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Fantasy is a
genre 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 fo ...
of
speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...
that involves
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
or magical elements, often including imaginary places and creatures. The genre's roots lie in
oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...
s, which later became
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, ...
literature and drama. From the twentieth century onward, it has expanded into various media, including film, television,
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
s,
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
,
animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
, and
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
. The expression ''fantastic literature'' is often used for this genre by Anglophone literary critics. An archaic spelling for the term is ''phantasy''. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and horror by an absence of scientific or macabre themes, although these can occur in fantasy. In
popular culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art
f. pop art F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet. F may also refer to: Science and technology Mathematics * F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems * ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function * F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings that reflect the actual Earth, but with some sense of otherness.


Characteristics

Many works of fantasy use magic or other
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
elements as a main plot element, theme, or setting. Magic, magic practitioners ( sorcerers,
witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
es and so on) and magical creatures are common in many of these worlds. An identifying trait of fantasy is the author's use of narrative elements that do not have to rely on history or nature to be coherent.ed. Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn, ''Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature'', This differs from realistic fiction in that realistic fiction has to attend to the history and natural laws of reality, where fantasy does not. In writing fantasy the author uses
worldbuilding Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world or setting (narrative), setting, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. Developing the world with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, culture and ecology is a k ...
to create characters, situations, and settings that may not be possible in reality. Many fantasy authors use real-world folklore and mythology as inspiration; and although another defining characteristic of the fantasy genre is the inclusion of supernatural elements, such as magic, this does not have to be the case. Fantasy has often been compared to
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and horror because they are the major categories of
speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...
. Fantasy is distinguished from science fiction by the plausibility of the narrative elements. A science fiction narrative is unlikely, though seemingly possible through logical scientific or technological extrapolation, where fantasy narratives do not need to be scientifically possible. Authors have to rely on the readers'
suspension of disbelief Suspension of disbelief is the avoidance—often described as willing—of critical thinking and logic in understanding something that is unreal or impossible in reality, such as something in a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe i ...
, an acceptance of the unbelievable or impossible for the sake of enjoyment, in order to write effective fantasies. Despite both genres' heavy reliance on the supernatural, fantasy and horror are distinguishable from one another. Horror primarily evokes fear through the protagonists' weaknesses or inability to deal with the antagonists.


