Though the fantasy genre in its modern sense is less than two centuries old, its antecedents have a long and distinguished history. Elements of the supernatural and the fantastic were an element of literature from its beginning. Even the most fantastic myths, legends and fairy tales, however, differ from modern fantasy genre in three respects: // For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ...

Modern genre fantasy postulates a different reality, either a fantasy world separated from ours, or a hidden fantasy side of our own world. In addition, the rules, geography, history, etc. of this world tend to be defined, even if they are not described outright. Traditional fantastic tales take place in our world, often in the past or in far off, unknown places. It seldom describes the place or the time with any precision, often saying simply that it happened "long ago and far away." (A modern, rationalized analog to these stories can be found in the Lost World tales of the 19th and 20th centuries.) A fantasy world is a type of fictional universe in which magic or other similar powers work. ... The Lost World literary genre is a fantasy or science fiction genre that involves the discovery of a new world out of time, place, or both. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The second difference is that the supernatural in fantasy is by design fictitious. In traditional tales the degree to which the author considered the supernatural to be real can span the spectrum from legends taken as reality to myths understood as describing in understandable terms more complicated reality, to late, wholly fictitious fairy tales.

Finally, the fantastic worlds of modern fantasy are created by an author or group of authors, often using traditional elements, but usually in a novel arrangement and with an individual interpretation. Traditional tales with fantasy elements used familiar myths and folklore, and any differences from tradition were considered variations on a theme; the traditional tales were never intended to be separate from the local supernatural folklore. Transitions between the traditional and modern modes of fantastic literature are evident in early Gothic novels, the ghost stories in vogue in the 19th century, and Romantic novels, all of which used extensively traditional fantastic motifs, but subjected them to authors' concepts. Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... Ghost Stories (Japanese: 学校の怪談, Gakkō no Kaidan, School Ghost Stories) is a twenty-one-episode anime series created in 2000 by animation studio Aniplex for Fuji Television, based on a manga series by Yosuke Takahashi. ... Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ...

By one standard, no work created before the fantasy genre was defined can be considered to belong to it, no matter how many fantastic elements it includes. By another, the genre includes the whole range of fantastic literature, both the modern genre and its traditional antecedents, as many elements which were treated as true (or at least not obviously untrue) by earlier authors are wholly fictitious and fantastic for modern readers. But even by the more limited definition a full examination of the history of the fantastic in literature is necessary to show the origins of the modern genre. Traditional works contain significant elements which modern fantasy authors have drawn upon extensively for inspiration in their own works.

The history of French fantastique literature is covered in greater detail under Fantastique. Fantastique is a French term for a literary and cinematic genre that overlaps with parts of science fiction, horror and fantasy. ...

Primordial fantasy

Main articles: Chaldean mythology, Egyptian mythology, Abrahamic mythology

The Epic of Gilgamesh, often regarded by academics as precursory to, and instrumental in the formation of, Abrahamic mythology, was written long, long after the supposed reign of King Gilgamesh, and is seen as a mythologized version of his life. The roots of many of today's fantasy subgenres were laid in this epic, including those of Bangsian fantasy. Chaldean mythology, also called Chaldaic mythology, is the collective name given to Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian mythologies, although Chaldea did not comprehend the whole territory inhabited by those peoples. ... Egyptian mythology or Egyptian religion is the succession of tentative beliefs held by the people of Egypt for over three thousand years, prior to major exposure to Christianity and Islam. ... Abrahamic mythology is a term used in comparative mythology to refer to those aspects of religious belief and tradition common to the Abrahamic religions, as distinct from those of the Pagan religions from which most mainstream research in this field suggests they developed. ... The Epic of Gilgamesh is a literary work from Babylonia, dating from long after the time that king Gilgamesh was supposed to have ruled. ... Abrahamic mythology is a term used in comparative mythology to refer to those aspects of religious belief and tradition common to the Abrahamic religions, as distinct from those of the Pagan religions from which most mainstream research in this field suggests they developed. ... A genre is any of the traditional divisions of art forms from a single field of activity into various kinds according to criteria particular to that form. ... Bangsian fantasy is the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife. ...

Many have suggested that Egyptian mythology was regarded as mainly allegorical during at least part of its history. The reason for this is that the gods and goddesses of Egyptian mythology were not seen as fixed figures, but as manifestations of a single divinity. Tales of origins and other myths were therefore subject to change for the purposes of relating moral messages or discussing various aspects of the world's nature. At times gods and goddesses could even be deconstructed or combined with other deities toward such ends. Thus, some might argue that Egyptian mythology differs from modern fantasy fiction only in that its primary function was philosophical and religious in nature, rather than simple entertainment. Egyptian mythology or Egyptian religion is the succession of tentative beliefs held by the people of Egypt for over three thousand years, prior to major exposure to Christianity and Islam. ...

The Bible, which had a great and enduring impact on Western Culture and its later works of fiction, also influenced fantasy literature. The influence tends to be hidden, however, since many authors are unwilling to risk controversy which can be caused by the use of Bible in fantasy literature. The Gutenberg Bible owned by the United States Library of Congress The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hē biblos, the book) (sometimes The Holy Bible, Scripture, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their differing (and overlapping) canons of sacred texts. ...

Perhaps because of Tolkien's popularity, another, much less known religion exerts great influence on fantasy. Zoroastrianism is characterised by far-reaching dualism and spiritual and material battles of the good spirit Ahura Mazda and evil Ahriman. Depiction of such wars proved irresistible to many fantasy authors. Zoroastrianism is the name of the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ... It has been suggested that Combative dualism be merged into this article or section. ... Ahura Mazda is the Avestan language name for an exalted divinity of ancient proto-Iranian religion that was subsequently declared by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) to be the one uncreated creator of all (God). ... Angra Mainyu or Ahriman was the evil spirit in the dualistic strain of Zoroastrianism. ...

• The Epic of Gilgamesh, by an unknown author (3rd millennium BCE)
• Enuma Elish (When on High), by an unknown author (18th century BCE)
• The Book of Genesis, attributed to Moses (440 BCE)

The Deluge tablet of the Gilgamesh epic in Akkadian The Epic of Gilgamesh is from Babylonia, dating from long after the time that king Gilgamesh was supposed to have ruled. ... (4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC – 2nd millennium BC – other millennia) // Events The 3rd millennium BC represents the beginning of factual history, since it is the first time we do have real names to name and detailed stories to tell. ... Enûma Elish is the creation epic of Babylonian mythology. ... // Events 1787 - 1784 BC -- Amorite conquests of Uruk and Isin 1786 BC -- Egypt: Queen Sobekneferu died. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى MÅ«sa, Geez ሙሴ Musse) is a legendary Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian, and also one of the greatest figures in Jewish history. ... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 490s BC 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC - 440s BC - 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC 390s BC Years: 445 BC 444 BC 443 BC 442 BC 441 BC - 440 BC - 439 BC 438 BC...

