What is Fantasy Fiction? | History and Conventions of the Genre

In this video, I summarize the history of fantasy, discuss its conventions, and explain the difference between traditional and high fantasy. I also talk about how fantasy influences my life. Enjoy!

Sources:

-Young, Terrell et al. Children's Literature. Briefly, Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.
-Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. New World Library, 2008.
-Moore, Robert and Douglas Gillette. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. Harper Collins, 1990.
-MacGregor, Neil. Germany: Memories of a Nation. Penguin, 2016.
-Dalley, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia. Oxford World’s Classics, 2008.
-Hard, Robin. Apollodorus: The Library of Greek Mythology. Oxford World’s Classics, 2008.

Music credits:

[evasliteraryparlour]

Fantasy is one of my favourite genres. It has got me out of reading slumps and depression many times. If you could be a fantasy character, which would you be? I think I would be a grumpy hobbit, a scholar vampire, or a wicked fairy.😅

[DanielZapatas]

Estoy disfrutando mucho tus videos, excelente trabajo :)

[Johanna_reads]

This was fabulous! I also have a preference for mysterious magic over hard, detailed magic systems. I also enjoy stories that emphasize wonder, emotional journeys, and nuanced themes. I personally don't always mind flat characters and think they can serve a narrative purpose, just like you were saying for Lord of the Rings. Thank you for another fun and thought-provoking video essay!

[gradis]

My favorite quote about fantasy is “HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE. “Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—” YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES. “So we can believe the big ones?” YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.”----Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

[FantasyAuthorsHandbook]

Terrific overview--thank you. One thing, though: Campbell DID invent the "monomyth" by cherry-picking only the stories that matched up with this formula, and only from Classical Western traditions. This is not, by any means, the only way we've told stories or the only way we have to tell stories, and, honestly, can be completely ignored.

[KellyannMitchell]

I love fantasy also, it is my second favourite genre. It’s my go-to genre when I want something fast pace. Terrific video as usual Eva. You always bring such informative and well-thought-out subject matters. ACOTAR is my guilty pleasure read 😂

[scierpka]

very nice and well made video, love the effort in style, it does look very nice!

[Othello]

First time watching. Great video. Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson comes to mind as one of my favorite fantasy novels and it would fit in well with your last quote. Subscribed. :)

[RNMcKown]

You asked about favourite fantasy books - my favourites are the late prose romances of William Morris, written in the 1890's. I first read these as an undergraduate, having found Morris'a Collected Works in our university library (this was in the early 1970's, before they started being reprinted in paperback). Although Morris is often described as a precursor of "high fantasy", his tales are not particularly heavy on magic and are perhaps rather closer to what you describe as "low fantasy". Of Morris' prose romances my particular favourites are "The Water of the Wondrous Isles" and "The Well at the World's End" - I've re-read them every few years for the past half-century, and Birdalone and Ursula are at the top of my list of most beloved literary characters. After Morris I read "The Lord of the Rings" and I came to very much enjoy Tolkien's work - over the years I have also re-read TLotR many times - but I have always been disappointed by the paucity of female characters in Tolkien's work. My taste in fantasy has actually led me look back to Mediaeval and Renaissance literature rather than forward into modern fantasy.

[ElettraPignatti]

loved this video! And let's remember that even the Bible is a fantasy book

[jeigh]

What happened to your sci fi video? Will it be uploaded again at some point?

[WilliamsLibrary]

I see what you are doing... you saved Game of Thrones for last as you did with Bridgerton for your 'trashy romances' video. That way you can talk about every important development leading up to the latest trending thing. That's clever.