What is Fantasy? (Lazy Version)

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama.

The 10 Fantasy Sub-genres in This Book

Children's Fantasy - Children's fantasy is children's literature with fantasy elements: fantasy intended for young readers. It may also mean fantasy read by children, regardless of the intended audience.

Contemporary Fantasy - also known as modern fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, urban fantasy.

Dark Fantasy - is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporate disturbing and frightening themes of fantasy. It often combines fantasy with elements of horror or has a gloomy dark tone or a sense of horror and dread.

Fairy Tale - is defined as "a genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world." "Fairy tales are a part of the world's vast common stock of stories, literally folktales.

High Fantasy - subgenre of fantasy fiction set in a secondary world or fantasy world as opposed to the primary world or real world.

Magic Realism - Magical realism is a genre of literature that depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic or fantasy.

Superhero Fiction - is a genre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains.

Sword and Sorcery - a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present.

Urban Fantasy - is fantasy set in a city or modern residential setting, but more often than not the urban setting becomes another character and provides a gritty nature/aesthetic to the story that readers of urban fantasy have come to love and seek out.

Young Adult - is a subset of fantasy fiction aimed at a teenage audience. Fantasy is a wide genre and includes stories about made-up worlds, mythical creatures, and magic.