Classical fantasy

Main articles: Greek mythology, Roman mythology, Etruscan mythology

Thetis rising from the sea to comfort Achilles (Book 18), by Thomas Banks, English, 1778, Victoria and Albert Museum

Classical mythology is replete with fantastical stories and characters, the best known (and perhaps the most relevant to modern fantasy) being the works of Homer. // Greek mythology consists in part in a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. ... Roman mythology, the mythological beliefs of the people of Ancient Rome, can be considered as having two parts. ... The Etruscans were a race of unknown origin from North Italy who were eventually integrated into Rome. ... Download high resolution version (1063x800, 114 KB)Thomas Banks (1735 - 1805), Thetis Rising from the Sea, marble bas-relief, 1778 Victoria and Albert Museum, London This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1063x800, 114 KB)Thomas Banks (1735 - 1805), Thetis Rising from the Sea, marble bas-relief, 1778 Victoria and Albert Museum, London This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Thetis rising from the sea, 1778, from the Victoria and Albert Museum Thomas Banks (December 29, 1735 — February 2, 1805), English sculptor, son of a surveyor who was land steward to the Duke of Beaufort, was born in London. ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum viewed from Thurloe Square The main interior courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004. ... Classical or Greco-Roman mythology usually refers to the mythology, and the associated polytheistic rituals and practices, of Classical Antiquity. ... The Homère Caetani bust at the Louvre, a 2nd century Roman copy of a 2nd century BC Greek original. ...

At least some ancient Greek authors were known to express open disbelief in the existence of many of the creatures that featured in Greek mythology, while some of the Greek philosophers apparently doubted the literal truthfulness of ancient Greek religion. While it is probable that the majority of the ancient Greeks held a belief in the actuality of the fantastic, there existed amongst the ancient Greek literati people who viewed the factual accuracy of the mythology to be either secondary to or at least separate from the value and meaning of the myths themselves; thus, there was a sense of willing suspension of disbelief (as opposed to actual belief) in the fantastic. Such suspension of disbelief was also necessary for appreciating many known original works, particularly dramatic presentations, in classical antiquity (see fourth wall). Note: This article contains special characters. ... An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to study, reflect, and speculate on a variety of different ideas. ... Suspension of disbelief is a willingness of a reader or viewer to suspend his critical faculties to the extent of ignoring minor inconsistencies so as to enjoy a work of fiction. ... The fourth wall is the imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play. ...

While the degree to which Classical fiction resembles modern fantasy is debatable, it is significant that it is from this tradition that most of the conventions in the arts of western civilization ultimately derive. Depending on one's interpretation, it could therefore be said that something resembling fantasy fiction, as we now know it, was fundamental to the development of western thinking and modern fantasy by extension. This would seem to place the fantasy genre firmly within a long and distinguished tradition of story-telling, as many fans as well as a growing number of academics have suggested.

The above mentioned works, although they included many fantastic elements, differ from modern fantasy as to their literary genre. They were written in verse, and belong either to epic poetry or drama. In that respect there is a greater similarity between modern fantasy and ancient novel. Works of Apuleius and Lucian of Samosata were created in the mature period of classical civilisation, which often resembled modernity, for example in its individualistic attitude to religion. A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or subject matter (content). ... The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into theatre. ... Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe; title page of 1719 newspaper edition A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... It has been suggested that Modern Times (history) be merged into this article or section. ...

• Odyssey, Homer (8th or 9th century BCE)
• Iliad, Homer (8th or 9th century BCE)
• Aeneid, Virgil (1st century CE)
• The Golden Ass, Lucius Apuleius (Date?)
• True History, Lucian of Samosata (Date?)

Thor's battle against the giants, by Marten Eskil Winge, 1872

Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre For other uses, see Odyssey (disambiguation). ... The Homère Caetani bust at the Louvre, a 2nd century Roman copy of a 2nd century BC Greek original. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) Events and trends Ruins of the training grounds at Olympia, Greece. ... (10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC - other centuries) (900s BC - 890s BC - 880s BC - 870s BC - 860s BC - 850s BC - 840s BC - 830s BC - 820s BC - 810s BC - 800s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Kingdom of Kush (900 BC... The Iliad (Ancient Greek , Ilias) is, together with the Odyssey, one of the two principal ancient Greek epic poems. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) Events and trends Ruins of the training grounds at Olympia, Greece. ... (10th century BC - 9th century BC - 8th century BC - other centuries) (900s BC - 890s BC - 880s BC - 870s BC - 860s BC - 850s BC - 840s BC - 830s BC - 820s BC - 810s BC - 800s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Kingdom of Kush (900 BC... Valerus redirects here. ... A sculpture of Virgil, probably from the 1st century AD. For other uses, see Virgil (disambiguation). ... The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 100 according the Gregorian calendar. ... The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius, which according to St. ... Lucius Apuleius (ca 123/5 CE - ca 180 CE), an utterly Romanized Berber who described himself as half-Numidian half-Gaetulian, is remembered most for his bawdy picaresque Latin novel the Metamorphoses, better known as The Golden Ass. ... Datateknologerna vid Ã…bo Akademi r. ... By Lucian of Samosata-a tale of a group of adventurers who, while sailing through the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar), are lifted up by a giant waterspout and deposited on the Moon. ... Lucian of Samosata (c. ... Datateknologerna vid Ã…bo Akademi r. ... Thors battle against the giants (1872), by Mårten Eskil Winge. ... Thors battle against the giants (1872), by Mårten Eskil Winge. ...

Medieval fantasy

Main articles: Arthurian legend, Fornaldarsagas, Fairy tales, Medieval folklore, Romance (genre) The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, centering around King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... A Fornaldarsaga deals with matter that took place in Scandinavia (and a few distant places) before the colonization of Iceland. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... Folklore is the body of verbal expressive culture, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ... As a literary genre, romance refers to a style of heroic prose and verse narrative current in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. ...

Medieval fantasy was preserved primarily in epic poetry and in the Fornaldarsagas, Norse and Icelandic sagas, both of which are based on ancient oral tradition. The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. ... A Fornaldarsaga deals with matter that took place in Scandinavia (and a few distant places) before the colonization of Iceland. ... The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... Look up saga in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Oral tradition or oral culture is a way of transmitting history, literature or law from one generation to the next in a civilization without a writing system. ...

