"Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world."
Identification and exploration of themes often found in fantasy literature (e.g. hero's journey, good versus evil, magical creatures and objects).
Worldbuilding: The construction of a fictional world or universe, including cultures, languages, geography, history, etc.
Magic: Supernatural abilities or phenomena that are central to the plot or setting of the story.
Heroes and Villains: Characters who embody the concepts of good and evil, usually engaged in a struggle or conflict.
Mythology and Folklore: Traditional stories and legends that are often incorporated into fantasy literature.
Quests and Adventures: Journeys undertaken by characters to achieve a goal or fulfill a destiny.
Political Systems and Power Structures: The ways in which power is distributed and exercised within fictional societies.
Monsters and Creatures: Fantastic beasts that inhabit the world of the story, often possessing unique abilities or attributes.
Technology and Science: Advances in science or technology that are integral to the plot or setting of the story.
Parallel Worlds and Dimensions: Alternate realities or universes that intersect with the primary reality of the story.
Time Travel and Alternate Histories: Plots that involve characters traveling through time, or alternate versions of history or reality.
Religion and Spirituality: Beliefs and practices related to gods, spirits, or the afterlife, often woven into the fabric of the fictional world.
Fantasy Races and Cultures: Different races or groups of people that inhabit the fantasy world, often with unique characteristics or cultural practices.
Epic Battles and Warfare: Portrayals of large-scale battles or military engagements, often with magical or fantastical elements.
Love and Romance: Relationships between characters, often featuring elements of destiny, fate, or forbidden love.
Morality and Ethics: The exploration of complex ethical and moral issues, often through the actions of the characters.
Humor and Satire: The use of humor or satire to comment on the genre or the larger culture.
Coming of Age: Stories that explore the journey of youthful characters into adulthood, often featuring themes of self-discovery and personal growth.
Gothic and Horror Elements: Dark, eerie, or macabre aspects of the story, often featuring supernatural elements or themes.
Fairy Tales and Fables: Similar to mythology and folklore, these stories often feature anthropomorphic animals or objects, and teach moral lessons.
Utopian and Dystopian Themes: Portrayals of ideal or nightmarish societies, often used to explore political or social issues.
Good vs evil: This theme is ubiquitous in fantasy literature, where the protagonist battles against a villain or a group of antagonists who are determined to achieve their objectives regardless of the costs, often including innocent lives.
Power and corruption: Power and corruption are commonly explored in fantasy literature, where the protagonist has to navigate the corrupt systems or societies and fight against those who hold excessive power for the wrong reasons.
Coming of age: This theme is frequently explored in fantasy literature, where the protagonist grows up and develops, often facing moral and personal challenges along the way.
Redemption: Many fantasy novels also explore the theme of redemption, where a character who was once bad or flawed, seeks to make amends for past mistakes and improve themselves in some way.
Magic and supernatural elements: This theme involves the use of magic, supernatural beings, and supernatural realms, such as parallel dimensions and otherworldly spaces.
Quests and journeys: Many fantasy stories involve quests or journeys, where the protagonist sets out to achieve a goal or objective.
Love and romance: Love and relationships are another common theme in fantasy literature, often featuring romantic subplots.
Technology and science fiction elements: In science fiction and fantasy literature, themes including technology and advanced science, can explore the consequences of experimenting with scientific advancement.
Social commentary and politics: Fantasy literature can involve social commentary and political commentary, either by exploring real-world issues or through the creation of imaginary societies and systems.
War and genocide: This theme involves the conflicts and consequences of war and genocide, such as the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of entire communities.
"Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds."
"Fantasy literature may be directed at both children and adults."
"Fantasy is considered a subgenre of speculative fiction and is distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the absence of scientific or macabre themes, respectively."
"But since the 1960s, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, and art."
"Many fantasy novels originally written for children and adolescents also attract an adult audience." Example: "Examples include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit."
"Often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world."
"Fantasy literature is distinguished from science fiction by the absence of scientific themes."
"Fantasy literature is distinguished from horror by the absence of macabre themes."
"Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds."
"Since the 1960s, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, and art."
"Many fantasy novels originally written for children and adolescents also attract an adult audience."
"Examples include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit."
"Historically, most works of fantasy were in written form."
"Since the 1960s, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, and art."
"Fantasy is considered a subgenre of speculative fiction."
"Fantasy is distinguished from horror by the absence of macabre themes."
"Fantasy literature may be directed at both children and adults."
"Examples include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit."
"But since the 1960s, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, and art."