History


Early history

While elements of the supernatural and the fantastic were part of literature from its beginning, fantasy elements also occur throughout ancient religious texts such as the ''
Epic of Gilgamesh The ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' () is an epic poetry, epic from ancient Mesopotamia. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian language, Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh (formerly read as Sumerian "Bilgames"), king of Uruk, some of ...
''. The ancient Babylonian creation epic, the '' Enûma Eliš'', in which the god
Marduk Marduk (; cuneiform: Dingir, ᵈAMAR.UTU; Sumerian language, Sumerian: "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In B ...
slays the goddess
Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( or , ) is the primordial sea, mating with Abzû (Apsu), the groundwater, to produce the gods in the Babylonian epic '' Enûma Elish'', which translates as "when on high". She is referred to as a woman, an ...
, reflects the theme of cosmic conflict between good and evil, which is characteristic of the modern fantasy genre. Genres of romantic and fantasy literature also existed in ancient Egypt. ''The Tales of the Court of King Khufu'', which is preserved in the
Westcar Papyrus The Westcar Papyrus (inventory-designation: ''P. Berlin 3033'') is an ancient Egyptian text containing five stories about miracles performed by priests and magicians. In the papyrus text, each of these tales are told at the royal court of King ...
and was probably written in the middle of the second half of the eighteenth century BC, preserves a mixture of stories with elements of historical fiction, fantasy, and satire. Egyptian funerary texts preserve mythological tales, the most significant of which are the myths of Osiris and his son
Horus Horus (), also known as Heru, Har, Her, or Hor () in Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as the god of kingship, healing, protection, the sun, and t ...
. Myth with fantastic elements intended for adults were a major genre of
ancient Greek literature Ancient Greek literature is literature written in the Ancient Greek language from the earliest texts until the time of the Byzantine Empire. The earliest surviving works of ancient Greek literature, dating back to the early Archaic period, ar ...
. The comedies of
Aristophanes Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...
are filled with fantastic elements, particularly his play '' The Birds'', in which an Athenian man persuades the world's birds to build a city in the clouds and thereby challenges
Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...
's authority.
Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...
's ''
Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...
'' and
Apuleius Apuleius ( ), also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (c. 124 – after 170), was a Numidians, Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman Empire, Roman Numidia (Roman province), province ...
's ''
The Golden Ass The ''Metamorphoses'' of Apuleius, which Augustine of Hippo referred to as ''The Golden Ass'' (Latin: ''Asinus aureus''), is the only ancient Roman novel in Latin to survive in its entirety. The protagonist of the novel is Lucius. At the end of ...
'' are both works that influenced the development of the fantasy genre by taking mythic elements and weaving them into personal accounts. Both works involve complex narratives in which humans beings are transformed into animals or inanimate objects. Platonic teachings and early Christian theology are major influences on the modern fantasy genre.
Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born  BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...
used
allegories As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughou ...
to convey many of his teachings, and early Christian writers interpreted both the Old and
New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
s as employing
parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whe ...
s to convey spiritual truths. This ability to find meaning in a story that is not literally true became the foundation for developing the modern fantasy genre. Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese sources contain fantasy elements as well. The best-known fiction from the
Islamic world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...
is ''
One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition ( ...
(The Arabian Nights)'', which is a compilation of ancient and medieval folk tales. Various characters from this epic have become cultural icons in Western culture, such as
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
, Sinbad, and Ali Baba.
Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...
was an evolution of the earlier
Vedic mythology The historical Vedic religion, also called Vedism or Brahmanism, and sometimes ancient Hinduism or Vedic Hinduism, constituted the religious ideas and practices prevalent amongst some of the Indo-Aryan peoples of the northwest Indian subcontin ...
and had many more fantastical stories and characters, particularly in the Indian epics. The ''
Panchatantra The ''Panchatantra'' ( IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, , "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story.
'' (''Fables of Bidpai''), for example, used animal
fable Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...
s and magical tales to illustrate the central Indian principles of
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
. Chinese traditions have been particularly influential in the vein of fantasy known as
Chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other Sinosphere artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
, which includes such writers as Ernest Bramah and Barry Hughart.John Grant and John Clute, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, "Chinoiserie", p 189 ''
Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ) is an Old English poetry, Old English poem, an Epic poetry, epic in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 Alliterative verse, alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and List of translat ...
'' is among the best known of the Old English tales in the English-speaking world, and it has deeply influenced the fantasy genre; several fantasy works have retold the story, for example, John Gardner's novel '' Grendel''.
Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...
, as found in the Elder Edda and Younger Edda collections, includes such figures as the god
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
and his fellow Aesir, in addition to dwarves,
elves An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda''. In medieval Germanic-speakin ...
,
dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
s, and
giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...
. These elements have been directly imported into various fantasy works. The distinct folklores of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland have sometimes been used indiscriminately for "Celtic" fantasy, sometimes with great success; other writers have specified the use of a single source.John Grant and John Clute, ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', "Celtic fantasy", p 275 The Welsh tradition has been particularly influential, because of its connection to the legendary
King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
and its collection into a single work, the epic
Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...
. There are many works where the boundary between fantasy and other genres is unclear: did the writers believe in the possibility of the marvels in the play ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
'' or the romance in '' Sir Gawain and the Green Knight''? This question makes it difficult to distinguish when fantasy began, in its modern sense.