The story of Beowulf is of particular interest, as the events of the story take place roughly four hundred years before the writing of the text. The characters in the story are unalloyed Pagans, whereas the author(s) is clearly Christian. A story about a past society in which a brave hero vanquishes dangerous monsters, placed within the framework of (what was then) contemporary society's beliefs and ideals, is a formula that has become an instant indicator of fantasy fiction in the years since. Though the story of Beowulf was by no means the first to do this, many of its presumably more original elements have also had huge impacts on the fantasy genre. Grendel's attacks on the Heorot, for example, established the formula of later horror stories, and this portion of the tale can be seen as precursory to dark fantasy. Grendel was also the prototypical orc, inspiring J. R. R. Tolkien's race of the same name and the majority of subsequent incarnations. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning a country dweller or civilian) is a blanket term which has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions, as opposed to the Abrahamic monotheistic religions. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... Grendel is one of three antagonists (along with Grendels Mother and the dragon) in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf (c. ... Heorot is the stronghold of king Hrothgar in the epic poem Beowulf. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. ... Dark fantasy has yet to be solidly connected to its own particular subgenre of Fantasy. ... A comic fantasy orc. ... Orcs in Moria, from the 1978 animated film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. ...

Beowulf was part of the Germanic legends, most prominently preserved in the Fornaldarsagas, literally tales of times past, or Legendary sagas. They were Norse sagas which unlike the Icelandic sagas take place before the colonization of Iceland, often based on older norse poems, such as those found in the Norse epic poem, the Elder Edda, although most of these poems have now been lost. There are however, some exceptions, such as Yngvars saga víðförla, which takes place in the 11th century. The first page of Beowulf This article is about the epic poem. ... A Fornaldarsaga deals with matter that took place in Scandinavia (and a few distant places) before the colonization of Iceland. ... The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (Icelandic: Íslendingasögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... In mathematics, see epic morphism. ... The Poetic Edda or Elder Edda is a term applied to two things. ... Ingvar the Far-Travelled was the leader of the Swedish Ingvar expedition, which was an unsuccessful Swedish Viking attack against Persia, in 1036-1041. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ...

The setting is Scandinavia, but occasionally it moves temporarily to more distant and exotic locations. There are also very often mythological elements, such as gods, dwarves, elves, dragons, giants and magic swords. The heroes often embark on dangerous quests where they fight the forces of evil, dragons, witchkings, barrow-wights, and rescue fair maidens. Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe named after the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Norse gods Divided between the Æsir and the Vanir, and sometimes including Jotun, the dividing line between these groups is less than clear. ... The Norse dwarves or Duergar (ON Dvergar) are highly significant entities within Norse mythology. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a creature of Norse mythology which survived in northern European folklore. ... Saint George versus the dragon, Gustave Moreau, c. ... The giants seize Freyja. ... The term magic sword refers to any kind of mythological or fictional sword imbued with magical power to increase its strength or grant it other supernatural qualities. ...

Fornalder (times past), painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo

Many or most of the sagas are based on distant historic events and this is evident in cases where there are corroborating sources, such as Göngu-Hrólfs saga, Ragnars saga loðbrókar, Yngvars saga víðförla and Völsunga saga. In the case of Hervarar saga the names in the Gothic setting indicate a historic basis, and the latter parts of the saga are still used as a historic source for Swedish history. They often contain very old Germanic matter, such as the Hervarar saga and the Völsunga saga which contains poetry about Sigurd that did not find its way into the Poetic Edda and which would otherwise have been lost. Other sagas deal with heroes such as Ragnar Lodbrok, Starkad, Orvar-Odd, Hagbard and Signy. The Völsunga saga, the Hervarar saga, and Hrólfs saga kraka, among others are believed to be based on historical events during the migration of the Huns and Germanic tribes at the time of the fall of the Roman Empire, based on similarities to historical documents and oral tradition from other parts of Europe, such as the Nibelungenlied and Beowulf. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1252x756, 297 KB)Painting by Norwegian artist Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831-1892). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1252x756, 297 KB)Painting by Norwegian artist Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831-1892). ... Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831–1892) was a Norwegian painter, who specialized in painting historical motifs and images from Norse mythology. ... An 1857 painting by August Malmström depicting King Aellas messenger before Ragnar Lodbroks sons. ... Ingvar the Far-Travelled was the leader of the Swedish Ingvar expedition, which was an unsuccessful Swedish Viking attack against Persia, in 1036-1041. ... The Ramsund carving in Sweden depicts 1) how Sigurd is sitting naked in front of the fire preparing the dragon heart, from Fafnir, for his foster-father Regin, who is Fafnirs brother. ... Hervarar saga ok Heidhreks is a fornaldarsaga from the 13th century using material from an older saga. ... Invasion of the Goths: a late 19th century painting by O. Fritsche portrays the Goths as cavalrymen. ... Hervarar saga ok Heidhreks is a fornaldarsaga from the 13th century using material from an older saga. ... The Ramsund carving depicting the Saga of the Völsungs The Volsunga saga is a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the story of Sigurd and Brynhild, and the destruction of the Burgundians. ... Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr, German: Siegfried) was a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. ... The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. ... An 1857 painting by August Malmström depicting King Aellas messenger before Ragnar Lodbroks sons. ... Starkad, Starkotter, Starkodder, Starkadhr (ice. ... Orvar-Odd (i. ... Signhild Hagbard and Signy (Signe) (the Viking Age) or Habor and Sign(h)ild (the Middle Ages and later) were a pair of lovers in Scandinavian mythology and folklore whose legend was widely popular. ... Hrólf Kraki (Old Norse), Rolf Kraki or Rolf Krake was a legendary king at Lejre on the isle of Zealand, Denmark, described in several old sagas and other documents such as the Leire chronicle and Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus. ... The Huns were a confederation of Eurasian tribes, most likely of diverse origin with a Turkic-speaking aristocracy, who appeared in Europe in the 4th century, the most famous being Attila the Hun. ... The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ...

The starting point of the fornaldarsagas' influence on the creation of the Fantasy genre is the publication, in 1825, of the most famous Swedish literary work Frithjof's saga, which was based on the Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna, and it became an instant success in England and Germany. It is said to have been translated twenty-two times into English, twenty times into German, and once at least into every European language, including modern Icelandic in 1866. Their influence on authors, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, William Morris and Poul Anderson and on the subsequent modern fantasy genre is considerable, and can perhaps not be overstated. 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Ingeborg, by Peter Nicolai Arbo Friðþjófs saga hins frÅ“kna is a legendary saga from Iceland which in its present form is from ca 1300. ... Ingeborg, by Peter Nicolai Arbo Friðþjófs saga hins frÅ“kna is a legendary saga from Iceland which in its present form is from ca 1300. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris, publisher Davids Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. ... Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was a prolific science fiction author of the genres Golden Age; some of his short stories were first published using the pseudonyms A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, and Winston P. Sanders. Poul Anderson also wrote fantasy such as the King...

The above-mentioned tales (with the exception of a late kind of sagas called lygisogur, "lying sagas") can be called fantasy only from the modern point of view. For their authors, they were more or less factual and historic; if not outright true, at least possible and probable.

