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Fantasy

Fantasy media

Genre studies

Categories

  • Fantasy
  • Fantasy television
  • Fantasy subgenres
  • Fantasy tropes
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High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy fiction that is set in invented or parallel worlds. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Fantastic art is an art genre The parameters of fantastic art has been fairly rigourously defined in the scholarship on the subject Many Anime TV series movies and OAVs fall into the Fantasy genre Fantasy art is a genre of Art that depicts The definition of a fantasy author is somewhat diffuse and a matter of opinion – Jules Verne considered H A number of Fantasy themed Comic books exist For example Elfquest Monster allergy W A fantasy fiction magazine or fantasy magazine is a Magazine which publishes primarily Fantasy fiction. Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes usually involving magic, Supernatural events make-believe creatures or exotic Fantasy worlds Fantasy literature is Fantasy in written form Historically speaking the majority of fantasy works have been literature Fantasy television is a genre of Television featuring elements of the Fantastic, often including magic, Supernatural forces or exotic Fantasy Though the Fantasy genre in its modern sense is less than two centuries old its antecedents have a long and distinguished history Though The Fantasy Genre has spawned many new Subgenres with no clear counterparts in the myths or Folklore upon which the tradition of fantasy storytelling is The Fantastique is a French term for a literary and cinematic genre that overlaps with Science fiction, horror and Fantasy There are many elements that show up throughout the fantasy genre in different guises This article is about the word for other meanings see Quest (disambiguation A quest is a journey towards a goal used in Mythology A magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it There are many elements that show up throughout the fantasy genre in different guises A fantasy world is a type of Imaginary world, part of a Fictional universe used in Fantasy novels and games A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as "fabulous creatures" in historical literature Lovecraftian horror is a sub-genre of horror Fiction which emphasizes the Psychological horror of the unknown (in some cases unknowable over gore or other A magician, wizard, sorcerer or a person known under one of many other possible terms in fiction is someone who uses or practices magic Magic in Fiction is the endowing of Fictional characters or objects with magical powers. Tolkien fandom is an international informal community of fans of the works of J A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Parallel universe or alternative reality is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own Built upon the platform of a diverse body of works in the already very popular fantasy genre, high fantasy came to fruition through the work of authors such as C. S. Lewis and, foremost, J. R. R. Tolkien, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 While it is far from being the oldest fantasy subgenre, high fantasy, along with sword and sorcery, has become one of the two genres most commonly associated with the general term fantasy. Sword and sorcery ( S&S) is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting

Contents

Genre overview

These stories are generally serious in tone and often epic in scope, dealing with themes of grand struggle against supernatural, evil forces. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Evil, in many cultures is used to describe acts or thoughts which are contrary to some particular religion [1] It is one of the most popular subgenres of fantasy fiction. Some typical characteristics of high fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves and dwarves, magic, wizards, invented languages, quests, coming-of-age themes, and multi-volume narratives. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming DWARF is a widely used standardized Debugging data format. DWARF was originally designed along with ELF, although it is independent of Object file Magic in Fiction is the endowing of Fictional characters or objects with magical powers. A magician, wizard, sorcerer or a person known under one of many other possible terms in fiction is someone who uses or practices magic This article is about the word for other meanings see Quest (disambiguation A quest is a journey towards a goal used in Mythology

Sigurd kills Fafnir, by Arthur Rackham
Sigurd kills Fafnir, by Arthur Rackham

High fantasy is a well-defined genre with established characteristics. Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. In Norse mythology, Fáfnir ( Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother Arthur Rackham ( 19 September 1867 &ndash 6 September 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator This contrasts with low fantasy, a term that can be defined in many contradictory ways, each separate in its own way from high fantasy. Low fantasy is an Umbrella term, describing various works within different sub-genres of Fantasy, to contrast specific works with High fantasy

In some fiction, a contemporary, "real-world" character is placed in the invented world, sometimes through devices such as portals to other worlds or even subconscious travels. The term subconscious is defined as existing or operating in the Mind beneath or beyond Conscious Awareness. Purists might not consider this to be "true" high fantasy, although such stories are often categorized as high fantasy due to the fact that they've yet to be classified as their own distinct subgenre, and often resemble this subgenre more closely than any other.

