As we draw into that post-Potter epoch of fiction, many lament the void that the series has left, the final exhilaration that has given way to an acute sense of bereavement. It is perhaps a fitting acknowledgment of the most widely read books ever to explore the culture that spawned them.
Rowling was not quite the first to rule the realm of the fantastic. The genre, as old and varied as civilization itself, is replete with its own themes and overtures. It deals with the impossible – anything conceivable in the imagination but not in reality – magic, gods, beasts, quests, alternate worlds and mighty battles.
Although Fantasy fiction in its current form is younger than two centuries, its forebears have an extensive history. The establishment of the genre may be traced back to The Epic of Gilgamesh, a Babylonian narrative about the adventures of the eponymous hero-king and his friend Enkidu. Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and The Book of One Thousand and One Nights are other prominent works of nascent Fantasy.
Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory dominates Arthurian literature and is regarded as the canonical form of the legend. The English romance The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser is an intensely allegorical poem involving knightly duels and combats against giants and sorcerers. It is probably the first work in which elves play the main part.
Modern Fantasy fiction begins in the nineteenth century with George MacDonald, the Scottish author of The Princess and the Goblin, who later influenced both J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. MacDonald’s other popular work, Phantastes, is commonly considered to be the first fantasy novel for adults. Another famous name of this era was William Morris, an English poet who wrote several novels including The Well at the World's End.
Despite their influence and fame, it wasn't until the turn of the century that fantasy fiction began to attain a large audience when Lord Dunsany established the genre's popularity. Many admired authors also began to write fantasy by then, including H. Rider Haggard, Kipling and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Several classic children's fantasies including Peter Pan and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz were also published around this time.
Fantasy fiction is now an established form with its own sub-genres whose distinctions are not always etched in stone.
Epic Fantasy is an elevated narrative that usually takes place in another world involving magic and strange beings. The author knows all its details including the cultures, history and religions. This depth brings the fantastic world of magic to life. Two major themes that characterize most Epic Fantasy books include the great struggle between opposing forces – light and dark, order and chaos, good and evil – and the quest that leads us there. A quest is usually an arduous hunt by the truly worthy for a magical object or person that can save the world.
Smaug, from There and Back Again
Lord of the Rings is the yardstick against which every other Epic Fantasy book today is judged. Tolkien put as much effort into creating his world of Middle Earth as his languages. Using his familiarity with speech, history, geography and geology, the author created a vivid past filled with its own cultures and races. Middle-Earth is an immortal rendition of heroic Europe, complete with all the elements of high fantasy.
Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar Tapestry and Robert Jordan’s ongoing Wheel of Time series are fine examples of Epic Fantasy while George R.R. Martin, Terry Brooks and David Eddings have their own fan following.
Arthurian Fantasy is another sub-category of Fantasy fiction. The books are retellings of the legend, using its characters and themes, often in a new light. King Arthur’s is an enduring tale of honour, chivalry and courtly love – one that has inspired writers throughout history. The story has been retold from the perspective of Merlin, through the eyes of the women involved, and was once even satirized on the silver screen.
Urban or Contemporary Fantasy is a third variety of Fantasy. Stories in this sub-genre are set in our world where magic or magical creatures allegedly coexist with modern humans. The most frequently encountered creatures in Urban Fantasy are the residents of Fairy. They either cross over into our world through portals or live alongside people. The Artemis Fowl series by Irishman Eoin Colfer is immensely popular in this category.
Comic fantasy is mainly humorous in purpose and tone. Normally set in an imaginary world, it often lampoons other works of fantasy. The sub-genre rose in the second half of the twentieth century with T.H. White, L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt as early contributors. Today, Piers Anthony's Xanth books, Terry Pratchett's Discworld and Tom Holt’s books afford good reading.
Historical Fantasy deals with the hazy parts of history by weaving wonderful yarns of a magical past. A writer might, for set their tale in Rome ruled by Caesar with the exception that sorcery and the Roman gods actually exist. A lot of historical research goes into bringing these stories and characters alive, and the extensive detail mingled with elements of fantasy make the books engaging and almost believable.
Juvenile fantasy is Fantasy fiction for young readers, by far the most popular. The protagonists are usually children or teenagers, uniquely gifted, with possessions or even allies that allow them to face powerful adversaries. The plot frequently incorporates a bildungsroman, where the hero matures as he faces his troubles. While Lewis Carrol could be called the forerunner of the sub-genre, it was C.S. Lewis, with his Chronicles of Narnia, who first realized that Fantasy was more acceptable to a young readership. Other brilliant writers in this category are Nesbit, Ursula LeGuin (The Earthsea books), Anne McAffrey (The Dragonriders of Pern), Phillip Pullman (His Dark Materials), Jonathan Stroud (the Bartimaeus trilogy) and, of course, Joanne Kathleen Rowling.
Largely owing to Rowling's Harry Potter series, which has become the greatest literary sensation of all time, Fantasy is now firmly entrenched in mainstream literature. The chartbuster success of several cinematic adaptations of fantasy novels such as The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the critical acclaim for films like Pan's Labyrinth have helped strengthen its presence in the modern psyche. Fantasy continues to be an eclectic medium, encompassing closely bonded sub-genres that deal with mythic themes seeking deeper truths, taking us away, on feathered wings, to the wonderful world of fairy tales.