Also noteworthy are the German epic, the Nibelungenlied and the Finnish epic, the Kalevala. The former, based on the same ancient legends as the Volsunga saga and many poems of the Elder Edda, inspired Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen, which can be considered fantasy in its own right. The latter, although not published until the 19th century, is compiled from oral tradition dating back to this period, and perhaps even earlier, is also considered a source of inspiration for Tolkien. Finally, the Welsh epic the Mabinogion and the Irish epic the Tain can be considered fantasy as they relate stories involving mythical creatures and a magical otherworld. The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High German. ... The Kalevala is an epic poem which Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish folk lore in the 19th century. ... The Ramsund carving in Sweden depicts 1) how Sigurd is sitting naked in front of the fire preparing the dragon heart, from Fafnir, for his foster-father Regin, who is Fafnirs brother. ... The Poetic Edda or Elder Edda is a term applied to two things. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Valkyrie Warrior Maiden by artist Arthur Rackham (1912) Der Ring des Nibelungen commonly translated into English as The Ring of the Nibelung or The Nibelungs Ring, is a series of four epic operas based loosely on figures and elements of Germanic paganism, particularly from the Icelanders sagas and the... Motto: (Welsh for Wales for ever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd... The Two Kings (sculptor Ivor Robert-Jones, 1984) near Harlech Castle, Wales. ... The Tain is an EP by The Decemberists released in 2004 by Acuarela Discos. ... For Irish Mythology, see Other World. ...

The Damsel of the Sanct Grael, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

There existed however a genre which embraced fantasy, and which didn't simply follow traditional myths and fables, but, in its final form, boldly created new marvels from the whole cloth. The genre in question is medieval romance. Romance at first dealt with traditional themes, above all three thematic cycles of tales, assembled in imagination at a late date as the Matter of Rome (actually centered on the life and deeds of Alexander the Great), the Matter of France (Charlemagne and Roland, his principal paladin) and the Matter of Britain (the lives and deeds of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, within which was incorporated the quest for Holy Grail). The Holy Grail, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1860s) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The Holy Grail, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1860s) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Dante Gabriel Rossetti (May 12, 1828 - April 10, 1882) was an English poet, painter and translator. ... As a literary genre, romance refers to a style of heroic prose and verse narrative current in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. ...

The last work worth mentioning for its influence on fantasy genre is the Divine Comedy. It can, again, be called fantasy from the modern point of view. For its author, it was science fiction - he tried to show nearly complete image of the world according to best scientific knowledge of the time, but enlivened with characters and action. Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, in Michelinos fresco. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...

• Beowulf, Anonymous (1000)
• The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (1321)
• Poetic Edda, Anonymous
• Volsunga saga, Anonymous
• Nibelungenlied, Anonymous
• Hervarar saga, Anonymous
• Kalevala, Elias Lonnrot
• Mabinogion, Anonymous

The first page of Beowulf This article is about the epic poem. ... ... // Events World Population 300 million. ... Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, with the spheres of Heaven above, in Michelinos fresco. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Events Births September 29 - John of Artois, Count of Eu, French soldier (d. ... The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. ... ... The Ramsund carving in Sweden depicts 1) how Sigurd is sitting naked in front of the fire preparing the dragon heart, from Fafnir, for his foster-father Regin, who is Fafnirs brother. ... ... The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem in Middle High German. ... ... Hervarar saga ok Heidhreks is a fornaldarsaga from the 13th century using material from an older saga. ... ... The Kalevala is an epic poem which Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish folk lore in the 19th century. ... Elias Lönnrot (April 9, 1802 - March 19, 1884) was a Finland-Swedish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... ...

Renaissance fantasy

During Renaissance romance continued to be popular. The trend was to fantastic fiction. Exemplary work, such as the English Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory (c.1408–1471), and the Spanish Amadis de Gaula (1508), (both written in prose) spawned many imitators, and the genre was popularly well-received, producing such masterpiece of renaissance poetry as Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando furioso and Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata and other 16th century literary works in the romance genre. Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... The Last Sleep of Arthur by Edward Burne-Jones Le Morte dArthur (spelt Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions, from the French la mort dArthur, the death of Arthur) is Sir Thomas Malorys compilation of some French and English Arthurian... Sir Thomas Malory (c. ... Amadís de Gaula (English, Amadis of Gaul) is a landmark work among the knight-errantry tales which were in vogue in 16th century Spain, and formed the earliest reading of many Renaissance and Baroque writers. ...

The best known romance epic poem in English language is The Faerie Queene of Edmund Spenser. The poem is deeply allegorical and allusive, Leaving allegory aside, however, the action is that of a typical knightly romance, involving knightly duels, and combats against giants and sorcerers. That is probably the first work in which most of the characters are not men, but elves (although the difference seems to be rather little). There are mentioned also the wars between goblins and elves, which were destined to have a great future in fantastic fiction. In mathematics, see epic morphism. ... Una and the Lion by Briton Rivière The Faerie Queene is an epic poem by Edmund Spenser, first published in 1590 (the first half) with the more or less complete version being published in 1596. ... Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (c. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a creature of Norse mythology which survived in northern European folklore. ... A goblin is an evil or merely mischievous creature of folklore, often described as a grotesquely disfigured or elf-like phantom. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a creature of Norse mythology which survived in northern European folklore. ...

The tale of Don Quixote, while not containing especially "fantastic" elements, in addition to being one of the earliest novels in modern European language, is important because it is nearly only romance which survived as a living, popular book. Paradoxically, it is at the same time a deep critique of romance and fantasy as a whole. Don Quixote de la Mancha (now usually spelled Don Quijote by Spanish-speakers; Don Quixote is an archaic spelling) (IPA: ) or El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe; title page of 1719 newspaper edition A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Most of the many indigenous languages of Europe belong to the Indo-European language family. ... As a literary genre, romance refers to a style of heroic prose and verse narrative current in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. ...

Its protagonist suffers from magical thinking, sometimes called the fantasy-driven mind. As such, the story directly addresses medieval fantasy, legends, and fairytales in much the same way that Mazes and Monsters (1982) addressed fantasy role-playing games -- albeit in not quite so negative a light. Magical thinking is a term used by historians of religion to describe one kind of non-scientific causal reasoning. ... (VHS Cover) (DVD Cover) Mazes and Monsters is a made-for-TV movie about a group of college students and their interest in the eponymous role-playing game (RPG). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. ...

• Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory (1485)
• Orlando Furioso, Ludovico Ariosto (1516)
• La Gerusalemme liberata, Torquato Tasso (1575)
• The Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser (1590)
• Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes (1604)
• Paradise Lost, John Milton (1667)

The Last Sleep of Arthur by Edward Burne-Jones Le Morte dArthur (spelt Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions, from the French la mort dArthur, the death of Arthur) is Sir Thomas Malorys compilation of some French and English Arthurian... Sir Thomas Malory (c. ... // Events August 5-7 - First outbreak of sweating sickness in England begins August 22 - Battle of Bosworth Field is fought between the armies of King Richard III of England and rival claimant to the throne of England Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. ... Ruggiero Rescuing Angelica by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres Orlando Furioso is an epic poem written by Ludovico Ariosto in 1516. ... Ludovico Ariosto (September 8, 1474 – July 6, 1533) was an Italian poet, author of the epic poem Orlando furioso (1516), Orlando Enraged. He was born at Reggio, in Emilia. ... // Events March - With the death of Ferdinand II of Aragon, his grandson Charles of Ghent becomes King of Spain as Carlos I. July - Selim I of the Ottoman Empire declares war on the Mameluks and invades Syria. ... Jerusalem Delivered (La Gerusalemme liberata) 1580) is a baroque epic poem by Torquato Tasso which tells the (largely fictionalized) story of the First Crusade in which Christians knights, lead by Godfrey of Bouillon, battle Muslims in order to raise the siege of Jerusalem. ... Torquato Tasso (March 11, 1544 – April 25, 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered; 1575), in which he describes the imaginary combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the siege of Jerusalem. ... Events February 13 - Henry III of France is crowned at Reims February 14 - Henry III of France marries Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont June 28 - Oda Nobunaga defeats Takeda Katsuyori in the battle of Nagashino, which has been called Japans first modern battle. ... Una and the Lion by Briton Rivière The Faerie Queene is an epic poem by Edmund Spenser, first published in 1590 (the first half) with the more or less complete version being published in 1596. ... Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (c. ... Events March 14 - Battle of Ivry - Henry IV of France again defeats the forces of the Catholic League under the Duc de Mayenne. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (now usually spelled Don Quijote by Spanish-speakers; Don Quixote is an archaic spelling) (IPA: ) or El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Events January 14 – Hampton Court conference with James I of England, the Anglican bishops and representatives of Puritans September 20 – Capture of Ostend by Spanish forces under Ambrosio Spinola after a three year siege. ... Title page of the first edition Paradise Lost (1667) is a poopy epic poem by the 17th century English poet John Milton. ... John Milton, English poet John Milton (December 9, 1608 – November 8, 1674) was an English poet, best-known for his epic poem Paradise Lost. ... // Events January 20 - Poland cedes Kyiv, Smolensk, and eastern Ukraine to Russia in the Treaty of Andrusovo that put a final end to the Deluge, and Poland lost its status as a Central European power. ...

Utopian Fiction of Renaissance

Main articles: Utopian and dystopian fiction, Utopia, The City of the Sun, The New Atlantis Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal world as the setting for a novel. ... wikisource contains Utopia De Optimo Reipublicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia (translated On the Best State of a Republic and on the New Island of Utopia) or more simply Utopia is a 1516 book by Sir Thomas More. ... The City of the Sun (La città del Sole in Italian, Civitas Solis in Latin) by the Dominican philosopher Tommaso Campanella is one of the most important utopias. ... Francis Bacons book The New Atlantis, written in 1626, depicts a mythical land, Bensalem, to which he sailed. ...

In year 1516 Sir Thomas More wrote a book under the title "De Optimo Reipublicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia" (translated On the Best State of a Republic and on the New Island of Utopia) or more simply Utopia. The name of the place, Utopia, is derived from the Greek words ou ("not") and topos ("place"), meaning the name of the island is literally "no place." The book depicts a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs. It can be regarded as an ideal society, although some of its institutions are written with tongue in cheek (eg chamberpots made of gold, to encourage contempt of riches). // Events March - With the death of Ferdinand II of Aragon, his grandson Charles of Ghent becomes King of Spain as Carlos I. July - Selim I of the Ottoman Empire declares war on the Mameluks and invades Syria. ... Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478–6 July 1535), posthumously known also as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, author, and politician. ... It has been suggested that utopianism be merged into this article or section. ...

Thomas More was influenced by Lucian of Samosata and Plato's Republic, the word Utopia overtook More's short work and has been used ever since to describe this kind of imaginary society with many unusual ideas being contemplated. Although he may not have founded the genre of Utopian and dystopian fiction, More certainly popularised it. Lucian Lucian of Samosata (Greek, Λουκιανὸς Σαμοσατεύς, Latin, Lucianus; c. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Plato. ... It has been suggested that utopianism be merged into this article or section. ... Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal world as the setting for a novel. ...

Utopia' created a whole new genre of Utopian and dystopian fiction. Works in it include: A genre is a division of a particular form of art or utterance according to criteria particular to that form. ... Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal world as the setting for a novel. ...

• The City of the Sun (1602) by Tommaso Campanella,
• Description of the Republic of Christianopolis (1619) by Johannes Valentinus Andreae,
• New Atlantis (1626) by Francis Bacon

The City of the Sun (La città del Sole in Italian, Civitas Solis in Latin) by the Dominican philosopher Tommaso Campanella is one of the most important utopias. ... This page is about the year. ... Tommaso Campanella (September 5, 1568–May 21, 1639), baptized Giovanni Domenico Campanella, was an Italian philosopher, theologian and poet. ... Events May 13 - Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after having been accused of treason. ... Johannes Valentinus Andreae (1586-1654), a. ... Francis Bacon, in The New Atlantis (1626), depicts a mythical land, Bensalem, to which he sailed. ... Events September 30 - Nurhaci, chieftain of the Jurchens and founder of the Qing Dynasty dies and is succeeded by his son Hong Taiji. ... Sir Francis Bacon For other people named Francis Bacon, see Francis Bacon (disambiguation). ...

Eastern Fantasy

The taste for fantastic literature didn't lessen even during the Age of Enlightenment. The general antipathy to the medieval, however, caused the near disappearance of the old romance. In its place — and alongside fairy tales — appeared the first works imported from the East. Most influential of these was The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. The Age of Enlightenment refers to the 18th century in European philosophy, and is often thought of as part of a period which includes the Age of Reason. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryar. ...

It was first imported into Europe in a translation into French (1704 - 1717) by Antoine Galland. This book "Les Mille et une nuits, contes arabes traduits en français" (in 12 volumes) was widely popular and was followed by translations into other European languages. Perhaps the best-known to English speakers is the translation by Sir Richard Francis Burton, published as The Arabian Nights. Unlike previous editions, his 16-volume translation was not bowdlerized. Though published in the Victorian era, it contained all the erotic nuances of the source material. Richard Burton, portrait by Frederic Leighton, National Portrait Gallery, London. ...

Fantasy Literature during the Enlightenment

Following somewhat in the footsteps of Don Quixote, Gulliver's Travels (1726) by Jonathan Swift used satire in the form of fantasy to parody many of the political and social conventions of its time, and can be considered the earliest work of modern-style fantasy. Swift's use of fictional countries and other lands was likely a major influence on what would later become the fantasy genre. Don Quixote de la Mancha (now usually spelled Don Quijote by Spanish-speakers; Don Quixote is an archaic spelling) (IPA: ) or El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Gulliver Exhibited to the Brobdingnag Farmer by Richard Redgrave Gullivers Travels (1726, amended 1735) is a novel by Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the travellers tales literary sub-genre. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... The World According To Ronald Reagan - a Finnish satirical poster from 1984 Satire is a technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... Map of the Land of Oz, the fictional country in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Map of the fictional island of Sodor used in the Thomas the Tank Engine stories Fictitious countries used in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four A guidebook produced about the fictional country Molvanîa...