Modern fantasy

Although pre-dated by
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...
's story '' The King of the Golden River'' (1841), the history of modern fantasy literature is usually said to begin with George MacDonald, the Scottish author of such novels as '' Phantastes'' (1858) and '' The Princess and the Goblin'' (1872); the former is widely considered to be the first fantasy novel ever written for adults. MacDonald was a major influence on both
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 Rawlinson ...
and
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 ...
. The other major fantasy author of this era was
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
, an English poet who wrote several novels in the latter part of the century, including '' The Wood Beyond the World'' (1894) and '' The Well at the World's End'' (1896). Despite MacDonald's future influence with the novel '' At the Back of the North Wind'' (1871), Morris's popularity with his contemporaries, and
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
's novel '' The Wonderful Visit'' (1895), it was not until the 20th century that fantasy fiction began to reach a large audience. Lord Dunsany established the genre's popularity in both the novel and the short story forms. H. Rider Haggard,
Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...
, and
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...
began to write fantasy around this time. These authors, along with Abraham Merritt, established what was known as the ''lost world'' subgenre; this was the most popular form of fantasy in the early decades of the 20th century, although several classic children's fantasies, such as '' Peter Pan'' and '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', were also published around this time. Juvenile fantasy was considered more acceptable than fantasy intended for adults, with the consequence that writers who wished to write fantasy for adults needed to fit their work into forms aimed at children.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...
wrote fantasy in '' A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys'', intended for children, although his works for adults only verged on fantasy. For many years, this book and successes such as the novel ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
'' (1865) created a circular effect: all fantasy works, even the later series ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
'', were therefore classified as children's literature. Political and social trends can affect a society's reception of fantasy. In the early 20th century, the
New Culture Movement The New Culture Movement was a progressivism, progressive sociopolitical movement in China during the 1910s and 1920s. Participants criticized many aspects of traditional Chinese society, in favor of new formulations of Chinese culture inform ...
's enthusiasm for Westernization and science in China compelled them to condemn the fantastical ''shenmo'' genre of traditional Chinese literature. The spells and magical creatures in these novels were viewed as superstitious and backward, products of a feudal society hindering the modernization of China. Stories of the supernatural continued to be denounced once the Communists rose to power, and mainland China experienced a revival in fantasy only after the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
had ended. Fantasy became a genre of
pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 until around 1955. The term "pulp" derives from the Pulp (paper), wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed, due to their ...
s published in the West. The first all-fantasy fiction magazine, ''
Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, printe ...
'', was published in 1923. Many similar magazines eventually followed, including '' The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF)''. When this magazine was founded in 1949, the pulp format was at the height of its popularity; ''F&SF'' was instrumental in bringing fantasy fiction to a wide audience in both the US and the UK. Such magazines were also instrumental in the rise of science fiction, and the two genres were first associated with each other around this time. By 1950, ''sword and sorcery'' fiction had begun to find a wider audience, with the success of
Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was an American writer who wrote pulp magazine, pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He created the character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sor ...
's ''
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
'' stories 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 '' Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser'' stories. However, it was the advent of
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 ...
—especially J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...
'' and ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
series'', which reached new heights of popularity in the late 1960s—that allowed fantasy to enter the mainstream. Jane Yolen, "Introduction" p vii–viii ''After the King: Stories in Honor of J.R.R. Tolkien'', ed, Martin H. Greenberg, Several other series, such as C. S. Lewis's ''
The Chronicles of Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia (wor ...
'' and
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin ( ; Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the ''Earthsea'' fantas ...
's ''
Earthsea ''The Earthsea Cycle'', also known as ''Earthsea'', is a series of high fantasy books written by American author Ursula K. Le Guin. Beginning with '' A Wizard of Earthsea'' (1968), '' The Tombs of Atuan'', (1970) and '' The Farthest Shore'' (1 ...
'', helped to cement the genre's popularity. The popularity of the fantasy genre has continued to increase in the 21st century, as evidenced by the best-selling status of several series: J. K. Rowling's ''
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 ...
'', Robert Jordan's ''
The Wheel of Time ''The Wheel of Time'' is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author Robert Jordan, with American author Brandon Sanderson as co-writer of the final three installments. Originally planned as a trilogy, ''The Wheel of Time'' came to ...
'',
George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...
's '' Song of Ice and Fire'', Steven Erikson's '' Malazan Book of the Fallen'',
Brandon Sanderson Brandon Winn Sanderson (born December19, 1975) is an American author of high fantasy, science fiction, and young adult books. He is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his fantasy novels, most notably the '' Mistb ...
's ''
The Stormlight Archive ''The Stormlight Archive'' is a high fantasy novel series written by American author Brandon Sanderson, planned to consist of ten novels. As of 2024, the series comprises five published novels and two novellas, set within his broader Cosmere un ...
'' and '' Mistborn'', and A. Sapkowski's '' The Witcher''.


Media

Several fantasy film adaptations have achieved blockbuster status, most notably ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy directed by
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which ar ...
, and 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 ...
'' films, two of the highest-grossing film series in cinema history. Fantasy
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
s (RPGs) span several media. ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' (''D&D'') was the first
tabletop role-playing game A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants d ...
, and it remains the most successful and influential. According to a 1999 survey in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, six percent of 12- to 35-year-olds have played role-playing games. Of those who play regularly, two thirds play ''D&D''. Products branded ''Dungeons & Dragons'' accounted for over fifty percent of the RPG products sold in 2005. The
science fantasy file:Warhammer40kcosplay.jpg, Cosplay of a character from the ''Warhammer 40,000'' tabletop game; one critic has characterized the game's setting as "action-oriented science-fantasy." Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction ...
role-playing game series ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
'' has been an icon of the
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
genre. (, it was still among the top ten best-selling video game franchises.) The first
collectible card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. The genre was introduced with ''Magic: The G ...
, '' Magic: The Gathering'', has a fantasy theme and is similarly dominant in the industry.


