Fantastic Fantasy

As a genre, fantasy probably goes back to the Jongleurs, medieval itinerant storytellers who went from castle to castle, inventing tales and passing news in exchange for meals and a place to sleep. The great epics like Arthur and Beowulf started that way.

In the last century the form has experienced a renaissance, first with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and most recently with J.K. Rowling. I suppose Stephenie Meyer fits in there someplace, too.

Fantasy is populated with fantastic creatures and heroes, with distressed damsels and a general absence of modern technology. Meyer’s vampires and werewolves are an original exception. She puts the exotic creatures into a thoroughly modern setting.

The Harry Potter series broke the mold, too, by assembling an incongruous mix of modern muggles and medieval wizards. By creating a parallel universe, she made something relegated to a niche into a series with incredible popular appeal.

One of the attractions of this genre is its utter separation from the mundane world we occupy. Readers love to immerse themselves in something so exotic and foreign that it boggles their imagination. The unreality also creates some distance that leaves us comfortable with horror and harm that we know cannot touch us, monsters under the bed notwithstanding.

Fantasy can be difficult to write, because each author must create a consistent, self-contained world with its own rules and logic. Assembling all the bits and keeping the details straight is no mean undertaking. What J.K. Rowling accomplished across seven books and several thousand pages is nothing short of amazing.

Ordinary writers face a similar problem when setting their works in fictional locales. What they don’t have to invent are the laws of nature, the flora and fauna that tag along for the ride. When you need to describe a tree, all you have to do is look out your window. Where can you go to see a fire-breathing dragon, or watch a demonstration of a master wizard’s powers?

Much of fantasy grows from the roots of medieval history, a time when castles, knights and fair maidens were about, if not common. Without moving a stone, most of the ingredients are in place. Add a dragon or two, throw in a wizard for a mentor, and you’re in business. You still can’t find a retired damsel to reminisce for you, but history books and a quick tour of Europe will get you close.

Despite, or perhaps because of its popularity, the fantasy field is crowded right now. You’d have to be a real wizard to top Harry Potter.

Good luck trying.