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Fantasy writing is probably THE example of imagination at its highest. The author is creating a whole new world - one filled with dragons, creatures, rules of magic - very different from the reality we know. Unlike science fiction which pushes the boundaries of physics and biology, fantasy pushes something more inward, belief and wishes. For the most part people don't believe in elves, fairies or dragons in the day-to-day, but in the fantasy author's world, those elements thrive...and the more fantastical, the better.
The battle between good and evil, right and wrong is the main theme of fantasy and of course magical solutions which replace the laws of nature as we understand them. Events occur, things appear, change just because they do. It's all at the mercy of the author's galloping imagination. For children in particular this works beautifully. They have very little hard fact for why things work as they do, making believing a fantasy story just another happening in their lives.
Five Arenas of Fantasy Fiction
Dividing fantasy up into categories is challenging and just asking for a battle to ensue...but I think these general arenas are a good start. Authors of fantasy fiction are quite free, and often do, choose elements of more than one category, after all, that's what fantasy is..the author's world.
High Fantasy:
These stories are generally about kings and queens, knights, castles, villagers, etc. Peaceful kingdoms are threatened by some great evil and conquering heroes ride forth. It's not uncommon to see parodies on this theme, poking fun at it's usual loftiness. (Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories comes to mind). For the most part, these stories come from mythology and European legend, particularly Britain.
Adventure Fantasy
In these stories our heroes are not really facing the "big" battle but rising to the challenge of smaller, more personal forays into fantasy worlds..and quite often having a darned good time doing it. We'll commonly see a small group of friends and possibly their animal sidekicks working together for the common good. The Wizard of Oz is a fine example of this type of fantasy book.
Fairy Tales
Fairy Tales could never be left out in the world of fantasy writing and are probably some of the oldest examples. Fairy tales in general deal with a personal transformation of some kind. The ugly duckling becomes the swan, the poor maid becomes a princess and the frog becomes the prince. They are 'smaller' stories, but by no means any lesser of a fantasy with any less number of fans. Older works of Hans Christian Andersen to the more modern tales from Jane Yolen and Patricia McKillip fall into this group.
Magical Realism
This type of fantasy fiction mostly takes place in the modern world, with magic oozing into one particular character's life. And often without anyone else seeing the magic...just it's effects. Like Water For Chocolate - A famous example of Magical Realism
Dark Fantasy
Dark Fantasy owns horror, gothic and erotic fantasy fiction from Bram Stoker (Dracula) and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) to today's Ann Rice Stephen King, Laurell K Hamilton and Dean Koontz. These stories are brewed in fear, terror and death. Definitely not for the faint of heart, these tales have millions of fans.
Some may ask.."What value is fantasy in our lives?" I believe Tolkien answered that best. To him, fantasy or stories set in 'faerie' as he put it had three very important aspects. Recovery, Escape and Consolation. Recovery is about re-examining the world with the wonder we had as children. Escaping is leaving this sometimes very difficult, day to day routine to a vastly more exciting and rule-breaking magical one. Consolation is about the fact that most fantasy and fairytales end in happy endings, leaving us with a 'feel good' sense of comfort. Fantasy then, allows us to leave this world, experience one of eternal possibilities and then return, renewed.
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