What Kind of Fantasy Are You Reading?
Epic Fantasy
Epic Fantasy is one of the most popular sub-genres of fantasy fiction. The story will focus on a grand struggle in which the heroes must fight against an evil villain in order to save the world. An Epic Fantasy takes place in a fantasy world, parallel to ours, and will include characters such as elves, fairies, dwarfs, and wizards.
Examples of Epic Fantasy:
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
- The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
- Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
More on Epic Fantasy:
Sword and Sorcery
Unlike in an Epic fantasy, where the protagonist is trying to change the fate of the world, the hero of a Sword and Sorcery is more focused on fulfilling a personal quest, which usually involves roaming the land and fighting battles
Many Sword and Sorcery tales were inspired by the works of Robert E. Howard, especially Conan the Barbarian.
Examples of Sword and Sorcery
- Conan the Barbarian series by Robert E. Howard
- Elric series by Michael Moorcock
- Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series by Fritz Leiber
- The Gilded Chain: A Tale of the King’s Blades by Dave Duncan
More on Sword and Sorcery:
A site dedicated to Sword and Sorcery
Wikipedia on Sword and Sorcery
Contemporary Fantasy:
A Contemporary Fantasy tale takes place in a modern society in which magic and magical creatures exist. Sometimes the magical aspects of the world are only known to a limited sector of the population and at other times the fantastical elements are widely known and acknowledged by all people. A sub-category of this genre is Urban Fantasy, which is when the story takes place in an urban setting.
Examples of Contemporary Fantasy
- The “Young Wizards” series by Diane Duane
- His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
- The Folk of the Air by Peter S. Beagle
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
- The Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris
More on Contemporary Fantasy:
Wikipedia on Contemporary Fantasy
Historical Fantasy
A Historical Fantasy story may take place in a historical setting but with magical elements introduced or it may be set in a purely fictional world which either strongly resembles a specific historical period or contains elements of history evident in its characters, settings or story. Some sub-catagories of this genre include Stemapunk, Celtic Fantasy and Medevil fantasy.
Examples of Historical Fantasy:
- A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
- Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker
More on Historical Fantasy:
Wikipedia on Historical Fantasy
Science Fantasy
A Science Fantasy story contains aspects of both science fiction and fantasy. There might be space travel and laser guns along with sorcerers and magical elements. The Star Wars series may be considered Science Fantasy since it takes place aboard spaceships and on alien planets but also has a mystical source of magical power called The Force
Examples of Science Fantasy:
- The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
- Star Wars
- The Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley
- The Dune series by Frank Herbert
- The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
More on Science Fantasy:
Dark Fantasy
Dark fantasy combines elements of fantasy with those of horror,
Examples of Dark Fantasy:
- Berserk by Kentaro Miura
- Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly
- The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
More on Dark Fantasy:
Wikipedia defines Dark Fantasy
An article by Debbie Ledesma on Dark Fantasy
Humorous Fantasy
Humorous fantasy stories are usually light hearted with a comical, and sometimes satirical, tone.
Examples of Humorous Fantasy
- The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
- Myth Adventures by Robert Asprin
- A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth, Book 1) by Piers Anthony
- Practical Demonkeeping by Chris Moore
More on Humorous Fantasy:
Biblioholica’s list of Humorous Fantasy
Article by Debbie Ledesma on Humorous Fantasy
The best humorous fantasy at Amazon
Romantic Fantasy
In a Romantic Fantasy, the plot is centered on a romance between the central characters and takes place in a setting that includes fantastical elements. While most novels include some romance, in a romantic fantasy the romance is a large element of the story.
Examples of Romantic Fantasy:
- The Sharing Knife: Beguilementby Lois McMaster Bujold
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- Lord of the Fading Lands by C. L. Wilson
More on Romantic Fantasy: