The world of fantasy can be intimidating for those who are unfamiliar with the genre. By better understanding the characteristics and appeal for fans, however, anyone can be comfortable making recommendations or even reading a fantasy novel themselves. Fantasy is usually categorized as a "landscape" genre due to the fact that these are world-building books. According to Saricks (2009), who wrote The Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, "it is important that readers be able to see, hear, and feel the worlds in which the authors place them" (p.265). Some of this emphasis on world-building has led many people to lump science fiction and fantasy together into a single genre. Fantasy does share some characteristics with science fiction; besides world-building, both genres allow the author to deal with current real-world issues in the framework of a fictional society. However, there are also major differences, both in style and in setting, and therefore the readerships are also sometimes different. These are some of the key differences:
Science Fiction:
- emphasizes ideas
- is driven by intellect
- takes place in settings that we believe could be possible
- strives to be completely original
- emphasizes relationships
- is driven by emotion
- takes place in worlds that could never be
- takes existing myths, legends, and fairy tales and twists them into something new
Target Audience
Fantasy is somewhat unique in that readers of the genre represent the widest age range of any fiction genre (Saricks, 2009, p.276). There is a huge crossover between adult and youth fantasy that simply does not exist in other genres. That is, there are many younger children who read adult fantasies as well as many adults who read fantasies for youth. Keep this in mind when making fantasy recommendations to both children and adults, as it is very likely that they are reading outside of their age level.
Characteristics and Appeal
Frame - Fantasy novels will always be set up with a frame that ensures readers that they have been transported to a magical world. Whether that occurs through the use of magical artifacts, creatures, or simply the enchanted feel of the book can vary, but there is definitely an emphasis on creating this atmosphere. Popular settings include alternate medieval and parallel worlds.Story line - Good versus evil is almost always the underlying theme in a fantasy story line. There is a heavy focus on exploring the inner potential of characters, making ultimate victory over evil imperative in this genre. Hopeful, optimistic outcomes are generally essential, although some stories that stretch into long series will often literally leave readers hanging off the edge of a cliff. Quests, retellings of myths, and fairy tales are all popular story lines.
Characters - Because this is fantasy, characters in this genre may not necessarily be human. Mythical creatures such as dragons, wizards, elves, and unicorns can all take part as main or secondary characters. Characters are also frequently somewhat stereotypical and easily identfiable as belonging to the side of "good" or "evil".
Pacing - Due to the extreme world-building that often takes place, fantasies tend to start slowly. As the world solidifies, however, pacing increases and the adventure takes off, dragging readers into the all-consuming quest to save the world and triumph over evil.
Tone - While the tone in fantasy is generally optimistic, it can also get somewhat melancholy as sacrifice and loss are often required. In the "Dark Fantasy" sub-genre this is taken to extremes to ensure victory over evil in the end. The opposite of this dense atmosphere can be found in comedic fantasy. Tone can, therefore, vary quite a bit, each one handling important issues in their own way.
Style - Language is often used in interesting ways in fantasy. Whether highly stylized to reflect a medieval world, or completely invented to accommodate a new species or creature, "more than one fan has wryly commented that seeing a nice long glossary or list of characters is one way of knowing you have have a 'real' fantasy in your hands!" (Saricks, 2009, p.275). Additionally, fantasy offers big books and long series - a huge appeal for fans of the genre.
