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Genre

Fantasy of Manners

Speculative and Fantastic Fiction

The fantasy of manners is a subgenre of fantasy literature that also partakes of the nature of a comedy of manners. Such works generally take place in an urban setting, within the confines of a fairly elaborate and almost always hierarchical social structure. The term was first used in print by the science fiction critic Donald G. Keller, in an article titled The Manner of Fantasy published in the April 1991 issue of The New York Review of Science Fiction.

Facts
Notable Example
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner 1
Defining Trait
Protagonists face their neighbors and peers within a society rather than external foes 1
Connections

Form Of Genre

Fantasy, Genres
Sources
1. Fantasy of manners, Wikipedia
  • Examples section
    Swordspoint (and related works) by Ellen Kushner
  • Characteristics paragraph
    The protagonists are not pitted against fierce monsters or marauding armies, but against their neighbors and peers; the action takes place within a society, rather than being directed against an external foe.
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