Fantasy Subgenres

There are so many different subgenres found within Fantasy. I could probably do two weeks or more depending on what we're going to consider as a subgenre but I'm sticking with the single week format. So, I had to make some decisions on what subgenres to list here. First is just to talk about Fantasy overall. Then we'll get to potential subgenres.

What is Fantasy?

This answer isn't as easy as one would think because different people define it in a different way. Some think that any fiction is fantasy because it's not real. But we'll go with a different side of the fantasy definition. Another term for fantasy is speculative fiction, which is where science fiction and fantasy are connected. This might be why they are often put together in books stores. However, there is a big difference between sci-fi and fantasy.

Fantasy tends to have "magickal" elements. Even when modern/urban/real world, the readers are still brought into a different world, able to get away when they read. By the magickal nature, this doesn't have to mean spells persay, because fantasy has few limits. It includes but is not limited to: witches, dragons, mages, elves, dwarves, slayers, vampires, werewolves, orcs, humans, phoenix, and whatever else people can come up with. That's what makes fantasy so great. But it's really the subgenres that attract different people to the genre and in the next few days I'll cover some from the list.


Potential Genres the next few days:

Epic          High          Sword and Sorcery

Urban       Rural          Suburban

Fairytale          Mythology          Modern

Realism          Heroic/Superhero          Arthurian

Dark          Humor          Alternative/Parallel

Steampunk          Paranormal