Fantasy is a broad genre of books. It’s all about make-believe and exploring things like magic. Whether it’s fantasy creatures like dragons, elves, and mermaids or epic adventures and quests to save the princess, it’s all fantasy.
There are lots of different fantasy genres for you to explore. There’s way more than what will be on this list, and many novels could fall into multiple subgenres. These are just the ones you might be more familiar with.
High or Epic Fantasy
I include high, epic, and low fantasy in the same category because there is much controversy and disagreement over what separates them, and they often overlap.
High fantasy contains lots of magic. They usually deal with high-stakes conflicts, and the world is steeped in magic. They’ll contain fantasy creatures and probably lots of heroes and princesses.
Low fantasy contains no magic and rarely involves fantasy creatures or races, but it’s in a non-earth setting.
Epic fantasy is pretty much the same thing as high fantasy, with lots of magical components, some sort of adventure, conflict, and often, a world-threatening conflict that a hero must stop. But epic fantasy is ‘epic’ because of its length. Big word counts, a series, or a trilogy; they are rarely stand-alone books.
An example of an epic fantasy would be the Forgotten Realms books, especially the Legend of Drizzt by R. A. Salvatore. They span almost 40 books. And, of course, you have Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. Both could be considered high fantasy as well.
An example of low fantasy might be Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard.
Magical Realism
Fantasy that is rooted in the real world. It’s magic that you can believe in, which isn’t as fantastical as in other genres; in fact, it may not even belong in the fantasy genre, as the magical elements are often very low-key.
An example of this might be Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie.
Urban Fantasy
Urban fantasy is fantasy that takes place, as the name suggests, in an urban setting. It usually takes place in the modern world, so there isn’t a lot of world building involved. It’s the earth we all know, just with monsters, creatures, and magic.
Shows like Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be considered urban fantasy, and a book example would be the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
Paranormal
Fantasy that deals with ghosts, hauntings, and things that go bump in the night. This subgenre can dip into the horror genre a little and involves scary elements. It usually takes place in the modern world, but it doesn’t have to. It’s very similar to Urban fantasy, so the same examples apply.
Portal Fantasy
This is fantasy that involves portals and dimensions. It is about different realities, fantasy worlds that exist in the same place as Earth, separated by some dimensional shift.
My series The Next Dimension is a portal fantasy. It involves the idea of another solar system existing in the same location as our solar system, but this one contains magic and fantasy creatures that don’t exist on Earth.
Another well-known example is C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie.
Grim Dark Fantasy
As the name suggests, these fantasy stories deal with dark and grim tones. They tend to feature morally gray characters, many antiheroes, and lots of violence. Grim Dark deals with the darkest explorations of humanity. The stories lack hope, and the characters rarely live happily ever after.
Some examples are The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence and The Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin.
Fairy Tales
Fairy Tale Fantasy is all about retellings of our most beloved fairy tales. The Red Riding Hood, anything by the Grimm Brothers, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin. These stories from the Middle Ages, antiquity, or any time in the distant past, have been told and retold, with common storylines. They deal with world folklore from all over the world.
Examples include The Stolen Kingdom by Bethany Atazadeh, which is an Aladdin retelling.
Steampunk
I’ll have to make a post all about punk genres because there are a ton of them, but steampunk is the best-known. It’s fantasy that takes place in a Victorian era setting with lots of Victorian gowns, corsets, and top hats. An example would be Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft.
Sci-fi Fantasy
This is fantasy with a little bit of Science fiction mixed in. Or it could be science fiction with fantasy mixed in. Magic meets high-tech and space exploration.
My novel series, The Next Dimension, fits in this category because although it’s clearly fantasy, with elves, magic, and epic quests, it also involves space travel.
Another example, of course, would be Star Wars.
Alternate History or historical fantasy
This subgenre deals with time periods or events in our history, except there’s a fantasy element or some change. There are many ‘what if’ moments in human history. This subgenre might explore those ‘what ifs,’ or it could introduce elements of fantasy, such as magic or mythical creatures, into certain events of human history.
Examples of this include The Bear and the Nightingale By Katherine Arden and The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang.
Flintlock Fantasy
This is just fantasy with gunpowder and guns. Think Wild West with magic in it. Examples include The Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan and His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik.
Medieval Fantasy
This is fantasy that takes place in a medieval setting. Think swords and kings and queens. It is often the most common setting for fantasy.
Mythic Fantasy
This is fantasy that involves gods and goddesses. It could center around the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, etc. It might center around themes passed down from the Greeks or the Norse.
Swashbuckling Fantasy
This is fantasy that involves pirates, the high seas, and rogues.
Fantasy Romance
This is fantasy where romance is a central plot. Lots of fantasy has romance in it, but often as subplots or side notes, where it isn’t central to the story. But with fantasy romance, it is the main plot. These stories can be whimsical and romantic, or erotic, or anywhere in between, as long as there are fantasy elements.
An example includes pretty much anything by Sarah J Maas.
YA Fantasy
YA fantasy is fantasy written for a teenage reader. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowlings is a good example.
Assassin Fantasy
This is a fantasy involving assassins, assassin guilds, spies, the black market, the underground, and all the darker, seedier aspects of civilization.
Conclusion
These are the more common fantasy subgenres, but they are really only a guide to give you an idea about where you might find similar themes. There are no rigid lines that divide fantasy subgenres, and you’ll find plenty of disagreement from authors and readers alike over what book belongs in what category. So don’t take any of these categories as an absolute.
