supernaturalist fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction that is centered on supernatural themes, often contradicting Naturalism (philosophy), naturalist assumptions of the real world.
Description
In its broadest def ...
and
paranormal fiction
Paranormal fiction is a genre of fiction whose story lines revolve around the paranormal.
Sub genres
* Paranormal romance
Television
*''The X-Files'', a suspense drama television series in which characters investigate various paranormal pheno ...
. Several authors note that in contemporary fantasy, magical or fantastic elements are separate or secret from the mundane world.
Definition and overview
The term is used to describe stories set in the putative real world (often referred to as ''
consensus reality
Consensus reality refers to the generally agreed-upon version of reality within a community or society, shaped by shared experiences and understandings. This understanding arises from the inherent differences in individual perspectives or subjec ...
'') in contemporary times, in which magic and magical creatures exist but are not commonly seen or understood as such, either living in the interstices of our world or leaking over from
alternate worlds.
Frances Sinclair, determining what to call fantasy set in our known world, contrasts contemporary fantasy with
magical realism
Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...
. She notes that in contemporary fantasy magical elements are often kept secret from most people, and notes the amount of young adult fantasy in the subgenre. In contrast, Sinclair points out that in magical realism "the impossible can occur without comment", and the relationship between reader and narrator may be stronger.
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (25 July 1948 – 24 February 2024) was a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who published a hundred novels and over a hundred volumes of translations. His earlier books were published under the name Br ...
attempts to narrowly define the genre, excluding
portal fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or magical elements, often including imaginary places and creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, which later became fantasy literature and drama. From the ...
and fantasy "in which the magical entity is a blatant anomaly".
He arrives at a definition of fantasy set in the mundane world, often including an "elaborate secret history". He notes that much contemporary fantasy is set in rural settings, but also notes the subgenre of
urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, placing supernatural elements in a contemporary urban area, urban-affected setting. The combination provides the writer with a platform for classic fantasy tropes, quixotic plot-elements, and unusual charac ...
, and that both children's fiction and literary fiction often fall within this genre.
[
The '' Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' similarly suggests that the mundane and fantastic are contrasted within the genre. The ''Encyclopedia''s definition includes "portal fantasy in which transition between the two realms occurs regularly", as well as several other subgenres; it cites Peter S. Beagle's ''Lila the Werewolf'' as a classic of the type. It also notes that in many contemporary fantasies, the fantastic "colonizes" the mundane home.] Greg Bechtel agrees with the ''Encyclopedia'', saying the sub-genre "explicitly depicts the collision of the contemporary world with a world of magic and spirits". He notes the distinction between this genre and magical realism, crediting Greer Watson, but says that there can be overlap.[
Grzegorz Trebicki describes "contemporary" fantasy works "set in our 'primary' world, in which the textual reality has been enriched by various fantastical elements, usually borrowed from particular mythologies or folk traditions".] He says that such works are usually driven by genre conventions other than mythical archetypes.
The term has also been equated with "Paranormal Fantasy", due to the frequency of "paranormal characters (werewolves
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf–humanlike creature, either purposely or after bei ...
, vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
s, wizards, fairies
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
, etc.)"
A broad definition
Camille Bacon-Smith uses the term to describe fantasy stories set in the time they were written, and provides H.P. Lovecraft and Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Along with Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, Leiber is one of the fathers of sword and sorcery.
Life ...
's novel ''Conjure Wife
''Conjure Wife'' (1943) is a supernatural horror novel by American writer Fritz Leiber. Its premise is that witchcraft flourishes as an open secret among women. The story is told from the point of view of a small-town college professor who disco ...
'' as examples. She states that "contemporary fantasy belongs to the Gothic tradition of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' and Poe's ' The Fall of the House of Usher'", noting also that "contemporary fantasy has been a part of the genre since its beginning". She notes that the genre was less popular by the 1960s, considering it supplanted by New Wave and Celtic Twilight books. Bacon-Smith credits Terri Windling's 1986 introduction of Borderland as a key event in improving interest in the genre, also noting the earlier influence of Anne Rice's ''Interview With The Vampire
''Interview with the Vampire'' is a gothic horror and vampire novel by American author Anne Rice, published in 1976. It was her debut novel. Based on a short story Rice wrote around 1968, the novel centers on vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac ...
'' which she says has a "contemporary background".[
]
Style
In his preface to '' That Hideous Strength'', one of the earlier works falling within this subgenre, C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
explained why, when writing a tale about "magicians, devils, pantomime animals and planetary angels", he chose to start it with a detailed depiction of narrow-minded academic politics at a provincial English university and the schemes of crooked real estate developers:
The same is true for many later works in the genre, which often begin with a seemingly normal scene of modern daily life to then disclose supernatural and magical beings and events hidden behind the scenes.
