Lesson 4: Other Sub-genres of Fantasy
This lesson covers the other sub-genres of Fantasy: Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, and All Ages High Fantasy.
Introduction
This lesson will cover the Fantasy sub-genres of Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy and All Ages High Fantasy. It will explore some of the books and authors that write in these categories.
Lesson objectives:
There is no special preparation for this lesson. Let us begin. First the definitions>
Urban Fantasy:
Urban Fantasy is a popular sub-genre of Fantasy. Stories in this sub-genre take place in our world, usually in cities where magic or magical creatures coexist with humans in our modern world. The magic can be subtle or so common that people run into it around every corner. Another name for this genre is Contemporary Fantasy.
The most common type of magic and creatures that appear in Urban Fantasy are the denizens of Fairy. They either cross over into our world through doorways or live side by side with people. Other creatures are ghosts, demons and creatures created by the unique imaginations of authors. All the different creatures bring interesting perspectives on our world.
Authors of Urban Fantasy explore modern day issues. The addition of fantasy elements brings a touch of magic to our world. It allows readers to see our society through different eyes. Through this, we get a sense of wonder about our present day world.
Historical Fantasy:
History fascinates us. We know a lot about the past, but can never really know what happened in specifics. The further back in the past we go, the less we really know. It is in these ambiguous areas that Fantasy authors like to play, telling readers wonderful stories of magic in the past.
Historical Fantasy is the sub-genre that uses historical events and people of the past, but adds fantasy elements to the story. For example, a writer might set their book in Egypt with Cleopatra but magic or the Egyptian gods exist. This sub-genre is the mirror image of Urban Fantasy.
Authors of this genre do a lot of historical research to bring their stories and characters to life. The more details of history mixed with fantasy elements makes the books interesting to read. History is a vast area to be explored. Historical Fantasy helps to bring history to life.
All Ages High Fantasy:
All Ages High Fantasy is a sub-genre of books written for young adults, but have something appealing for adults too. These books are bimodal with two levels of meaning and understanding, one for adults and one for children. Adults can read these books to find deeper meanings in the story. The themes in these books help them appeal to all age levels.
Coming-of-age is a primary theme of this sub-genre. Characters in these books strive to reach maturity in various ways. There is the magician’s apprentice trying to master his powers for example. Children face difficult situations that help them to grow up. Adults can identify with this theme since we undergo changes all of our lives.
