Adult Reading Round Table
Genre Boot Camp • Fantasy

Fantasy
DEFINITION: Fantasy is speculative fiction based on magic or myth. The plots usually emphasize journeys, whether psychological or physical, and stress the importance of human virtues through individual acts of courage, sacrifice, and kindness. Long-running series are very popular, an example being the Piers Anthony Xanth novels. Complex and internally consistent rules support the manifestation of magical beings and actions, but the appeal is to the reader's emotions, not intellect. Many fantasy readers are more willing than other readers to read across age levels. We recommend that you also refer to the Fantasy section of The ARRT Young Adult Genre Reading List.

Classic Authors: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Edgar Rice Burroughs, J. R. R. Tolkien, T. H. White

CHARACTERISTICS:
Mythical beasts abound, and everyday animals gain special powers (speech, telekinesis)
Other universes exist, and magic is used to travel between them.
Objects become filled with power and even personality, and conflict is often over possessing these swords, rings, cloaks, etc.
The mythology of every culture is mined for ideas; Celtic selkies, Anansi the spider, Chinese dragons.
A focus on the arts is common: music and bards, fine arts and crafts, storytelling as a skill.
They are plot-driven above all else, though the frame and setting build the fantasy world for the reader.
Urban settings are the exception, not the rule.

Appeal: Fantasy worlds are rich, and beautiful, and embrace the natural world. The characters are fluid, often transforming literally (from human to wolf) or figuratively (from goose girl to Queen). Emotional strengths are paramount: bravery, kindness, love. There is often a strong element of romance, or the satisfaction of finding one’s “proper” place in the world. The stories speak to a long history of human belief in myths and magic.

READERS: Fantasy fans do not differentiate between adult and youth fantasy, and the publishers often don’t either. As many adults as teens read Eragon and Twilight, and both read and re-read children’s books. Anecdotally, readers are more female than male, though many reluctant boy readers are drawn in by vigorous adventure fantasy. Fantasy lovers are more willing to “read by the pound” than other genre fans, with hefty tomes and multi-volume series being common.

SUBGENRES:
Arthurian: the King Arthur myths, in historical or modern settings
Epic: Multi-volume series, “high” or formal language, complex cast of characters or races
Games: Based on role-playing games like Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms or Magic: The Gathering.
Fairy Tales: Modern interpretations of familiar stories
Historical: A familiar time and place is infused with fantastic events.
Magic and Mages: Quests, sword and sorcery, with the structure and rules of magic at the core.
Not-quite-horror: Werewolves, vampires, and other demons integrated into human society, often with a mystery plot.
Urban Fantasy: Magic and mythology in city settings, with magic and its practitioners generally a closely kept secret from the majority of people.

TOP AUTHORS:
Epic: George R. R. Martin
Fairy Tales: Robin McKinley
Humorous: Terry Pratchett
Urban Fantasy: Neil Gaiman

TRENDS: The growing popularity of literary fantasy writers like Gregory Maguire and Haruki Marukami is blurring the line between genre and mainstream fiction. The success of fantasy in films such as Lord of the Rings is exposing a lot of people to stories they might never have read. Vampires are everywhere!

WEBSITES: The Fantasy 100: home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/fantasy100/index.htm

REFERENCE BOOKS:
Fantasy and Horror, edited by Neil Barron (Scarecrow Press, 2000)
Fluent in Fantasy, edited by Diana Herald (Libraries Unlimited, 1999)
What Fantastic Fiction do I Read Next?, edited by Neil Barron (Gale, 1998)
Legends: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy, edited by Robert Silverberg (Tor, 1998)
The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, edited by Ellen Datlow (19^th annual collection, 2006)

PUBLISHERS: Del Rey, Baen, Tor, Ace/Roc, Bantam Spectra, Eos, Forge, Wildside, DAW. Golden Gryphon and NESFA offer both new work and reissues of Golden Age authors.

MAGAZINES: Realms of Fantasy

ORGANIZATIONS: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). The World Fantasy Convention, annually since 1975, where the World Fantasy Awards are given.

AWARDS: The World Fantasy Awards, chosen by a panel of judges, for works of fiction and art.

Prepared by Roberta S. Johnson
September 2007

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