Fantasy fiction is a genre that includes stories with fictional characters, settings, creatures, and situations. There are over a dozen different types of fantasy fiction, including alternate history, dark fantasy, modern or urban fantasy, epic fantasy, high fantasy, paranormal fiction, and sword and sorcery. Each type has unique elements that help categorize it, and some categories blend together. Fantasy fiction can also be classified based on the general events of the story, and more than one genre can be represented in a single novel.
Fantasy fiction is a literary genre that includes stories dealing with characters or events that do not exist in the world as we know it. Fantastic settings, creatures, powers, and situations are often found in fantasy fiction, whether it’s a modern story or one set in an ancient land. There are more than a dozen different types of fantasy fiction that are classified according to the type of plot and story. These can be expanded into even more categories, depending on the different types of elements that appear in the plot. Some of the more popular types are alternate history, dark fantasy, modern or urban fantasy, epic fantasy, high fantasy, paranormal fiction, and sword and sorcery.
Each type of fantasy fiction usually has a few elements that help categorize it. Some categories blend together and can accurately describe the same piece of fiction. Swords and sorcery fantasy, for example, usually involves a medieval setting where there might be characters who use swords to do things like fight evil creatures, wizards, or dragons. Heroic fantasy is typically set in a fantasy world where the main character can act as a clear hero who saves other characters or the whole world. These two categories often blend together when the setting clearly fits sword and sorcery and the hero character is the stronger one who drives the story.
Alternate history is a popular fantasy genre that typically involves real history that has been rewritten enough to contain some fantastical elements. World War II fought with dragons or won with magic by Germany or Japan would be a good example of alternate history. Urban or modern fantasy, on the other hand, often has a current setting but with fantasy elements that are considered a natural part of the world, such as time travel, magic, or vampires. Paranormal fiction is a type of fantasy that can describe a story in any setting that contains elements of the paranormal, such as vampires, ghosts, psychics, or shapeshifters.
Epic fantasy fiction usually describes stories that have a large cast of characters, a deep world history, and a scope that goes beyond a simple plot or single story. Fantasy epics often require an entire series of novels to tell, and can span decades, centuries, or millennia. Furthermore, high fantasy fiction deals with parallel or completely fictional worlds and often intersects with epic fantasy. Dark fantasy may contain elements of horror or literary elements such as post-apocalyptic settings that provide a dark backdrop for characters and events.
Fantasy fiction usually falls into one of the more common categories, but can also be classified based on the general events of the story. A book that has fantasy elements but focuses on the budding relationship between the main character and her love interest, for example, might be called a fantasy romance or a fairy tale. Similarly, funny stories with fantastical settings can be called comic fantasy. More than one genre can also be represented in a fantasy novel, such as a story set in a fantasy world where elements of horror and romance are both important to the plot.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
