Tag: fantasy literature

More Subgenres of Fantasy Literature

Our five-part exploration of fantasy literature is now complete! Originally presented five years ago as a three-part exploration, I’ve gone through and completely revised and rewritten most of the series and greatly expanded on it. In this part, you’ll find short descriptions and examples of eighteen different subgenres of fantasy literature! This includes dark fantasy, grimdark fantasy, military fantasy, flintlock fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, gaslamp fantasy, and more! Below is a snippet of the introduction to this new essay, along with a link to the full piece:

One of the fascinating things about fantasy literature is how many different types of stories fall under this massive umbrella genre. Everything from elves and goblins in a medieval setting to witches and vampires in the modern day can be considered fantasy. This has led to a plethora of subgenres that help us communicate and identify what kind of fantasy a story is. The number of these is growing all the time, so it’s hard to even count them all. In this essay, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most enduring, popular, and interesting of these.

Click here for the full essay!

Or, if you want to start from the beginning and read through the whole series in order, you’ll want to head over to The History of Fantasy Literature.

The History of Fantasy Literature

Great news! The total remodel of bkbass.com is steaming along, and I’m going through my old essays, articles, and musings to completely revise their contents and presentation.

Previously, I had a series of three essays on fantasy literature. They’re getting such an overhaul, though, that there will now be five!

The first of these, The History of Fantasy Literature, is now live on the website. Here’s a quick preview:

If you’ve found yourself here, you probably love fantasy literature. One of the most fascinating things about the genre, I think, is where it came from and how it became what it is today. I’m also enthralled by the many fantasy subgenres and the nuances of how they explore the fantastic in different ways.

Navigating fantasy literature and its myriad subgenres can be a daunting task. In this first leg of a multi-part journey, we will discover what the fantasy genre is and explore the history of fantasy literature with notable examples of authors and works that shaped the genre.

Check out the full essay for more!