FANTASY

Definition of Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre in literature that includes magical and/or
supernatural elements as part of the plot, setting,
or theme. Mythology and folklore often play a strong part in
fantasy literature. There must be an internal consistency to
the magical elements in a work of fantasy and a logic that,
if not completely explicable, is understood to be reality by
the characters. However, fantasy works can often combine
the real world with a second fantastical reality, such as in
the Harry Potter series where the protagonist grows up in
contemporary England and is only introduced to the world
of magic at the age of 10.
The word fantasy comes from the Greek word phantazein,
which means to make visible.

Difference Between Fantasy

and Science Fiction
Fantasy and science fiction are subsets of a genre of
literature called speculative fiction. Speculative fiction
refers to any work of literature that includes imagined
elements that could not occur in real life. The author of one
of these works of literature must create a world separate
from the real world with its own consistent rules and logic.
There can certainly be overlap between different subsets of
speculative fiction (which also contains horror, alternate
history, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic,
superhero, utopia, and dystopia as subsets). Indeed, there
can be examples of science fantasy, which combine
aspects of both science fiction and fantasy. The main
difference, however, is that fantasy creates a world that
never could have existed, while science fiction looks
forward to a future that has not yet come to pass.

Common Examples of Fantasy

Some people like the landscape portrayed in examples of
fantasy novels so much that they try to recreate these in
reality, such as in Renaissance Fairs and modern-day
Medieval Banquets. There are many famous movies that
are examples of the fantasy genre, such as the following:
The Princess Bride
Labyrinth
Pans Labyrinth
How to Train Your Dragon
Pirates of the Caribbean
Snow White and the Huntsmen
Beauty and the Beast
emoji unicode: 2666
emoji unicode: 2666
emoji unicode: 2666

Significance of Fantasy in
Literature
The definition of fantasy in contemporary literature often
means a work that portrays characters in a medievalist
setting, which is to say that there are elements often
associated with medieval legends such as kings, queens,
princesses, dragons, knights, unicorns, and so on. Though
there are works from before the mid-1800s that are
sometimes classified as fantasy (William Shakespeares A
Midsummer Nights Dream is sometimes held forth as an
example of fantasy), the Scottish author George McDonald
is generally considered to be the first modern author of
fantasy literature for adults. He published The Princess and
the Goblin and Phantastes in 1872 and 1858, respectively.
Since then, there have been numerous works of literature
that have adopted the some of the many medievalist
elements that qualify a narrative as fantasy.
As contemporary fantasy author George R.R. Martin wrote,
The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is
alive as dreams are alive, more real than real for a
moment at least that long magic moment before we
wake.
Reality is the strip malls of Burbank, the smokestacks of
Cleveland, a parking garage in Newark. Fantasy is the
towers of Minas Tirith, the ancient stones of Gormenghast,
the halls of Camelot. Fantasy flies on the wings of Icarus,
reality on Southwest Airlines. Why do our dreams become
so much smaller when they finally come true?

Examples of Fantasy in
Literature
Example #1
Tink was not all bad: or, rather, she was all bad just now,
but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies
have to be one thing or the other, because being so small
they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a
time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be
a complete change.
(Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie)
In his novel Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie includes many fantasy
elements, not least of which is the character of a fairy
named Tinker Bell. Barrie creates many truisms about
fairies in his book, such as the above idea that fairies are
too small for more than one feeling. Barries alternate world
of Neverland exists concurrently with the modern world, yet
has different magical rules that govern it.
Example #2
At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he
smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and
fell from his hand. A blinding sheet of white flame sprang
up. The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrogs feet it broke,
and the stone upon which it stood crashed into the gulf,
while the rest remained, poised, quivering like a tongue of
rock thrust out into emptiness.
With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow
plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell it swung its
whip, and the thongs lashed and curled about the wizards
knees, dragging him to the brink. He staggered and fell,
grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. Fly,
you fools! he cried, and was gone.
(The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien)
J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings series is one of the most
famous examples of fantasy of all time. There is a plethora
of magical characters, including Wizards like Gandalf, as
well as made up beasts such as the Balrog. The fantasy
involves many common themes such as an adventure
quest, a fight between good and evil, and mythical
creatures including elves, dwarves, and hobbits.
Example #3
The tethered dragon let out a roar, and a gush of flame flew
over the goblins; The wizards fled, doubled-up, back the
way they had come, and inspiration, or madness, came to
Harry. Pointing his wand at the thick cuffs chaining the
beast to the floor, he yelled, Relashio!
(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling)
There are numerous examples of the fantasy genre in J.K.
Rowlings Harry Potter series. In just the short paragraph
above we can see a few at work, including the presence of
a dragon, as well as goblins and wizards and the use of
magical spells. In fact, this scene takes place during an
adventure quest in which Harry and his friends raid a
special bank for wizards in search of a particular piece of
enchanted treasure.
Example #4
How can you still count yourself a knight, when you have
forsaken every vow you ever swore?
Jaime reached for the flagon to refill his cup. So many
vowsthey make you swear and swear. Defend the king.
Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for
his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the
innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the
laws. Its too much. No matter what you do, youre
forsaking one vow or the other.
(A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin)
George R.R. Martins current series of novels, A Song of Ice
and Fire (more commonly known as Game of Thrones),
includes many traditional fantasy elements. There are
kings, queens, chivalric knights, and the presence of magic
and mythical beasts like dragons and White Walkers.
The Game of Thrones series is the most medievalist of all of
the examples of fantasy given here.
emoji unicode: 2666
emoji unicode: 2666
 emoji unicode: 2666

Test Your Knowledge of

Fantasy
1. Which of the following statements is the best
fantasy definition?
A. A work of fiction that exists on a different planet.
B. A piece of literature that uses futuristic science and
technology as themes.
C. A narrative that incorporates magical and supernatural
elements.

Answer to Question #1 Show

2. Which of the following plot lines could be from a

fantasy example?
A. A man travels back in time where he finds out he is a
prince and must kill a dragon.
B. After an illness kills off most of society, a teenage girl
must fend for herself.
C. Humans begin to populate Mars and encounter many
unexpected problems.

Answer to Question #2 Show

3. Which of the following lines do you think comes
from a fantasy novel?
A.
He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw for a
brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold
relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness
implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The
crushing black vacuum of the universe.
B.
He wanted it because it was a ring of power, and if you
slipped that ring on your finger, you were invisible; only in
the full sunlight could you be seen, and then only by your
shadow, and that would be shaky and faint.
C.
Just open the damn door, Christian.
He opens the door and stands back to let me in. I gaze at
him once more. I so want to know whats in here. Taking a
deep breath I walk in.
And it feels like Ive time-traveled back to the sixteenth
century and the Spanish Inquisition.