Enlightenment authors used widely speculative fiction for the purposes of argumentation and education. Their works tend to follow somewhat in the tradition of Utopia by Thomas Moore, and also of Apuleius and Lucian of Samosata. Their protagonist tends, similarly to Gulliver, to transverse strange and foreign countries with even more strange customs (usually invented as a criticism of some more real tradition). In some there is a strong influence of the picaresque novel. The closest modern equivalent to them are the Dying Earth tales by Jack Vance. It is difficult to classify the Enlightenment romances as science fiction or fantasy - in reality they are neither, but belong to their own, now nearly defunct, genre of speculative fiction, sometimes called conte philosophique (a philosophical tale). ... See Utopia (disambiguation) for other meanings of this word Utopia, in its most common and general meaning, refers to a hypothetical perfect society. ... Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (May 28, 1779 - February 25, 1852) was an Irish poet, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Last Rose of Summer. ... The picaresque novel (Spanish: picaresco, from pícaro, for rogue or rascal) is a popular subgenre of prose fiction which is usually satirical and depicts in realistic and often humorous detail the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his or her wits in a... Dying Earth is a series of fantasy books by Jack Vance. ... Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (b. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... // For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... A genre is a division of a particular form of art or utterance according to criteria particular to that form. ... ...

The first after Swift, and certainly most famous in his time of those authors was Voltaire. His Candide has only slight elements of fantasy. Sardonic in outlook, it follows the naïve protagonist Candide from his first exposure to the precept that "all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds," and on through a series of adventures that dramatically disprove that precept even as the protagonist clings to it. The only fantastic element is the strange society of Eldorado, clearly influenced by Moore's utopia, that he encounters. The last of Voltaires statues by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781). ... Candide, ou lOptimisme, (English: Candide, or Optimism) (1759) is a picaresque novel by the Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. ...

Micromégas (1752) is more similar to the later science fiction. Micromégas, the protagonist, is a gigantic being, nearly five kilometres tall, from the star Sirius. In his travels between the stars he befriends a native of the planet Saturn who is only a kilometre high, a mere dwarf beside the protagonist. Together these two travel to Earth, and converse with various philosophers. Micromégas is a short story written in the Eighteenth Century by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

• Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift (1726)
• Micromegas, Voltaire (1752)
• Candide , Voltaire (1759)

Gulliver Exhibited to the Brobdingnag Farmer by Richard Redgrave Gullivers Travels (1726, amended 1735) is a novel by Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the travellers tales literary sub-genre. ... Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (November 30, 1667 – October 19, 1745) was an Anglo-Irish priest, satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, and poet famous for works like Gullivers Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, The Drapiers Letters, The Battle of the Books, and A Tale of a Tub. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... Micromégas is a short story written in the Eighteenth Century by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. ... The last of Voltaires statues by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781). ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Candide, ou lOptimisme, (English: Candide, or Optimism) (1759) is a picaresque novel by the Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. ... The last of Voltaires statues by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781). ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The gothic novel

Main articles: Gothic novel, Romanticism. Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ...

In reaction to Enlightenment's cult of Reason, Romanticism highly prized the supernatural, tradition and imagination, together with the age in which they were supposed to rule - Middle Ages. One of the first literary results of this fascinations was Gothic novel, a literary genre that began in Britain with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. The Age of Enlightenment refers to the 18th century in European philosophy, and is often thought of as part of a period which includes the Age of Reason. ... Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace Walpole. ... See also: 1763 in literature, other events of 1764, 1765 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, more commonly known as Horace Walpole, (September 24, 1717 – March 2, 1797), was a politician, writer and forerunner of the Gothic revival. ...

It is the predecessor to both fantasy and modern horror fiction and, above all, has led to the common definition of "gothic" as being connected to the dark and horrific. Prominent features of gothic novels included terror, mystery, the supernatural, ghosts, haunted buildings, castles, trapdoors, doom, death, decay, madness, hereditary curses, and so on. Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. ...

Ann Radcliffe, who became most popular of gothic writers, created the gothic novel in its now-standard form. Among other elements, Radcliffe introduced the brooding figure of the gothic villain, which developed into the Byronic hero. Unlike Walpole's, her novels, beginning with The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), were best-sellers, and virtually everyone in English society was reading them. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) is undoubtedly one of the most important literary triumphs of this period. Ann Radcliffe (July 9, 1764 - February 7, 1823) was an English author, a pioneer of the gothic novel. ... One popular concept of the villain, meant to mimic the purposely distinctive visage of villains from silent films of the early 20th century. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, was first published in 1784 by G. G. and J. Robinson of London. ... Mary Shelley Mary Shelley (30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist, the author of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here:This article is about the 1818 novel. ...

Other important authors included Matthew Gregory Lewis, author of The Monk (1796), a shocking at the time tale of sex, violence and debauchery, and William Thomas Beckford, author of Vathek, an Arabian Tale (1786), inspired by The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. Matthew Gregory Lewis (July 9, 1775 - May 14, 1818) was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as Monk Lewis, because of the success of his Gothic novel, The Monk. ... The Monk is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis that first appeared in 1796. ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... Fonthill Abbey designed for William Beckford by the architect James Wyatt William Thomas Beckford (October 1, 1760 – May 2, 1844) was an English novelist, art critic, travel writer and politician. ... Vathek (alternatively titled Vathek, an Arabian Tale or The History of the Caliph Vathek) is a Gothic novel written by William Thomas Beckford. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryar. ...

At about the same time, parallel Romantic literary movements developed in continental Europe: the roman noir ("black novel") in France and the Schauerroman ("shudder novel") in Germany. Writers of the roman noir include François Guillaume Ducray-Duminil, Baculard d'Arnaud, and Madame de Genlis. Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Aubin, comtesse de Genlis (January 25, 1746 - December 31, 1830), French writer and educator, was born of a noble but impoverished Burgundian family, at Champcéry, near Autun. ...