In an analysis of religion in modern fantasy, Sylvia Kelso notes a "market shift" from high fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Pres ...
toward contemporary fantasy, also explaining that "paranormal" subgenres have branched from contemporary fantasy, especially ones centered on vampires and werewolves. Kelso notes that contemporary fantasy is more willing to draw on religious themes than high fantasy. This has been influenced by its openness to vampires and other traditionally evil supernatural beings, which encourages writers to use Christianity to create villains such as demons. However, other books and series draw on other religions and traditions.
Relationship with other subgenres
Novels in which modern characters travel into other worlds, and all the magical action takes place there (except for the portal required to transport them), are not considered contemporary fantasy. Also, contemporary fantasy is generally distinguished from horror fiction
Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon, in 1984, defin ...
that mixes contemporary settings and fantastic elements by the overall tone, emphasizing joy or wonder rather than fear or dread.
The contemporary fantasy and low fantasy genres can overlap as both are set in the real world. There are differences, however. Low fantasies are set in the real world but not necessarily in the modern age, in which case they would not be contemporary fantasy.
There is a considerable overlap between contemporary fantasy and urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, placing supernatural elements in a contemporary urban area, urban-affected setting. The combination provides the writer with a platform for classic fantasy tropes, quixotic plot-elements, and unusual charac ...
.[
]
Examples
Examples are grouped by author, ordered by initial publication year in the genre.
* The occult thrillers of Charles Williams, 1930–1945[
* '' That Hideous Strength'' by ]C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
, 1945
* ''Lila the Werewolf'' by Peter S. Beagle, 1969[
* The novels of Tom Robbins, 1971–2009][
* '' Little, Big'' by John Crowley, 1981][
* ''Living in Ether'' by Patricia Geary, 1982][
* '' Moonheart'', 1984, and '' The Onion Girl'', 2001, and the rest of the Newford series by ]Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer.
Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, contemporary magical realism, and mythic fiction. Along with authors like Terri Windling, Emma Bull ...
, 1990–2009
* '' Talking Man'' by Terry Bisson, 1986[
* '' War for the Oaks'' by Emma Bull, 1987][
* The short fiction of ]Lucius Shepard
Lucius Shepard (August 21, 1943 – March 18, 2014) was an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leaned into other genres, such as magical realism.
Career
Shepard was a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, wher ...
[
* '']Neverwhere
''Neverwhere'' is an urban fantasy television miniseries by Neil Gaiman that first aired in 1996 on BBC 2. The series is set in "London Below", a magical realm coexisting with the more familiar London, referred to as "London Above". It was de ...
'', 1996, and the graphic novels of Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...
[
* ''The Hex Witch of Seldom'' by Nancy Springer, 1988
* ''Dangerous Angels'' by Francesca Lia Block, 1989]
* ''The Thread That Binds the Bones'' by Nina Kiriki Hoffman, 1993[
* '' Waking the Moon'' by Elizabeth Hand, 1994][
* '' The Wood Wife'' by Terri Windling, 1996]
* ''The Seventh Heart'' by Marina Fitch, 1997[
* The '']Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' series by J.K. Rowling, 1997–2007[
* '' King Rat'' by ]China Miéville
China Tom Miéville ( , born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and Literary criticism, literary critic. He often describes his work as "weird fiction", and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called ...
, 1998
* ''Dark Cities Underground'' by Lisa Goldstein, 1999
* ''The Dragons of the Cuyahoga'' by S. Andrew Swann, 2001[
* '' Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale'' by ]Holly Black
Holly Black (; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. She is also well kn ...
, 2002
* '' Summerland'' by Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon ( ;
born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, D.C., he spent a year studying at Carnegie Mellon University before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, ...
, 2002[
* ''The Summer Country'' by James A. Hetley, 2002][
* ''Hannah's Garden'' by Midori Snyder, 2004]
* '' The Magicians'' and its sequels by Lev Grossman, 2009–2014
* ''The Book of Heroes'' by Miyuki Miyabe, 2009[
]
See also
* List of genres
* Supernatural fiction
Supernatural fiction or supernaturalist fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction that is centered on supernatural themes, often contradicting Naturalism (philosophy), naturalist assumptions of the real world.
Description
In its broadest def ...
References
Sources
* Martin Horstkotte, ''The postmodern fantastic in contemporary British fiction''. WVT, Trier 2004,
* Lance Olsen, ''Ellipse of uncertainty : an introduction to postmodern fantasy''. Greenwood Press, Westport 1987,
External links
*
{{Film genres
Fantasy genres