What is Fantasy?

What is fantasy? That and other related questions are answered here!

Hello and welcome!

In my journey to learn how to write better stories, I came across a series of questions that I needed to be answered.

For some of these questions, I already had a vague understanding, but I couldn’t have explained them to anybody if asked!

So, I’ve done my research, and compiled a list of questions and answers as I understand them.

Here are a few of them that relate to one of the most popular fiction genres.

What is fantasy?

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that involves magic of some kind and is considered impossible in real life.

It may not be obvious magic, like spells and wizards, but what sets this genre apart is any sort of creatures or concepts that, as far as we know, don’t really exist.

Fantasy stories may fall into other genres, like action/adventure, romance, etc. but the one necessary ingredient is magic.

As far as the other genres intermixing with fantasy, that is usually accomplished by differentiating fantasy further into subgenres which give more information about the type of story it is.

Some fantasy subgenres include:

• High/epic fantasy

• Historical fantasy

• Medieval fantasy

• Heroic/sword & sorcery fantasy

• Low fantasy

• Magical realism

• Science fantasy

• Urban fantasy

• Dark fantasy

• Grimdark fantasy

• Horror fantasy

• Paranormal

• Fantasy romance

• Fables

• Fairy tales

• Fairytale retellings

• Superhero fiction

• Children’s fantasy

• YA (young adult) fantasy

This list is by no means exhaustive, and oftentimes, a story may fall into more than one of these subgenres!

What defines the fantasy genre?

It all comes down to looking at the differences between the real world and the imaginary.

Fantasy is what can be imagined, but isn't possible in real life.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as:

1- something that is produced by the imagination: an idea about doing something that is far removed from normal reality

2- the act of imagining something

3- a book, movie, etc., that tells a story about things that happen in an imaginary world

How do you explain fantasy?

At the most basic level, I would explain fantasy by saying that it's any story that tells of magic.

Beyond that, I would describe fantasy as being more than just a story, since there’s a different type of imagination required to both write and read it.

It’s a journey that takes you much further away from the known or mundane; so, to me, it’s a journey worth taking.

I think fantasy is one of the best remedies when you need to escape far from reality and seek new or different emotions in the world of a good story.

What is an example of fantasy?

One very well-known example of fantasy is the Lord of the Rings stories.

They are high fantasy, so they very clearly belong in this category.

Other examples which you’ve most likely heard of include:

• Harry Potter series

• Chronicles of Narnia

• Twilight Saga

• Spiderwick Chronicles

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

• Mary Poppins

• The Princess Bride

• Ella Enchanted

• Good Omens

• Eragon Series

• And so many more…

What is an example of fantasy in a story?

Some classic examples are the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table.

A story about a historical king and a bunch of chivalrous guys who work with him is nothing more than historical fiction.

Maybe action/adventure and the like, too.

But, once you add the necessary elements of the magical sword stuck in a stone, Merlin the sorcerer, and fire-breathing dragons, it becomes medieval fantasy (and sword & sorcery, at least).

The argument has even been made that the story was once historically accurate, as the legends are sometimes claimed to have been rooted in reality.

But having a sword, which is only made free by the supernatural force which decides that Arthur is the one true king, kind of makes it too far-fetched to be anything but fantasy anymore.

Maybe it started as truth, but it’s definitely been embellished since the true events may, or may not, have actually happened.

What are the 3 characteristics of fantasy?

The exact characteristics, or elements, that make a story fantasy may vary, depending on the specific story or subgenre.

Three characteristics that are- to my knowledge- always present include the following: A magic system, Setting (or world), and Character(s).

The most important characteristic, which makes the story inherently fantasy, is, of course, magic.

You may have noticed that the other two characteristics can be found in almost any genre, but I’ll explain presently how they tend to be unique in fantasy.

The magic system

This could be as simple as one tree that has properties that defy reality.

Maybe the whole world is oblivious to that fact, and the story takes place around one person (or animal) discovering it.

Conversely, the magic system could be as complicated as the entire world being held together solely because of magical spells or beings, with every aspect of daily life revolving around it.

One example of an obviously developed magic system is in the Harry Potter series, which is obvious because it’s called magic throughout the stories.

It follows rules, although the reader (Or the author, as the case may be) may not always be aware of them.

In our Harry Potter example, only witches and wizards can perform magic, and almost every one of them needs a wand or magical object in order to do so.

Whatever magic system is in use, it’s generally good practice to keep it consistent throughout the duration of the story.

Setting or world

Tying in with the magic system, the setting or world can be obviously fantasy or a bit more subtle.

For example, high fantasy often takes place in worlds apart from our own, like Middle Earth or Westeros (Yes, I know that’s the country, not the world, but you get the idea).

Alternatively, the setting may be a world that is exactly like our own, apart from the magical element(s).

An example of this would be Twilight because there are vampires and wolf shapeshifters which exist in an otherwise real-world setting.

There are fantasy stories all over the map (pun intended)!

Characters

A story in any genre is most successful when its characters are engaging, relatable, or dynamic in some way.

Fantasy is no exception, often tying characters into the magic system and/or setting in interesting ways.

One interesting example I like to think of is Bilbo Baggins from the Lord of the Rings.

He is very relatable, with his frequent longing for home when things get rough; and he happens into some very interesting situations involving the magical beings, items, and world.

An example from a less magical world would be the kids from Hocus Pocus.

They had lived in a normal world their whole lives, and, even though talk of witches and magic were all around their hometown, they had no reason to believe it was true.

That is until the magic was awakened, and they were plunged into a night of spells and corpses rising dead.

We follow along, watching how characters respond to their world and struggles, waiting until they rise victorious, or die trying.

What is the purpose of fantasy?

The answer to this question depends on who you ask.

If you ask me, the purpose is to lead readers or viewers into a new experience that will conjure a specific emotion or emotions.

Fantasy could be a story just for the sake of a story, or it could be an allegory for some real-world problem or situation.

In the real world, animals don’t speak and form governments the way they did in Animal Farm, but it was a fictional example of what was really happening on a much bigger scale.

Another purpose of fantasy could be to teach in a way that engages readers or viewers.

I don’t know about you, but I had a much better time when solving riddles and math problems in the Dragon’s Nest books than in my homework!

Reading itself can be very educational, so if fantasy will encourage reading, it’s a good thing!

How do you write a fantasy story?

This question has a multifaceted answer, which I will need to cover in greater detail sometime in the future.

For now, though, the short answer is that you must combine your own ideas for a magic system, world/setting, character(s), conflict, and plot.

If the magic system exists, regardless of what you decide for your other elements, you’ve got yourself a fantasy story.

If you can’t make it fit smoothly, perhaps you should try a different genre.

There’s absolutely no shame in changing course if you realize something isn’t working for you as a writer.

That’s all I have for you today.

I hope understanding all of this has been as helpful for you as it has for me!

Honestly, I’ve been getting more writing done than ever in recent weeks, and I hope to help you accomplish the same!

If writing isn’t your forte, then I hope you've learned better what to look for as a reader or viewer!

In any case, thank you for dropping by, and I hope to see you again soon!