Fantasy

Fantasy literature is a genre of narrative fiction that grows out of supernatural elements, like magic.

History

Characteristics of Fantasy

Sub-genres

Portal
Secondary World

Secondary World consist of many different fictional scenarios and mirrors the author’s thoughts then what actually happens in the world itself.[1] In this type of world things go above and beyond measures. Different fantasies have a variety of twists and plots, but in secondary world the author puts your mind in another world. It seems unreal but it explores and unveil the rules and nature of that world. It contains having characters that nearly have more power then one man himself could bear. Low, High, Heroic, and Dark fantasies are some different fantasies that have secondary world. High Fantasies are characterized by its setting, characters, and even the plot.[2] In this type of fantasies, characters such as dragons, elves, wizards, and dwarfs can be found all over in secondary world. The Lord of the Rings is one the best high fantasy novels created. In Lord of The Rings, The Ring symbolizes power and evil.[3] The Dark Lord Sauron creates this Ring to overrule all other ring of powers as the supersonic weapon to overtake middle-earth.[4] Another second fantasy characteristic is "The Eye,” which represents a darker symbol. The Eye is used to protect the surroundings of Mordor, a way for Lord Sauron to see all around.

Heroic Fantasies is like a timeline of events for a character in the secondary world. Heroic is a bit different from high fantasies, its problems are generally those of the heroes, not the world.[5] A great example of this would be, Frodo Baggins from Lord of The Rings.[6] Frodo is a hobbit who takes on a quest with a wizard, dwarfs, and others to destroy the “ring” in the fire of Mount Doom. The journey Frodo takes is a test of survival. Having to travel thousands of miles by foot, escaping the black riders, and fighting off Sauron’s men, while still holding the only Ring that can control middle earth. As the journey continues he lost the urge to destroy the Ring, wanting to retain the Ring for himself. Even against all the his desire to keep it he still continues his mission and gets pass “The Eye” and reaches the volcano to destroy the Ring. A stoorish hobbit named Gollum attacks and bites off Frodo's finger but loses his balance and falls off the cliff with the ring destroying the Ring and dying. Low Fantasies are set in the real world with magical components. Low Fantasy can be described as an opposition to High Fantasy with non rational events occurring in a rational setting. [7] It does not consist of magical creatures or land. Low Fantasy stories mainly focus on the individual’s daily life.Harry Potter is an example of a very popular Low Fantasy novel. [8] The series showcases the adventures of a young wizard. Harry’s quest is to overcome the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort wants to become immortal and conquer the wizard world. His plan is to destroy all of the people in his way. American Gods is another novel that displays Low Fantasy. [9] The point of this story was that gods and mythical creatures existed simply because people believed in them. Immigrants brought spirits and gods with them to the United States.The conflict is the war between the new gods and the old ones. Dark Fantasies are stories that use elements of horror. The focus of a Dark Fantasy is not to scare the reader, it is to expose the reader to different creatures.[10] This makes it very different from actual horror. The Hunger Games is a great example, taking place in a nation called Panem. Panem was the result of destruction of their continent’s civilization due to a tragic event.[11]This novel is written in the voice of a 16 year old named Katniss Everdeen. The hunger games is an event that is held between a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18. This is a televised battle between the two. They battle until the death.

Epic Fantasy

Epic fantasy , often mistaken for high fantasy, takes its name from the tradition of epic poetry. Like epic poetry, epic fantasy novels have many characters and long, complex plots which help shape the nature of the world.[12] Epic fantasy tales have a high level of magic and violence. Although epic fantasy can be traced back to the epic of Beowulf and Gilgamesh, epic fantasy is still the most popular sub-genre of fantasy. Modern versions of epic fantasy tend to be more complicated and realistic. The difference between right and wrong is not as easily separated. The most popular epic fantasy novels of today are J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones.[13]

Sword and Sorcery
Urban Fantasy
Folklore

Folklore comes from tales passed down by word of mouth. It’s made up of informal expressions passed around long enough to have become recurrent in form and content, but changeable in performance.[14] This subgenre consist of myths, legends, fables, and fairytales. Myth is that which occurs in time-out-of-time. A myth is concerned with why the world is the way it is, and so unfolds in a setting that is distinct from time or place as it’s currently recognized.[15] Its stories from every culture, that, for centuries have explained natural phenomena and answered questions people have about the human condition: origin and creation stories, stories about life, death and life after death.[16] Legend occurs in “historical time” though it typically mixes fact with fiction. Usually with legends there is doubt about its credibility. They are unexplainable tales warped by the human imagination. A legend can be either about a person or a place. For example, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Atlantis are all types of legends. Fables are described as a didactic lesson given through some sort of animal story.[17] In Western society, the most common fables are by Aesop, consisting of short stories like The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Ant and the Grasshopper. Fairytales are short stories, typically with no author, but it still can be recognized despite many variations of the story. A fairytale is similar to myths, legends and fables. It can be either told orally or in text, the content of the story can come from historical content, and usually have a moral at the end of the story. Fairytales typically feature European folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments.[18] These type of stories withstand long periods of time because they are and embodiment of a culture, contain fundamental human truths by which people have lived for centuries, or they are simply entertaining.[19]

Magic Realism
Gothic
The New Weird
Grimdark
Romantic Fantasy

Romance fantasy stories share the same basic story line. The heroine has lost her place in society and must form new relationships, including social, political, and romantic relationships, in order to gain acceptance elsewhere. The heroine usually possesses magical powers and falls in love with a man who is also capable of performing magic. However, the magic in romance fantasy is much gentler. The heroine and the hero discover together how their powers can be used in order to restore good. Unlike realistic novels, romance fantasy novels can end unhappily. Although there is little to no violence, non-graphic sex is common.[20]