• The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole (Full text at Project Gutenberg)
• Vathek, an Arabian Tale (1786) by William Thomas Beckford (Full text at Project Gutenberg)
• The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe (Full text at Project Gutenberg)
• The Monk (1796) by Matthew Gregory Lewis (Full text at Project Gutenberg)
• The Italian (1797) by Ann Radcliffe
• Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley (Full text at Wikisource)
• The Vampyre; a Tale (1819) by John William Polidori (Full text at Project Gutenberg)
• Melmoth the Wanderer (1820) by Charles Robert Maturin (Full text at HorrorMasters.com)

John Tenniel's illustration for "A Mad Tea-Party", 1865

The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace Walpole. ... 1764 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, more commonly known as Horace Walpole, (September 24, 1717 – March 2, 1797), was a politician, writer and forerunner of the Gothic revival. ... Vathek (alternatively titled Vathek, an Arabian Tale or The History of the Caliph Vathek) is a Gothic novel written by William Thomas Beckford. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Fonthill Abbey designed for William Beckford by the architect James Wyatt William Thomas Beckford (October 1, 1760 – May 2, 1844) was an English novelist, art critic, travel writer and politician. ... The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, was first published in 1784 by G. G. and J. Robinson of London. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ann Radcliffe (July 9, 1764 - February 7, 1823) was an English author, a pioneer of the gothic novel. ... The Monk is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis that first appeared in 1796. ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... Matthew Gregory Lewis (July 9, 1775 - May 14, 1818) was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as Monk Lewis, because of the success of his Gothic novel, The Monk. ... The Italian (1800) is a novel belonging to the Gothic genre and written by the English author Ann Radcliffe. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Ann Radcliffe (July 9, 1764 - February 7, 1823) was an English author, a pioneer of the gothic novel. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here:This article is about the 1818 novel. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... Mary Shelley Mary Shelley (30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist, the author of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. ... Wikisource – The Free Library – is a Wikimedia project to build a free, wiki library of source texts, along with translations into any language and other supporting materials. ... The Vampyre is a short novel written by John William Polidori and is a progenitor of the romantic vampire genre of fantasy fiction. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... John William Polidori (September 7, 1795 - August 24, 1821) is credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction. ... Melmoth the Wanderer is a gothic novel published in 1820, written by Charles Robert Maturin. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Charles Robert Maturin, also known as Charles Maturin or C.R. Maturin, was an Irish Protestant clergyman (ordained by the Church of Ireland) and a writer of gothic plays and novels. ... Image File history File links Alice_par_John_Tenniel_25. ... Image File history File links Alice_par_John_Tenniel_25. ... 1889 Self-portrait Sir John Tenniel (February 28, 1820 – February 25, 1914) was an English illustrator. ...

Modern fantasy

The modern fantasy genre first took root during the 18th century with the increased popularity of fictional travelers' tales, influencing and being influenced by other early forms of speculative fiction along the way, finally unfurling in the 19th century from a literary tapestry of fantastic stories and gaining recognition as a distinct genre (mainly due to the nigh-ubiquitous recession of fantastic elements from "mainstream" fiction) in the late 1800's.

Early modern fantasy

It was in the late 1800s and early 1900s, that modern fantasy genre first truly began to take shape. The history of modern fantasy literature begins with George MacDonald, the scottish author of such novels as The Princess and the Goblin and Phantastes the latter of which is widely considered to be the first fantasy novel ever written for adults. MacDonald was a major influence on both J. R. R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Their literary group, The Inklings was originally created for the purpose of studying MacDonald's work and creating new writings in the author's style. The other major fantasy author of this era was William Morris, a popular American poet who wrote several novels in the latter part of the century including The Well at the World's End. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... George MacDonald (December 10, 1824 – September 18, 1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. ... The Princess and the Goblin is a childrens fantasy novel by George MacDonald. ... Phantastes is an 1858 fantasy novel written by George Macdonald. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ... The Inklings was a literary discussion group associated with the University of Oxford. ... William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris, publisher Davids Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. ...

Despite MacDonald's future influence, and Morris' popularity at the time, it wasn't until the turn of the century that fantasy fiction began to reach a large audience. Edward Plunkett, better known as Lord Dunsany established the genre's popularity both in the novel and short story form. Many popular mainstream authors also began to write fantasy at this time including Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard. These authors, along with Abraham Merritt, established what came to be known as the Lost World sub-genre, which was the most popular form of fantasy in the early decades of the 20th. However, several classic children's fantasies such as Peter Pan and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz were also published around this time. Best known as Lord Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (July 24, 1878–October 25, 1957) was an Irish writer and dramatist notable for his work in fantasy and horror. ... Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India. ... Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan, although he also produced works in many genres. ... H. Rider Haggard, author Sir Henry Rider Haggard (June 22, 1856 – May 14, 1925), born in Kessingland, in Suffolk, England, was a Victorian writer of adventure novels set in locations considered exotic by readers in his native England. ... Abraham Merritt (January 20, 1884-August 21, 1943) was an American editor and author of works of fantastic fiction. ... The Lost World literary genre is a fantasy or science fiction genre that involves the discovery of a new world out of time, place, or both. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Peter Pan is a fictional character created by British novelist and playwright, James Matthew Barrie (1860–1937), as well as the title of a stage play and novel based on the character. ... The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a childrens book written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. ...

• Phantastes, George MacDonald, (1858)
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (1865)
• The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald, (1872)
• The Well at the World's End, William Morris (1892)
• Dracula, Bram Stoker (1897)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum (1900)
• Peter Pan (originally Peter and Wendy), J.M. Barrie (1911)
• The Worm Ouroboros, Eric Rucker Eddison (1922)
• The King of Elfand's Daughter, Lord Dunsany (1924)
• Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees (1926)

Phantastes is an 1858 fantasy novel written by George Macdonald. ... George MacDonald (December 10, 1824 – September 18, 1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... John Tenniels illustration for A Mad Tea-Party, 1865 Illustration by Arthur Rackham Facsimile page from Alices Adventures Under Ground Alices Adventures in Wonderland is a work of childrens literature by the British mathematician and author, Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, written under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. ... Lewis Carroll. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Princess and the Goblin is a childrens fantasy novel by George MacDonald. ... George MacDonald (December 10, 1824 – September 18, 1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The Well at the Worlds End is a fantasy book by British artist and author William Morris, published in 1896. ... William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris, publisher Davids Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Dracula (1897) is a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, and the name of the worlds most famous vampire character. ... Abraham Bram Stoker (November 8, 1847–April 20, 1912) was an Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a childrens book written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. ... Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author, and the creator with illustrator W. W. Denslow of one of the most popular books ever written in American childrens literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... Peter Pan is a fictional character created by British novelist and playwright, James Matthew Barrie (1860–1937), as well as the title of a stage play and novel based on the character. ... Sir James Matthew Barrie, Baronet, Scottish author Sir James Matthew Barrie, Baronet (May 9, 1860 - June 19, 1937), more commonly known as J. M. Barrie, was a Scottish novelist and dramatist. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The Worm Ouroboros (1922) is a heroic high fantasy novel by Eric Rucker Eddison. ... Eric Rucker Eddison (November 24, 1882 - August 18, 1945) was an English civil servant and author. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Best known as Lord Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (July 24, 1878–October 25, 1957) was an Irish writer and dramatist notable for his work in fantasy and horror. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Lud-in-the-Mist (1926) is the third novel by Hope Mirrlees, and the only one still in print as of 2005. ... Helen Hope Mirrlees (1887-1978) was a British translator, poet and novelist. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Modern fantasy

In 1923 the first all-fantasy fiction magazine, Weird Tales was created. Many other similar magazines eventually followed, most noticably The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The pulp magazine format was at the height of its popularity at this time and was instrumental in bringing fantasy fiction to a wide audience in both the U.S. and Brittain. Such magazines also played a large role in the rise of science fiction and it was at this time the two genres began to be associated with each other. This page is about the fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine and its heirs. ... F&SF April 1971, special Poul Anderson issue. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...

