Choosing A Fantasy Genre Part 2
In Choosing a Fantasy Genre Part 1, we looked at epic
fantasy, high fantasy, adventure fantasy, comedy fantasy,
heroic fantasy, and urban fantasy in an effort to aid the
fantasy novelist in pitching their book to publishers
interested in specifics. In part 2, we'll continue to
define popular fantasy sub genres.
Sword and Sorcery
This genre tag is self-explanatory.
Sword and Sorcery involves tales of high adventure in
a medieval setting. Stories involving King Arthur, Merlin,
or the Knights of the Round Table (Arthurian Fantasy) are
included within the Sword and Sorcery genre in which
sword-wielding heroes battle the bad guys.
In Joanne Hall's Hierath Trilogy, young King Alex
fights various enemies throughout the kingdom, but each
battle links to the same villian. The one who ripped the
kingdom from Alex's hands and kidnapped his child. With
his sword, trusty steed and a handful of friends this
sword and sorcery fantasy hero fights his way through
three novels.
Dark Fantasy/Horror
Dark fantasy/horror involves supernatural beings or
monsters. Vampires falls into this category. The
supernatural element is what makes it fantasy.
Stephen King's dark fantasy works include the nightmarish,
darker side of
magic creatures, evil and demons. In his dark fantasy
novel Thinner, his main character, Billy, wanted to
lose a few pounds. It's something many readers relate to
in the real world. He has an accident, sideswipes a car
belonging to a gypsy's daughter. This results in the old
gypsy cursing him with one word--thinner. The curse works
as the agent of change. That one-word topples Billy into
to the realm of dark fantasy. Six weeks later and
ninety-three pounds lighter, he becomes terrified.
Desperate choices lead him to a nightmarish showdown with
forces responsible for dwindling body mass.
Magic Realism
In Magic Realism, magic (although it isn't always
referred to as magic) is an expected part of the culture
and belief system. The setting itself can be modern or
not, with an element of change such as technology or
unexplained science which instills a new set of parameters
as to how things work. It may even involve an alternate or
parallel world.
In Alice Hoffman's The River King, division splits
the small town of Haddan, Massachusetts, separating those
born in the village from those who attend the prestigious
Haddan School. The "magic" agent of change is an
inexplicable death which unravels the town's complex
history.
Often these stories can be referred to as thrillers or
action/adventure. The realism aspect involves
limitations and consequences to "the magic" cure, fix
or discovery which in the real world rests beyond the
realm of possibility.
Romantic Fantasy
A romantic thread can run through any of these sub
genres. If the central theme is romance and your main
character learns they possess either magical or psychic
powers, then your novel is Romantic Fantasy.
In Kelley Heckart's first book, Of Water and Dragons,
she weaves together Roman history and Celtic lore of
ancient Britain, creating an unforgettable story of love
and sacrifice. One of the main characters is a faery
woman, which adds the fantasy element to the novel.
What About Speculative Fiction?
What about speculative fiction? Does it fit into the
fantasy genre?
Speculative fiction is often set in a distant future-but
not always. Because of high-tech futuristic technology
some would place this in the Science Fiction genre-and
that would be right--sometimes. But what of time travel
fantasy?
Light at the Edge of Darkness presents a collection of
Spec Fiction written from a Christian perspective. Within
these pages, futuristic characters travel across time or
within time. This ability provides the magical agent of
change allowing someone in the future to return to
biblical times. This is only one among several scenarios
presented in this unique, controversial book. Not all
speculative fiction is fantasy, but some fantasy is
speculative fiction.
Write Chivalry Into Fantasy
Destroy Ultimate Evil
Build A Magical System
