"High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot."
A subgenre of fantasy that features epic quests, magical worlds, and mythical creatures.
Worldbuilding: Creating a detailed and immersive world, including geography, mythology, cultures, and history.
Magic systems: Developing rules and restrictions for the use of magic in your fantasy world.
Races and creatures: Introducing different humanoid races and intelligent creatures in your world.
Hero's journey: The archetypal story structure that many high fantasy stories follow, including the call to adventure, challenges, and the return home.
Epic battles: Depicting large-scale battles featuring magic, mythical beasts, and fantastical weaponry.
Political intrigue: Adding layers of complexity to the story with intrigue and discoveries of hidden motives.
Religion and belief systems: Creating and exploring religious beliefs and how they influence the actions and motivations of characters.
Prophesies and prophecies: Including foretelling of events that shape the story and drive the actions of characters.
Different worlds and dimensions: Introducing and exploring parallel universes, different planes of existence, and alternate timelines.
Mythology and legends: Referencing or creating new myths and legends in the story, often rooted in the enriched history of the world-building.
Chosen ones: Incorporating the concept of a selected hero or leading individual on whom the fate of the world's future depends.
Quests and adventures: Sending characters into grand missions, travels, and personal growth journeys to fulfill their destinies.
Medieval settings: Incorporating the Middle Ages as a setting, rich with castles, swords, and knights, commonly found in some epic fantasy stories.
Death, resurrection, and afterlife: Exploring the role of death and the afterlife in the fantasy world, where magic can often bring people back from the dead.
Languages: Developing whole languages, dialects, and how they differ in your world, including the magic language, the common tongue, or other special or contrasting speak.
Romance, love, and betrayal: Adding facets of romance, love, and betrayal to characters' story, often used to drive significant plot points or character development.
Deities and other cosmic entities: Including powerful beings beyond belief or comprehension who can change worlds and lives by their very existence.
Technologies: Inventing and setting up different mechanical, technological or magical devices in your world, such as airships, weapons, or scientific advancement.
Good vs. Evil: Portraying different factions, mindsets, and moralities that drive the story's philosophical narrative.
Subgenres: Understanding the different subgenres of fantasy literature, such as epic fantasy, dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, urban fantasy, or steampunk, can help tailor the foundation of the story.
Epic Fantasy: This type of High Fantasy typically involves a large, sprawling world with multiple kingdoms, races, and magic systems. Popular examples include J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.
Dark Fantasy: A subgenre that blends fantasy elements with horror elements. This can include gore, bleak settings, and twisted depictions of magic. An example is Clive Barker’s Imajica.
Urban Fantasy: Set in a modern-day city, these stories often incorporate supernatural elements and mythology into an otherwise mundane setting. Examples include Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files and Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels.
High/Low Magic Fantasy: High Magic Fantasy stories have a rich, intricate system of magic, while Low Magic Fantasy has a less developed or less important magic system. Examples of High Magic Fantasy include Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle, while Low Magic Fantasy includes George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.
Sword and Sorcery: This type of High Fantasy is characterized by its fast-paced action and a focus on individual heroism. It often relies on violence and adventure more than intricate world-building. Examples include Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories.
Historical Fantasy: Set in a recognizable historical era, these stories mix real-world events with supernatural or magical elements. Examples include Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series.
Mythic Fantasy: These stories take existing mythologies as a starting point, and weave new stories around them. Examples include Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
"High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ('secondary') world, rather than the 'real' or 'primary' world."
"High fantasy is defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot."
"High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ('secondary') world..."
"...but its rules differ from those of the primary world."
"By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world..."
"This secondary world is usually internally consistent..."
"...or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements."
"High fantasy, or epic fantasy..."
"High fantasy is defined by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot."
"High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ('secondary') world, rather than the 'real' or 'primary' world."
"High fantasy...its rules differ from those of the primary world."
"High fantasy is defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot."
"High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ('secondary') world..."
"By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth...or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements."
"High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ('secondary') world, rather than the 'real' or 'primary' world."
"This secondary world is usually internally consistent..."
"High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy..."
"High fantasy is defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot."
"High fantasy...its rules differ from those of the primary world."