What is fantasy genre

The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race.

The fantastic element of this story is, of course, the talking tortoise and hare, and their abilities to reason like humans.

Fantasy has a particularly large presence in popular culture, much more so than most other genres. Many now-famous books and films have developed massive fan bases seemingly overnight, from fantasy classics like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia , to modern day favorites like the Harry Potter series, the Twilight saga, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Literally sold by the billions, the most popular series of books ever written to date is J. In fact, the size of the Harry Potter universe within popular culture is immeasurable.

The fan following of these fantasy books is both historical and remarkable, as is the resulting relationship between the author and her fans. As a result of their popularity, the seven Harry Potter books have been made into eight blockbusters some of the most successful in cinematic history , which led to an expansive merchandise and videogame business, and then further to the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios—to name a few things.

Furthermore, the dedication and enthusiasm of her fan base led Rowling to develop Pottermore , an online interactive world set within the storyline of the Harry Potter series, where fans can become virtual wizards and students at Hogwarts, and is still releasing content years after the publication of the final book.

When it comes to fantasy in popular culture, Harry Potter is a powerhouse. Like J. These stories are unique, however, because the elements of fantasy that are part of the books—dragons, white walkers, giants, etc—are all mentioned, but are thought to have become extinct or ceased to exist years and years before.

Thus, the dragons are even more magical and terrible to behold because people believe they are gone from the world. Twilight took over the market for teen fiction and was soon developed into four majorly successful films. It took over magazines, websites, social media, clothing companies, and more. Technically, science fiction could be considered a subgenre of fantasy, as it involves supernatural elements.

However, it is always distinguished from fantasy because its focus is scientific and futuristic rather than magical and often medieval. Like science fiction, horror could also technically be considered a subgenre of fantasy, but it is likewise always distinguished from fantasy.

In conclusion, fantasy is one of the most popular and significant genres in both popular culture and literary history. List of Terms Action. Ad Hominem. Alter Ego. APA Citation. Comic Relief. Deus ex machina. Double Entendre. Dramatic irony. Often times, novels do not fit neatly into one distinct reading genre. Rather, they incorporate elements of multiple reading genres. In this article, I will be taking it upon myself to explain what the fantasy genre is in a clear and concise manner.

The fantasy genre is defined as a genre of theoretical fiction that incorporates magical, otherworldly components into the narrative. The setting is entirely fictional but still contains elements that resemble the real world. Novels in the fantasy genre are defined by a collection of archetypical elements. Not all of these archetypical elements are found in every single fantasy novel.

Nonetheless, the majority of the elements listed below are present in practically any fantasy story. It is a common thread among fantasy writers to deliberately incorporate these features into their novels.

For a more informative look at the archetypical elements of the fantasy genre, check out my blog post on 11 Archetypical Elements of the Fantasy Genre. You may be pleasantly surprised at what fantasy elements that readers regularly overlook. Virtually all stories in the fantasy genre integrate what is known as a magic system.

A magic system is a set of laws that oversee how supernatural powers are utilized and produced within a fantasy story. Often times, this is the main allure that compels individuals to read fantasy in the first place. The plot and characters of fantasy narratives are frequently based around a creative magic system. Magic systems allow writers to make the impossible possible. What is unreal in our world can become real in the world of fantasy.

Needless to say, a magic system allows endless opportunities for authors to showcase their gift of imagination. It is astonishing how far renowned fantasy authors can take their magic system when granted this creative freedom. World building refers to the manner in which fantasy authors construct an intricate imaginary universe for the story setting.

Since fantasy writers are not confined to the laws of the real world, these fantasy worlds can be remarkably innovative. Fundamental rules of the universe can bend to the will of these writers to accomplish whatever purpose they see fit. The fantasy genre is known for encapsulating its readers with its original settings. People are drawn to the idea of escaping into a world beyond their own. Readers can achieve just that with fantastical world building. In fact, this aspect of fantasy has become so prominent that readers have come to expect a physical geographical map to go along with their fantasy novels.

Readers want to fully engross themselves into the story. Having a physical map to refer to allows them to pinpoint exactly where they are in the fictional world. You will be hard pressed to find a fantasy novel that does not incorporate the world building feature. Generally, authors love to take on creative challenges for themselves.

World building is the ultimate creative challenge. It offers writers the rare opportunity to completely engross readers into their novels without having to craft a meticulous plot. If done correctly, the setting itself will be a source of appeal by its own merit. Characters in the fantasy genre often embark on quests packed full of perilous obstacles and nasty villains. It is typically the centerpiece to the storyline. Whether the quest is for a physical artifact or self discovery, this archetypical element provides exceptional possibilities in terms of what direction the story can take.

The main protagonists inevitably experience growth and development with a story structure modeled after a quest. Characters are forced to evolve as they are faced with daunting challenges that expose their weaknesses. These weaknesses come in a variety of forms, ranging from a lack of physical strength to a bloated pride.

To avoid failure, characters must confront these weaknesses head on and overcome them. The limitless imaginative possibilities and contrived character development compels fantasy writers to employ a dangerous quest in nearly every work.

Mythical creatures are another fantastical element that writers include to further reinforce the supernatural components of their story. Unique mythical creatures are just another means by which fantasy stories can distinguish themselves from other stories in other genres. They emphasize a distinct imaginative aura that many other novels lack. These mythical creatures take the form of practically anything befitting the imagination of the author.

Dragons, elves, goblins, and dwarves are just a few signature mythical creatures that characterize the fantasy genre. The beauty of mythical creatures is that they do not have to fit under any one of these archetypical umbrellas. A writer can craft a mythical creature from scratch if they so desire. Often times, these mythical creatures have a basis in reality. These fantastical beings draw striking similarities with organisms that we are familiar with.

For instance, dragons are essentially colossal, winged, fire-breathing lizards. The shared traits of fantasy with the real world helps the reader to visualize these mythical beings with ease.

The history of the fantasy genre stretches all the way back to ancient times with the rise of mythological narratives. This rich history provided the fantasy genre with the momentum necessary to take it all the way to the present time. This is not to say that some creative minds helped fuel the popularity of the fantasy genre along the way.

For a more comprehensive review on the origins of the fantasy genre, check out my blog post titled The Fascinating History Behind the Fantasy Genre. Trust me, you do not want to miss out on some of the curious facts about the founder of the fantasy genre! The exact starting point to the fantasy genre remains a topic of controversy to this day.

Although the specific origins of fantasy are incessantly debated, there are some common works that have emerged as leading candidates. Individuals in this faction argue that the mythological story concepts gave birth to the defining characteristics of the fantasy genre. They certainly have a point. In The Odyssey , you will find there are dangerous quests, unique mythical creatures, complex characters and a reoccurring use of magic.

This is one of the earliest works, if not THE earliest work, to employ such elements. Although this novel was published much later than The Odyssey , individuals argue that this work ignited the spark that eventually culminated into the legitimacy of modern fantasy. Before this work, supernatural aspects were plain and simple. They were typically reserved for children more than anyone else. George MacDonald transformed all of this with this fantasy work. He deliberately expanded the scope of fantasy to all audiences.

The true father of fantasy is a largely disputed subject. Some argue for Homer, some argue for George MacDonald, while others make their case for other renowned writers. Following my research, I am of the opinion that Homer is the father of the broader realm of fantasy whereas George MacDonald is the father of modern fantasy as we know it today. At the end of the day, what cannot be disputed is the immense contribution both of these men made to the evolution of the fantasy genre. No one else can view anything.

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