Speculative fiction is a difficult genre to categorize neatly. Many science fiction authors have also written works of fantasy.

Both types of genre are usually shelved together, both because of their readerships' tendencies to overlap and because of the authors' tendencies to blur the lines between these categories. Star Wars is a good example, since it is clearly within the science-fiction genre yet includes certain unexplained fantasy elements (particularly 'The Force,' may it be with you all). Science-Fiction and Fantasy are substantially different categories, however the line between them is often a thin one. A piece can belong to the fantasy genre as well as the detective genre, the romance genre etc. Fiction can and is often a multiple thing. Sub GenresĬharacteristics of fantasy fiction and its many overlapping sub-genres are the subjects of debate among some fans and writers. In fantasy, the reader may return to a simpler time - the world as we wish it might be. When the strong ruled the weak and weak lived happily - providing rustic atmosphere in the way good peasants should. Heroic fantasy yearns for a time of rigid class distinction, when good and evil were a part of breeding. Stories of the Odyssey, Arthur, and the like have influenced and shaped culture for centuries. Eventually there is often a happy ending although important secondary characters may have been killed. (It could also be argued that this is the elementary basis of most commercial fiction genres.) Good is good and evil is evil. One thing is certain: there is something timeless about stories that pit motivating heroes who face long odds against dynamic villains. It is certainly interesting that many people for many generations believed in myth and legend in a way that dramatically affected their life and their culture. With its roots in myth and legend, fantasy is the most elemental of all the genres. It is often examined as the modern counterpart to mythology, but whether one of these practices inspired the other, and which inspired which, is hotly debated. Fantasy Fiction has a rich history of inspirations for critics to dissect and apply to the modern genre. Though the genre in its modern sense is less than two centuries old, its precedents have a long and distinguished history. They wish on candles, wait for tooth fairies, talk to their stuffed animals and play with imaginary friends. Fairy tales by known authors, such as those by Hans Christian Andersen, are considered modern fantasy and have no problem relating to young children in fact most adolescents grow up believing in fantasy. It may even be practiced by the characters.įantasy usually describes those stories that could not happen in real life. Something magical is almost always part of fantasy and magic may be seen in the setting or in the plot. Make-believe is what this genre is all about.Īnother description of a Fantasy Novel is any book that contains unrealistic settings, or magic, often set in a medieval universe, or possibly involving mythical beings or supernatural forms as a primary element of the plot, theme, or setting. The genre is often characterized by a departure from the accepted rules by which individuals perceive the world around them it represents that which is impossible (unexplained) and outside the parameters of our known, reality. Fantasy Fiction could be described as something that contains rudiments that are not realistic, such as magical powers, talking animals, etc.

Fantastical meaning