Classification


By theme (subgenres)

Fantasy encompasses numerous
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 ...
s characterized by particular themes or settings, or by an overlap with other literary genres or forms of speculative fiction. These subgenres include the following: * Bangsian fantasy, interactions with famous historical figures in the afterlife, named for John Kendrick Bangs * Comic fantasy, humorous in tone *
Contemporary fantasy Contemporary fantasy is a genre, subgenre of fantasy set in the present day. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenres, occult detective fiction, urban fantasy, low fantasy, supernatural fiction and paranormal fiction. Several authors note that ...
, set in the modern world or a world based on a contemporary era, but involving magic or other supernatural elements *
Dark fantasy Dark fantasy, also called fantasy horror, is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporates disturbing and frightening themes. The term is ambiguously used to describe stories that combine horror fiction, horror ...
, including elements of
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 ...
*Extruded fantasy product, derogatory term for derivative works *
Fable Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...
s, stories with non-human characters, leading to morals or lessons *
Fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...
s themselves, as well as
fairytale fantasy Fairytale fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy. It is distinguished from other subgenres of fantasy by the works' heavy use of motifs, and often plots, from fairy tales or folklore. History Literary fairy tales were not unknown in the Roman era ...
, which draws on fairy tale themes * Fantastic poetry, poetry with a fantastic theme *'' Fantastique'', a genre characterized by the intrusion of supernatural elements into the realistic framework of a story, accompanied by uncertainty about their existence * Fantasy of manners, or mannerpunk, focusing on matters of social standing in the style of a
comedy of manners In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. ...
* Gaslamp fantasy, using a Victorian or
Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
setting, influenced by
gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean me ...
*
Gods and demons fiction Gods and demons fiction or Shenmo fiction () is a subgenre of Chinese fantasy fiction that revolves around the deities, immortals, demons and monsters of Chinese mythology. The term ''shenmo xiaoshuo'', coined in the early 20th century by the w ...
(''shenmo''), involving the gods and monsters of
Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...
* Grimdark fiction, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek label for fiction with an especially violent tone or
dystopia A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
n themes * Hard fantasy, whose supernatural aspects are intended to be internally consistent and explainable, named by analogy 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 ...
*Heroic fantasy, concerned with stories of heroes in imaginary lands *High fantasy or epic fantasy, characterized by a plot and themes of epic scale, often set in an alternate world. *Historical fantasy, historical fiction with fantasy elements *Isekai, people transported from the real world to a different one, mainly in Japanese fiction (anime, light novels and
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
) *Juvenile fantasy, children's literature with fantasy elements *LitRPG, set in a table-top or computer role-playing game, and depicting the progression and mechanics of the game *Low fantasy, characterized by few or non-intrusive supernatural elements, often in contrast to high fantasy *Magic realism, also a genre of literary fiction, is set in the real world where magic or the supernatural is considered normal or insignificant. *Magical girl fantasy, involving young girls with magical powers, mainly in Japanese fiction *Paranormal romance, Romance novel, romantic fiction with
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
or Legendary creature, fantastic creatures *Romantic fantasy, focusing on romantic relationships *Science fantasy, fantasy incorporating elements from
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
such as advanced technology, aliens and space travel, but also fantastical things *Steampunk, a genre which is sometimes a kind of fantasy, with elements from 19th century steam technology (historical fantasy and science fantasy both overlap with this genre) *Sword and sorcery, adventures of sword-wielding heroes, generally more limited in scope than epic fantasy *Urban fantasy, set in a city in the real world. *Weird fiction, macabre and unsettling stories from before the terms fantasy and horror were widely used; see also the more modern forms of Slipstream (genre), slipstream fiction and the New Weird *Xianxia (genre), Xianxia, Chinese martial-arts fiction often incorporating fantasy elements, such as gods, fairies, demons, magical realms, and reincarnation


By narrative function

In her book ''Rhetorics of Fantasy'' (2008), Farah Mendlesohn proposes a Taxonomy (general), taxonomy of fantasy, as "determined by the means by which the fantastic enters the narrated world." (She notes some fantasies fit none of the patterns in this taxonomy.) The taxonomy categories are as follows:


Subculture

Publishers, editors, authors, artists, and scholars who are interested in the fantasy genre meet annually at the World Fantasy Convention (WFC). The World Fantasy Awards are presented at this convention. The first WFC was held in 1975, and it has been held annually since that time (in a different city each year). In addition, many science fiction conventions, such as Florida's FX Show and MegaCon, cater to fantasy and horror fans. Anime conventions, such as Ohayocon and Anime Expo, often feature showings of fantasy, science fantasy, and dark fantasy series and films; examples include ''Majutsushi Orphen'' (fantasy), ''Sailor Moon'' (urban fantasy), ''Berserk (manga), Berserk'' (dark fantasy), and ''Spirited Away'' (fantasy). Many science-fiction/fantasy and anime conventions also emphasize or cater to one or more of the subcultures within the main cultures: * the cosplay subculture, in which people make or wear costumes based on existing or self-created characters, sometimes acting out skits or plays as well * the fan fiction subculture * the fan video or anime music video, AMV subculture * the large internet subculture, which is devoted to reading and writing prose fiction or doujinshi in or related to those genres According to 2013 statistics from the fantasy publisher Tor Books, men outnumber women by 67% to 33% among writers of historical, epic or high fantasy. By contrast, among writers of urban fantasy or paranormal romance, 57% are women and 43% are men.


