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Genre

Fantasy

Speculative and Fantastic Fiction

A genre of speculative fiction built on supernatural or magical elements, frequently set in wholly imagined worlds with their own histories, creatures and systems of magic that need not answer to natural law or documented history. Supernatural material runs throughout earlier literary history, but the modern literary genre is usually dated from George MacDonald's Phantastes (1858), widely considered the first fantasy novel written for an adult readership; the genre did not reach a mass popular audience until J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, especially in their 1960s paperback editions, carried it into the literary mainstream. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Place of Origin
Modern literary origin usually dated to Victorian Britain. 1
Supernatural material runs throughout earlier literary history worldwide, but the modern literary GENRE, as opposed to myth, folktale or romance, is usually dated from George MacDonald's Phantastes (1858), widely considered the first fantasy novel written for an adult readership; where exactly that boundary should be drawn is itself debated in genre scholarship.
Notable Example
George MacDonald, Phantastes (1858); J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955). 1
Defining Trait
A genre of speculative fiction built on supernatural or magical elements, frequently set in wholly imagined worlds with their own histories, creatures and systems of magic that need not answer to natural law or documented history. 1
Connections

Encompasses Form

Bangsian Fantasy, Genres
Chuanyue, Genres
Contemporary Fantasy, Genres
Cozy Fantasy, Genres
Dark Fantasy, Genres
Fairy Tale, Genres
Fantasy of Manners, Genres
Grimdark, Genres
High Fantasy, Genres
Historical Fantasy, Genres
Isekai, Genres
LitRPG, Genres
Low Fantasy, Genres
Magical Girl, Genres
Mythic Fiction, Genres
New Weird, Genres
Portal Fantasy, Genres
Romantic Fantasy, Genres
Science Fantasy, Genres
Shenmo Fiction, Genres
Superhero Fiction, Genres
Sword and Sorcery, Genres
Urban Fantasy, Genres
Weird Western, Genres
Xianxia, Genres
Xuanhuan, Genres

Features Author

1Q84, Works
Source 1Q84 (Wikipedia)
Gulliver's Travels, Works
Source Gulliver's Travels (Wikipedia)
J. R. R. Tolkien, Authors

The success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings ignited mainstream interest in fantasy and led to his popular identification as the father of modern fantasy literature.

Source J. R. R. Tolkien (Wikipedia)
The Hobbit, Works
Source The Hobbit (Wikipedia)
The Lord of the Rings, Works
Source The Lord of the Rings (Wikipedia)

In Genre

J. R. R. Tolkien, Authors
Source Fantasy (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Fantasy (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)
  • lead and History sections
  • Lead section
    Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or magical elements, often including completely imaginary realms and creatures.
  • In Genre: J. R. R. Tolkien
View the Source
The Hobbit (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)
  • on the paperback editions and the genre's mass market
    Sullivan credits the first publication of The Hobbit as an important step in the development of high fantasy...essential to the creation of a mass market for fiction of this kind
  • Features Author: The Hobbit, Lead, opening
    The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim
View the Source
J. R. R. Tolkien (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Features Author: J. R. R. Tolkien, lead section, fantasy genre
Quote, Features Author: J. R. R. Tolkien, lead section, fantasy genre
While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the tremendous success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings ignited a profound interest in the fantasy genre ... This has led to his popular identification as the 'father' of modern fantasy literature.
View the Source
The Lord of the Rings (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Features Author: The Lord of the Rings, Reception section
Quote, Features Author: The Lord of the Rings, Reception section
It is considered one of the most influential fantasy books ever written, and has helped to create and shape the modern fantasy genre.
View the Source
Gulliver's Travels (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationFeatures Author: Gulliver's Travels, Lead section, genre (fantasy)
Quote, Features Author: Gulliver's Travels, Lead section, genre (fantasy)
Satire, fantasy, Science fiction, traveller's tale
View the Source
1Q84 (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationFeatures Author: 1Q84, Wikipedia categories
Quote, Features Author: 1Q84, Wikipedia categories
Japanese magical realism novels
View the Source
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