High fantasy worlds may be more or less closely based on real world milieus, or on legends such as Arthurian. The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those When the resemblance is strong, particularly when real-world history is used, high fantasy shades into alternate history. Alternate history or alternative history is a subgenre of Speculative fiction (or Science fiction) and Historical fiction

When the scope is less than epic, dealing with the hero's personal fight for personal stakes against evil forces, the epic fantasy may shade into sword and sorcery. Sword and sorcery ( S&S) is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts

High fantasy is the most popular and successful subgenre of the fantasy fiction. Its fandom ranges from Tolkien to contemporary. Recent screen versions of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe have contributed to the subgenre's continuing popularity. The Lord of the Rings is an epic The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C Moreover film adaptations of some novels are in preproduction, such as David Farland's The Runelords, and also Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom of Landover and The Elfstones of Shannara. The Runelords is a Fantasy series by Author David Farland. In the universe of The Runelords there exists a unique magical system which Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is a writer of Fantasy fiction. The Magic Kingdom of Landover series is a quintet of fantasy novels by Terry Brooks following the adventures of Ben Holiday a Trial lawyer who goes into The Elfstones of Shannara is an epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks.

Characters

Most high fantasy storylines are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Often, much of the plot revolves around his heritage or mysterious nature. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, often with some incredible ability or abilities and skills in a particular area (usually either magic or skill with a weapon). An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and who are not there to bring him up He begins the story young, if not an actual child. [2] Some examples of this are Lloyd Alexander's Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, Terry Goodkind's Richard Rahl, Nathan Pyles' Aemyn of Quelvyn's Rede, Robert Jordan's Rand al'Thor of The Wheel of Time, Raymond Feist's Pug of Riftwar Saga, David Eddings' Belgarion of Belgariad, Philip Pullman's Lyra Belacqua of His Dark Materials, Tad Williams' Simon of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. Lloyd Chudley Alexander ( January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007) was a widely-influential American author of more than forty books Taran the assistant pig-keeper is the fictional protagonist of Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series of books as well as in the film Terry Goodkind (born 1948 in Omaha Nebraska USA is a contemporary American writer and Author of the best-selling Epic fantasy series The Richard Rahl (also known as Richard Cypher) is the Protagonist in The Sword of Truth Fantasy series by Terry Goodkind. Robert Jordan was the Pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr ( October 17, 1948 &ndash September 16, 2007) under which he Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is the protagonist and main character of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy Novels by Robert Jordan The Wheel of Time (abbreviated by fans to WoT) is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the late American author James Oliver Raymond Elias Feist (born 1945 Los Angeles California) is an American Author who primarily writes fantasy fiction Pug, also known as Milamber (after being taken by the Tsurani to their home world of Kelewan is a fictional character appearing in the novels of Raymond E David Eddings (born July 7, 1931) is an American author who has written several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels Belgarion (also called Garion) is a Fictional character and the chief Protagonist in The Belgariad and The Malloreon The Belgariad is a five- Book Fantasy epic written by David Eddings. Philip Pullman CBE (born October 19, 1946) is an English writer. His Dark Materials is a Trilogy of Fantasy Novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights (1995 Robert Paul "Tad" Williams (born March 14, 1957, San Jose, California) is the author of several Fantasy and Science Memory Sorrow and Thorn is Tad Williams 's epic Fantasy Trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair ( 1988) In other works he is a completely developed individual with his own character and spirit — David Eddings' Sparhawk of The Elenium and The Tamuli. Sir Sparhawk is the central character of The Elenium and The Tamuli, a series of Fantasy novels by David Eddings. The Elenium is a series of Fantasy novels by David Eddings. The series consists of three volumes The Diamond Throne The Tamuli is a series of Fantasy novels by David Eddings. The series consists of three volumes Domes of Fire The However, epic fantasy is not by any means limited to a male protagonist, as seen in such works as Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksenarrion and P.C. Hodgell's Jame, for example. Elizabeth Moon (born March 7, 1945) is an award-winning American Science fiction and Fantasy author The Deed of Paksenarrion is an epic Fantasy saga by the American author Elizabeth Moon. Patricia "Pat" Christine Hodgell (b March 16, 1951, in Des Moines Iowa) is an American Fantasy writer artist and professor

