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| '''High fantasy''', or '''epic fantasy''', is a ] of ]<ref name=High_fantasy_is_a_fantasy_genre>{{cite web |
'''High fantasy''', or '''epic fantasy''', is a ] of ]<ref name=High_fantasy_is_a_fantasy_genre>{{cite web|url=http://fandomania.com/defining-the-genre-high-fantasy/|title=''Defining the Genre: High Fantasy''|work=fandomania|date=11 May 2011|access-date=8 August 2016|quote="High Fantasy is probably one of the most recognizable subgenres of Fantasy."|archive-date=22 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322195115/http://fandomania.com/defining-the-genre-high-fantasy/|url-status=live}}</ref> defined by the ] nature of its ] or by the epic stature of its ], ], or ].<ref name="stableford">], ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Plymouth. 2005. {{ISBN|0-8108-6829-6}}</ref> High fantasy is usually set in an ], rather than the "real" or "primary" world.<ref name="stableford" /> This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, ] is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Reading and Writing Literary Genres|last1=Buss|first1=Kathleen|last2=Karnowski|first2=Lee|year=2000|publisher=International Reading Assoc.|isbn=978-0-87207-257-2|page=|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/readingwritingli0000buss/page/114}}</ref><ref name="Perry">{{Cite book|title=Teaching Fantasy Novels |last=Perry |first=Phyllis Jean |year=2003 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |isbn=978-1-56308-987-9 |page=vi }}</ref><ref name="Gamble">{{Cite book|title=Exploring Children's Literature|last1=Gamble|first1=Nikki|last2=Yates|first2=Sally|year=2008|publisher=SAGE Publications Ltd|isbn=978-1-4129-3013-0|pages=102–103}}</ref><ref>C.W. Sullivan has a slightly more complex definition in "High Fantasy", chapter 24 of the ''International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature'' by Peter Hunt and Sheila G. Bannister Ray (Routledge, 1996 and 2004), chapter 24.</ref> | ||
| ==Characteristics== | |||
| High fantasy is set in an ], rather than the "real" or "primary" world.<ref name="stableford" /> This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, ] is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Reading and Writing Literary Genres |last1=Buss |first1=Kathleen |last2=Karnowski |first2=Lee |year=2000 |publisher=International Reading Assoc. |isbn=978-0-87207-257-2 |page= |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/readingwritingli0000buss/page/114 }}</ref><ref name="Perry">{{Cite book|title=Teaching Fantasy Novels |last=Perry |first=Phyllis Jean |year=2003 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |isbn=978-1-56308-987-9 |page=vi }}</ref><ref name="Gamble">{{Cite book|title=Exploring Children's Literature |last1=Gamble |first1=Nikki |last2=Yates |first2=Sally |year=2008 |publisher=SAGE Publications Ltd |isbn=978-1-4129-3013-0 |pages= 102–103 }}</ref><ref>C.W. Sullivan has a slightly more complex definition in "High Fantasy", chapter 24 of the ''International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature'' by Peter Hunt and Sheila G. Bannister Ray (Routledge, 1996 and 2004), chapter 24.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | The romances of ], such as '']'', set in an imaginary ] world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy.<ref name="dg">{{cite book|last=Dozois|first=Gardner|author-link=Gardner Dozois|title=]|chapter=Preface|location=New York|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=1997|pages=|isbn=031215173X}}</ref><!-- https://books.google.com/books?id=3r6FBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT15 --> ] of ]—especially '']''—are regarded as ].<ref name="dg" /> The term "high fantasy" was coined by ] in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance", which was originally given at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians in October 1969.<ref name="stableford" /> | ||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around their heritage or mysterious nature, along with a world-threatening problem. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, and frequently portrayed with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child, or are portrayed as being very weak and/or useless.<ref>{{cite book|author=Michael Moorcock|title=Wizardry & Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy|year=2004|page=84|publisher=MonkeyBrain|isbn=1-932265-07-4}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a considerable gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along the way.<ref>{{Cite web|last=MasterClass|date=26 May 2022|title=High Fantasy Books: 6 Characteristics of High Fantasy|url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/high-fantasy|website=MasterClass}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The romances of ], such as '']'', set in an imaginary ] world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy.<ref name="dg">{{cite book |
||
| ⚫ | Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around their heritage or mysterious nature, along with a world-threatening problem. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, and frequently portrayed with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child, or are portrayed as being very weak and/or useless.<ref>{{cite book|author=Michael Moorcock|title=Wizardry & Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy|year=2004|page= |
||
| ⚫ | The hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a considerable gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along the way.{{ |
||