Several of the genere's most prominent authors began their careers in the afore mentioned magazines including Clark Ashton Smith, Fritz Leiber, Ray Bradbury and most noticably H.P. Lovecraft, who with his Cthulu Mythos stories became one of the most influential writers of fantasy and horror in the twentieth century. The early works of many Sword and Sorcery authors such as Robert E. Howard also began at this time. Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893-August 14, 1961) was a poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ray Bradbury in 1945. ... Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction, noted for combining these three genres within single narratives. ... This article is about a fantasy sub-genre. ... Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was a writer of fantasy and historical adventure pulp stories published mainly in Weird Tales magazine in the 1930s. ...

By 1950 Sword and Sorcery fiction had began to find a wide audience, with the scucess of Howard's Conan, and Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories. However, it was the advent of high fantasy and, most importantly, the popularity of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings which finally allowed fantasy to truly enter into the mainstream. Tolkien had published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in the 1950's, but although they had been successful in Britain it wasn't until the late 1960's that they finally became popular in America. The impact that his books, combined with the success of several other series such as C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea, helped cement the genre's popularity and gave birth to the current wave of fantasy literature. Conan is the anglicized version of the Gaelic male name Conán, which means little wolf or little hound, derived from cú (grammatically changed to con), meaning hound or wolf, and the diminutive suffix án. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel by the British author J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, and by his friends as Jack, was an Irish author and scholar of mixed Irish, English, and Welsh ancestry. ... The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. ... Ursula K. Le Guin at an informal bookstore Q&A session, July 2004 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (born October 21, 1929), is an American author. ... Cover to 1991 Bantam Books paperback edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, illustrated by John Jude Palencar Earthsea is a fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story The Word of Unbinding, published in 1964, but that became more famous in her novel A Wizard of...

• Conan the Barbarian, Robert E. Howard (c. 1930)
• The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien (1937)
• The Incomplete Enchanter, Fletcher Pratt & L. Sprague de Camp (1941)
• The Dying Earth, Jack Vance (1950)
• Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake (1950)
• The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis (1950) - (1956)
• The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien (1954-1955)
• The Once and Future King, T.H. White (1958)
• A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
• A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)

Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet. ... Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was a writer of fantasy and historical adventure pulp stories published mainly in Weird Tales magazine in the 1930s. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Roaring Trumpet in Unknown, May 1940 Harold Shea was a name given to a series of stories by L. Sprague deCamp, Fletcher Pratt, and in some cases Christopher Stasheff. ... Murray Fletcher Pratt (1897–1956) was a science fiction and fantasy writer; he was also well-known as a writer on naval history and on the American Civil War. ... L. Sprague de Camp (centre) with Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov Lyon Sprague de Camp, (November 27, 1907, New York City – November 6, 2000, Plano, Texas) was an American science fiction and fantasy author. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... The Dying Earth is a collection of loosely connected short stories by Jack Vance. ... Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (b. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Gormenghast Castle in the BBC miniseries Gormenghast is a fictional castle of titanic proportions that features prominently in a series of fantasy works penned by Mervyn Peake. ... Mervyn Laurence Peake (July 9, 1911 – November 17, 1968) was a British modernist writer, artist, poet and illustrator. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Chronicles of Narnia or Narnia Heptalogy is a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C.S. Lewis. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel by the British author J. R. R. Tolkien. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Once and Future King The Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T.H. White. ... Terence Hanbury White (May 29, 1906 - January 17, 1964) was a writer. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Wrinkle in Time cover A Wrinkle in Time is a childrens fantasy novel by Madeleine LEngle, written in 1959 to 1960[1] and published in 1962 after many rejections by publishers because it was, in LEngles words, too different. ... Madeleine LEngle (b. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, is the first of a series of books written by Ursula K. Le Guin and set in her fantasy archipelago of Earthsea. ... Ursula K. Le Guin at an informal bookstore Q&A session, July 2004 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (born October 21, 1929), is an American author. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

Post-Tolkien Fantasy

With the immense success of Tolkien's works many publishers began to search for a new series which could have similar mass-market appeal. For the first time publishing fantasy was looked at as a proffitable business venture and fantasy novels began to replace the fiction magazines as the heart of the genre.

Although many fantasy novels of this time proved popular, it was not until 1997's The Sword of Shannara that publishers found the sort of breakthrough success they had hoped for. The book became the first fantasy novel to appear on, and eventually top New York Times bestseller list. As a result the genre saw an incredible boom in the number of titles published in the following years. The Sword of Shannara is a fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. ... The New York Times bestseller list is a weekly chart in The New York Times newspaper that keeps track of the best-selling books of the week. ...

While fantasy has remained somewhat of a niche market, that has began to to change in recent years. Thanks largely to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, which have become the best selling book series of all time, fantasy is becoming increasingly intertwined with mainstream fiction. The blockbuster success of several film adaptations of fantasy novels such as The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has helped further this trend. Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ... Cover of the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (British version) Harry Potter is an immensely popular series of fantasy novels by British writer J. K. Rowling. ... The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie poster (2001) The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live action fantasy adventure films, directed by Peter Jackson and released by New Line Cinema, based upon the fantasy book The Lord of the Rings by J. R...

Today fantasy continues as an expansive, multi-layered medium encompassing many sub-genres of literature; from traditional high fantasy and swords and sorcery, to magical realism, feminist fairytale fantasy, horror-tinged dark fantasy and more. High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction that is set in invented or parallel worlds. ... This article is about a fantasy sub-genre. ... Magic Realism (or Magical Realism) is an illustrative or literary technique in which the laws of cause and effect seem not quite to apply in otherwise real world situations. ... Fairytale fantasy is a diverse subgenre of fantasy fiction, starting perhaps with Charles Perrault and other writers who took up the folktales of their time and developed them into literary forms. ... Dark fantasy has yet to be solidly connected to its own particular subgenre of Fantasy. ...

• Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny (1970)
• The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia A. McKillip (1976)
• The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks (1977)
• Little, Big, John Crowley (1981)
• The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe (1981) - (1983)
• The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983)
• The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan ([[1990])
• His Dark Materials, Phillip Pullman (1995) - (2000)
• The Harry Potter Novels , J.K. Rowling (1998) - (2007)
• Eragon, Christopher Paolini (2003)