In the beginning of the storyline, the hero is threatened by the unknown force. One reason for such a threat is that, unlike the typical sword and sorcery adventurer, the hero is seldom bored stiff by ordinary life and therefore will not abandon it quickly and on any excuse. Sword and sorcery ( S&S) is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts While, like Bilbo Baggins, he may be eager for adventure, he is also usually capable of appreciating the quotidian. Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit and also makes an appearance in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of prod concern = this definition move to Wiktionary on 10/11/2008 month = October day = 12 year = 2008 time = 0045 timestamp = 20081012004517 By the same token, the hero of the high fantasy adventure is capable of completing it and settling down to ordinary life again.

Typically, the hero slowly gains knowledge of his past through legend, prophecy, lost-and-found-again family members, or encounters with "mentor" characters who know more about him than he does. With that knowledge comes power and self-confidence; the hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a huge gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along the way. [3] The plot of the story often depicts the hero's fight against the evil forces as a Bildungsroman. A bildungsroman (ˈbɪldʊŋsroˌmaːn "novel of formation" is a Novelistic genre that arose during the German Enlightenment (and is regarded by some as However, the epic adventure is not always quite so stereotyped. A good example of a less stereotyped epic is The Deed of Paksenarrion in which the main character becomes a paladin through her own growing strength instead of it having been forced on her at birth. The Deed of Paksenarrion is an epic Fantasy saga by the American author Elizabeth Moon.

In many books there is a knowing, mystical teacher, associated with the Jungian archetype of Senex, or wise old man. MENTOR / The National Mentoring Partnership is an advocate and resource for Mentoring in the United States. An archetype ( pronounced: /ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/ (Brit or /ˈɑrkɪtaɪp/ (Amer Senex is Latin for old man. In Ancient Rome the title of Senex was only awarded to elderly men with families who had good standing in their village The wise old man (also called sage or " Senex " is an Archetype as described by Carl Jung. This character is often a formidable wizard or warrior, who provides the main character with advice and help. Examples would be: the wizard Kulgan of Riftwar Saga, Albus Dumbledore, Tolkien's Gandalf, Eddings' Belgarath, Jordan's Moiraine and Thom Merrilin, Goodkind's Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Paolini's Brom (Inheritance) and Terry Brooks' Allanon. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore Concept and creation Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography relates that Tolkien owned a Postcard entitled Der Berggeist ("the mountain The Belgariad and the Malloreon are a two-part Fantasy epic written by David Eddings. Moiraine Damodred (pronounced mwah-RAIN) is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. Thomdril "Thom" Merrilin is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time Fantasy series by Robert Jordan. Zeddicus "Zedd" Zu'l Zorander is a main character in the Fictional The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. This is a list of characters in The Inheritance Cycle, a fantasy series by Christopher Paolini. Allanon is a Fictional character from the epic fantasy Original Shannara Trilogy and the trilogy's prequel First King of Shannara These characters derive originally from the Merlin topos a theme in fantasy fiction flowing from Le Morte d'Arthur (1485). The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the Le Morte d'Arthur (spelled Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions Middle French for la mort d'Arthur

The progress of the story leads to the character learning the nature of the unknown forces against him, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence[4]. Facing down this evil is the culmination of the hero's story and permits the return to normal life.