Analysis

Fantasy is studied in a number of disciplines including English studies, English and other language studies, cultural studies, comparative literature, history, and medieval studies. Some works draw political, historical, and literary connections between medievalism and popular culture. The French literary theorist Tzvetan Todorov argues that the fantastic is a liminality, liminal space, characterized by the intrusion of supernatural elements into the realistic framework of a story, accompanied by uncertainty about their existence. However, this precise definition is not predominant in English critical literature; the French term ''fantastique'' is used to differentiate the French concept from the broader English term ''fantastic'', a synonym of fantasy. Todorov's restrictive definition and differences in national critical traditions have led to controversies such as the one initiated by Stanislaw Lem. Rosemary Jackson builds on and also challenges Todorov's definition of the fantastic in her book ''Fantasy: The Literature of Subversion'' (1981). Jackson rejects the notion of the genre as a vessel for wish fulfillment that transcends human reality in worlds presented as superior to our own; instead she posits that the genre is inseparable from real life, particularly the social and cultural contexts in which each work of the genre is produced. She writes that the "unreal" elements of fantastic literature are created only in direct contrast to the boundaries set by its time period's "cultural order"; these elements act to illuminate the unseen limitations of these boundaries, by undoing and recompiling the structures that define society into something "strange" and "apparently new". In subverting these societal norms, Jackson claims, the fantastic represents an unspoken desire for greater societal change. Jackson criticizes Todorov's theory as being too limited in scope, examining only the literary function of the fantastic; she expands his structuralist theory to fit a more cultural study of the genre—which she proposes is not actually a genre, but a mode that draws upon literary elements of both realistic and supernatural fiction, to create an air of uncertainty in fantastic narratives as described by Todorov. Jackson also introduces the idea of reading the fantastic through a psychoanalytical lens, referring primarily to Freud's theory of the unconscious, which she believes is integral to understanding the fantastic's connection to the human psyche. There are other ways to view the fantastic, and often these different perspectives come from different social climates. In their introduction to ''The Female Fantastic: Gender and the Supernatural in the 1890s and 1920s'', Lizzie Harris McCormick, Jennifer Mitchell, and Rebecca Soares describe how the social climate in the 1890s and 1920s allowed for a new era of fantastic literature to develop. Women were exploring new freedoms and becoming more equal in society. Public fears about such women in society, together with women's expanded roles, allowed them to create a new style of ''fuzzy'' supernatural texts. The fantastic sits on the boundary between the supernatural and the mundane; this is analogous to how many women no longer respected a boundary of inequality that had been created for them. At the time, women's roles in society were uncertain; this is similar to how the rules of the fantastic genre are rarely straightforward. This climate allowed for a genre resembling the social structure to emerge, in which the fantastic is never purely supernatural, nor can the supernatural be entirely ruled out. (Similarly, women were not fully equal yet, nor were they completely oppressed.) The ''female fantastic'' seeks to reinforce the idea that nothing is certain in the fantastic genre nor in the gender roles of the 1920s. Many women began to blur the lines between genders, removing the binary aspect of gender and allowing for multiple interpretations. In a new way, women began to possess more masculine or queer, ''queer'' qualities without encountering as much resistance. The fantastic genre reflects these new ideas by breaking analogous boundaries in the supernatural realm, so that readers never fully know whether the story is supernatural.McCormick, Lizzie Harris, Jennifer Mitchell, and Rebecca Soares, ''The Female Fantastic: Gender and the Supernatural in the 1890s and 1920s'' (Routledge, 2019)


Related genres

* Horror fiction, Horror * Science fantasy * Science fiction * Superhero fiction * Supernatural fiction
Afro-fantasy
* Utopian and dystopian fiction


See also

* Fantasy literature * Outline of fantasy * List of fantasy authors * Lists of fantasy novels * List of fantasy worlds * List of genres * List of high fantasy fiction * List of literary genres * Fantastique * Theosophy and literature#Theosophical fiction, Theosophical fiction * Worldbuilding


References


Further reading

* * * * * *


External links

*
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
' online {{Authority control Fantasy, Fantasy genres, Speculative fiction