Fantasy

What Is Fantasy?

Fantasy is a genre that transports us to realms where magic reigns and imagination knows no bounds. It’s a world of enchantment, where dragons soar through skies painted with the hues of twilight, and wizards cast spells that bend reality itself. But how did this captivating realm come into existence?

The roots of fantasy are deeply embedded in ancient oral traditions, tales spun around campfires by storytellers who wove magic into every word. These stories have since expanded across various media, from the silver screen to the pages of graphic novels and video games.

Defining Fantasy

Fantasy is often distinguished from science fiction and horror by its absence of scientific or macabre themes. Instead, it delves into the realm of the supernatural, where magic and mythical creatures coexist with a sense of otherness that makes our own world seem mundane in comparison.

Many works of fantasy use magic or supernatural elements as their main plot element, theme, or setting. These narrative elements don’t rely on history or nature to be coherent; they are crafted from the rich tapestry of real-world folklore and mythology, giving readers a sense of familiarity while exploring the unknown.

Comparing Fantasy with Other Genres

Fantasy has been compared to science fiction and horror due to their speculative nature. However, it is distinguished by the plausibility of its narrative elements. While science fiction often explores futuristic technologies and scientific possibilities, fantasy requires readers’ suspension of disbelief for the sake of enjoyment.

A Rich History

The history of fantasy dates back to ancient religious texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and Enûma Eliš. Ancient Egyptian literature also featured mythological tales with fantastic elements, laying the groundwork for what would become a genre that continues to captivate readers today.

From Greek comedy and Roman mythology to Platonic teachings and early Christian theology, various literary works have influenced the development of fantasy. The Islamic world’s One Thousand and One Nights has become cultural icons in Western culture, while Hindu mythology and Chinese traditions have also left their mark on the genre.

The Evolution of Fantasy

Modern fantasy literature started with George MacDonald’s Phantastes (1858), which is considered the first fantasy novel for adults. William Morris and Lord Dunsany further established the genre’s popularity in the 20th century, while authors like H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs created the ‘lost world’ subgenre.

Juvenile fantasy was more acceptable than adult-oriented fantasy, forcing writers to create works aimed at children. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote fantasy for girls and boys, while other authors contributed to the development of modern fantasy, including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Subgenres and Adaptations

Fantasy encompasses numerous subgenres characterized by particular themes or settings. Portal fantasy involves entering a new world, immersive fantasy depicts a complete fictional world without questioning its fantastical elements, intrusion fantasy features the fantastic intruding on reality, and liminal fantasy blends the marvelous with everyday life.

Portal-quest fantasy is characterized by navigating the fantastical world in a quest-type narrative. Immersive fantasy assumes the default world as its base, negating wonder and acquiring scientific cohesion. Intrusion fantasy relies on explanation and description, hosting intrusions within itself. Liminal fantasy appears to be our own world but disconcerts the reader.

Media Adaptations

The pulp magazine format, starting with Weird Tales (1923), brought fantasy fiction to a wide audience in the US and Britain, influencing science fiction. By 1950, ‘sword and sorcery’ fiction had gained popularity, while high fantasy, exemplified by J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, reached new heights of popularity in the late 1960s.

Fantasy continued to increase in popularity in the 21st century with best-selling series like Harry Potter, Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Stormlight Archive, Mistborn, and The Witcher saga. Media adaptations include blockbuster films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Harry Potter series. Fantasy role-playing games, starting with Dungeons & Dragons, have also become successful and influential across various media.

Publishers and Conventions

Publishers and convention attendees get together yearly at the World Fantasy Convention and many science fiction conventions cater to fantasy fans. Anime conventions also feature showings of fantasy series and films. Conventions cater to various subcultures, including cosplay, fan fiction, and fan video subcultures.

Gender Dynamics in Fantasy

According to 2013 statistics, men outnumber women by 67% in historical or high fantasy writing, but 57% are women in urban fantasy or paranormal romance. Fantasy is studied in disciplines like English studies, cultural studies, and history.

The Fantastic and Its Theories

French literature theorists argue that the fantastic is a liminal space with supernatural elements in a realistic framework, accompanied by uncertainty about their existence. However, this definition is not predominant in English critical literature. Theories such as those of Todorov and Jackson challenge each other, proposing that fantasy is inseparable from real life and social contexts.

Other perspectives on the fantastic come from different social climates, such as the introduction of The Female Fantastic, which describes how women created a new style of ‘fuzzy’ supernatural texts during the 1890s and 1920s. The fantastic genre reflects these new ideas by breaking parallel boundaries in the supernatural, leaving readers uncertain about what is real or supernatural.

Fantasy is a genre that continues to evolve, offering endless possibilities for exploration and imagination. As we delve into its rich history and diverse subgenres, it becomes clear that fantasy is not just about magic and mythical creatures; it’s also about the human experience and our quest for understanding the unknown.