Good versus evil

Good versus evil is a common concept in high fantasy, and the character of evil is often an important concept in a work of high fantasy,[5] as in The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings is an epic Indeed, the importance of the concepts of good and evil can be regarded as distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery. Sword and sorcery ( S&S) is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts [6] In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks a deep concern with moral issues; in other works, the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance, wizards behaving irresponsibly whether they are "good" or "evil". [7]

Saga or series

Role-playing campaign settings like Greyhawk by Gary Gygax and Dragonlance[8] by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. A campaign setting is usually a Fictional world which serves as a setting for a Role-playing game or Wargame campaign Greyhawk, also known as the World Ernest Gary Gygax ( July 27, 1938 &ndash March 4, 2008) ( IPA:) was an American Writer and Game designer Dragonlance is an immense series of Fantasy Novels, with over 190 novels printed and is accompanied by a supplemental Campaign Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955 Salt Lake City is a best-selling fantasy Author, best known for his work on Dragonlance Margaret Edith Weis (born March 16, 1948 in Independence, Missouri, United States) is a fantasy novelist who along with

From Tolkien to the modern day, authors in this genre tend to create their own worlds where they set multi-tiered narratives such as the Belgariad, Malloreon and Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. The Belgariad is a five- Book Fantasy epic written by David Eddings. The Malloreon is a five part Fantasy Book series written by David Eddings, which follows The Belgariad. Memory Sorrow and Thorn is Tad Williams 's epic Fantasy Trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair ( 1988) Other authors such as Terry Brooks, Stephen R. Donaldson, Robert Jordan, R. Scott Bakker, Steven Erikson, Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings, L. E. Modesitt, Jr. Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is a writer of Fantasy fiction. Stephen Reeder Donaldson (born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland Ohio) is an American fantasy, Science fiction and mystery Robert Jordan was the Pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr ( October 17, 1948 &ndash September 16, 2007) under which he Richard Scott Bakker (born February 2, 1967, Simcoe Ontario) is a Canadian Fantasy Author. Steven Erikson (born October 7, 1959) is the Pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Raymond Elias Feist (born 1945 Los Angeles California) is an American Author who primarily writes fantasy fiction David Eddings (born July 7, 1931) is an American author who has written several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels L E (Leland Exton Modesitt Jr (b 1943 in Denver Colorado) is an author of Science fiction and Fantasy novels , Terry Goodkind and Paul Edwin Zimmer write extended stories over several volumes relating with the same character threads. Terry Goodkind (born 1948 in Omaha Nebraska USA is a contemporary American writer and Author of the best-selling Epic fantasy series The Paul Edwin Zimmer ( 16 October 1943 - 18 October 1997) the brother of Science fiction and Fantasy author Marion Zimmer

Publishers

There are several publishing companies that are devoted entirely to publishing fantasy literature (or fantasy and science fiction). DAW Books was one of the first such publishers established, and others include Baen Books, Roc, Tor Books, and Del Rey Books. DAW Books is a Science fiction and Fantasy Publisher, founded by Donald A Baen Books is an American Publishing company established in 1983 by long time Science Fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. New American Library (aka NAL began publishing Paperbacks in the 1940s Tor Books is one of two Imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC based in New York City Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House.

References

  1. ^ Philip Martin, The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest, p 34, ISBN 0-87116-195-8
  2. ^ Michael Moorcock, Wizardry & Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy p 84 ISBN 1-932265-07-4
  3. ^ Casey Lieb, "Unlikely Heroes and their role in Fantasy Literature"
  4. ^ Patricia A. McKillip, "Writing High Fantasy", p 53, Philip Martin, ed. Patricia Anne McKillip ( February 29, 1948 &mdash is an American Author of Fantasy and Science fiction Novels , The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest, ISBN 0-87116-195-8
  5. ^ Tom Shippey, J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, p 120, ISBN 0-618-25759-4
  6. ^ Joseph A. McCullough V, "The Demarcation of Sword and Sorcery"
  7. ^ Ursula K. LeGuin, "The Question I Get Asked Most Often" p 274, The Wave in the Mind, ISBN 1-59030-006-8
  8. ^ Dragonlance homepage. Retrieved on 2006-03-02. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good

See also

This list contains a variety of examples of High fantasy fiction Low fantasy is an Umbrella term, describing various works within different sub-genres of Fantasy, to contrast specific works with High fantasy
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