The Fantasy Genre

The key element of the fantasy fiction genre is magic. Fantasy novels may be romantic, historical, action-packed or all three, but the element of magic is what sets this genre apart from all the others. As cited in Diana Tixier Herald’s Fluent in Fantasy, fantasy editors David Hartwell and Kathryn Kramer define the genre “by their specifically magical nature, whether they take place in an imaginary medieval landscape or a contemporary metropolis.” Fairy tales, myths, and legends are part of the fantasy genre. Stories featuring wizards and sorcery, unicorns and dragons, are fantasy. Through fantasy fiction, readers are allowed to visit a world they never would have been able to otherwise.

Although all fantasy stories are unique, there are some characteristics that are common of the genre. In general, the conflict in fantasy novels is of good verses evil. Usually, the protagonist and supporting characters set out to conquer this evil, although this is often played out through a series of books, rather than just one. Most fantasy fiction also features great details, with settings, creatures, words and names that are often created by the author. Fantasy novels must be read carefully, for their settings and characters are not familiar in everyday life.

As James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock remark in their book, Fantasy: The 100 Best Books, “Fantasy . . . can offer dreams, the fulfillment of wishes, and escape.”