| The progress of the story leads to the character's learning the nature of the unknown forces against them, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. The ]s in such stories are usually completely evil and unrelatable.<ref>], "Writing High Fantasy", p 53, Philip Martin, ed., ''The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest'', {{ISBN|0-87116-195-8}}</ref> | The progress of the story leads to the character's learning the nature of the unknown forces against them, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. The ]s in such stories are usually completely evil and unrelatable.<ref>], "Writing High Fantasy", p 53, Philip Martin, ed., ''The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest'', {{ISBN|0-87116-195-8}}</ref> | ||
| "High fantasy" often serves as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy genre, including ] |
"High fantasy" often serves as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy genre, including ], mythic fantasy, ], and ].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dungeon Master's Guide|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|date=December 2014|isbn=978-0-7869-6562-5|editor-last=Crawford|editor-first=Jeremy|location=Washington, United States|pages=38–41|language=English|editor-last2=Perkins|editor-first2=Christopher|editor-last3=Wyatt|editor-first3=James}}</ref> It typically is not considered to include the ] genre.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| ==Themes== | ==Themes== | ||
| High fantasy has often been defined by its themes and messages.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wolfgang|first=Baur|title=Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding|publisher=Kobold Press|year=2012|editor-last=Silverstein|editor-first=Janna|pages=27|language=English|chapter=How Real is Your World? On History and Setting}}</ref> ] is a common one in high fantasy, and defining the character of evil is often an important theme in a work of high fantasy,<ref>Tom Shippey, ''J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century'', p 120, {{ISBN|0-618-25759-4}}</ref> as |
High fantasy has often been defined by its themes and messages.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wolfgang|first=Baur|title=Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding|publisher=Kobold Press|year=2012|editor-last=Silverstein|editor-first=Janna|pages=27|language=English|chapter=How Real is Your World? On History and Setting}}</ref> "]" is a common one in high fantasy, and defining the character of evil is often an important theme in a work of high fantasy,<ref>Tom Shippey, ''J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century'', p 120, {{ISBN|0-618-25759-4}}</ref> such as ''The Lord of the Rings''. The importance of the concept of good and evil can be regarded as the distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery.<ref name=":0">Joseph A. McCullough V, " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010011823/http://www.blackgate.com/articles/S%26S.htm |date=10 October 2008 }}"</ref> In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks a deep concern with moral issues; in other works, the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance, ]s behaving irresponsibly whether they are "good" or "evil".<ref>Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Question I Get Asked Most Often" p 274, ''The Wave in the Mind'', {{ISBN|1-59030-006-8}}</ref> | ||
| ==Game settings== | ==Game settings== | ||
| ]s such as '']'' with ]s like '']''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dragonlance.com |
]s such as '']'' with ]s like '']''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dragonlance.com|title=Dragonlance homepage|access-date=2 March 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304092129/http://www.dragonlance.com/|archive-date=4 March 2006}}</ref> by ] and ] and '']'' by ]<ref>{{cite journal|quote=For Dungeons and Dragons, both TSR and WotC produced additional settings that can be used with the core rules, two of the most popular being the magic-punk Eberron ... and the high fantasy Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.|last=Snow|first=Cason|title=Dragons in the stacks: an introduction to role-playing games and their value to libraries|journal=Collection Building|volume=27|issue=2|year=2008|pages=63–70|doi=10.1108/01604950810870218}}</ref> are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings.<ref>"Most role-playing games draw upon a universe based in high fantasy; this literary genre, half-way between traditional fantasy ..." Squedin, S., & Papillon, S. (2008). U.S. Patent Application 12/198,391.</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| {{Portal|Novels}} | {{Portal|Novels}} | ||
| * |
* {{annotated link|Sword and sorcery}} | ||
| * {{annotated link|Heroic fantasy}} | |||
| * {{annotated link|Historical fantasy}} | * {{annotated link|Historical fantasy}} | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * {{annotated link|Low fantasy}} | * {{annotated link|Low fantasy}} | ||
| * {{annotated link|Sword and sorcery}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 13:19, 1 November 2024
Subgenre of fiction For other uses, see High fantasy (disambiguation).
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. High fantasy is usually set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world. This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.
Characteristics
The romances of William Morris, such as The Well at the World's End, set in an imaginary medieval world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy. The works of J. R. R. Tolkien—especially The Lord of the Rings—are regarded as archetypal works of high fantasy. The term "high fantasy" was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance", which was originally given at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians in October 1969.
Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around their heritage or mysterious nature, along with a world-threatening problem. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, and frequently portrayed with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child, or are portrayed as being very weak and/or useless.
The hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a considerable gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along the way.
The progress of the story leads to the character's learning the nature of the unknown forces against them, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. The villains in such stories are usually completely evil and unrelatable.
"High fantasy" often serves as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy genre, including epic fantasy, mythic fantasy, dark fantasy, and wuxia. It typically is not considered to include the sword and sorcery genre.
Themes
High fantasy has often been defined by its themes and messages. "Good versus evil" is a common one in high fantasy, and defining the character of evil is often an important theme in a work of high fantasy, such as The Lord of the Rings. The importance of the concept of good and evil can be regarded as the distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery. In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks a deep concern with moral issues; in other works, the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance, wizards behaving irresponsibly whether they are "good" or "evil".
Game settings
Role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons with campaign settings like Dragonlance by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis and Forgotten Realms by Ed Greenwood are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings.
See also
- Sword and sorcery – Genre of fantasy fiction
- Historical fantasy – Genre of fiction
- List of genres
- List of high fantasy fiction
- Low fantasy – Subgenre of fantasy fiction defined by a "mundane" setting
References
- "Defining the Genre: High Fantasy". fandomania. 11 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
High Fantasy is probably one of the most recognizable subgenres of Fantasy.
- ^ Brian Stableford, The A to Z of Fantasy Literature, (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Plymouth. 2005. ISBN 0-8108-6829-6
- Buss, Kathleen; Karnowski, Lee (2000). Reading and Writing Literary Genres. International Reading Assoc. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-87207-257-2.
- Perry, Phyllis Jean (2003). Teaching Fantasy Novels. Libraries Unlimited. p. vi. ISBN 978-1-56308-987-9.
- Gamble, Nikki; Yates, Sally (2008). Exploring Children's Literature. SAGE Publications Ltd. pp. 102–103. ISBN 978-1-4129-3013-0.
- C.W. Sullivan has a slightly more complex definition in "High Fantasy", chapter 24 of the International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature by Peter Hunt and Sheila G. Bannister Ray (Routledge, 1996 and 2004), chapter 24.
- ^ Dozois, Gardner (1997). "Preface". Modern Classics of Fantasy. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. xvi–xvii. ISBN 031215173X.
- Michael Moorcock (2004). Wizardry & Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy. MonkeyBrain. p. 84. ISBN 1-932265-07-4.
- MasterClass (26 May 2022). "High Fantasy Books: 6 Characteristics of High Fantasy". MasterClass.
- Patricia A. McKillip, "Writing High Fantasy", p 53, Philip Martin, ed., The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest, ISBN 0-87116-195-8
- Crawford, Jeremy; Perkins, Christopher; Wyatt, James, eds. (December 2014). Dungeon Master's Guide. Washington, United States: Wizards of the Coast. pp. 38–41. ISBN 978-0-7869-6562-5.
- ^ Joseph A. McCullough V, "The Demarcation of Sword and Sorcery Archived 10 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine"
- Wolfgang, Baur (2012). "How Real is Your World? On History and Setting". In Silverstein, Janna (ed.). Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding. Kobold Press. p. 27.
- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, p 120, ISBN 0-618-25759-4
- Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Question I Get Asked Most Often" p 274, The Wave in the Mind, ISBN 1-59030-006-8
- "Dragonlance homepage". Archived from the original on 4 March 2006. Retrieved 2 March 2006.
- Snow, Cason (2008). "Dragons in the stacks: an introduction to role-playing games and their value to libraries". Collection Building. 27 (2): 63–70. doi:10.1108/01604950810870218.
For Dungeons and Dragons, both TSR and WotC produced additional settings that can be used with the core rules, two of the most popular being the magic-punk Eberron ... and the high fantasy Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.
- "Most role-playing games draw upon a universe based in high fantasy; this literary genre, half-way between traditional fantasy ..." Squedin, S., & Papillon, S. (2008). U.S. Patent Application 12/198,391.
External links
- "Fantasy Genre Lecture"—A paper by Michael Joseph discussing high fantasy and referencing Alexander's theories, via Rutgers' School of Communication and Information.
- "The Flat-Heeled Muse" by Lloyd Alexander, the inventor of the term "high fantasy", discusses fantasy world-building and "the problems and disciplines of fantasy"
- "Fantasy book writing: 7 tips"—Now Novel discusses the origin of the term, referencing Lloyd Alexander and offering high fantasy writing tips
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