High fantasy
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High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy<ref name=High_fantasy_is_a_fantasy_genre>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.<ref name="stableford">Brian Stableford, The A to Z of Fantasy Literature, (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Plymouth. 2005. Template:ISBN</ref> High fantasy is usually set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world.<ref name="stableford" /> This secondary world is usually internally consistent, 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, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Perry">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Gamble">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>C.W. Sullivan has a slightly more complex definition in "High Fantasy", chapter 24 of the International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature by Peter Hunt and Sheila G. Bannister Ray (Routledge, 1996 and 2004), chapter 24.</ref>
CharacteristicsEdit
The term "high fantasy" was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance", which was originally given at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians in October 1969.<ref name="stableford" /> "High fantasy" often serves as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy genre, mythic fantasy, dark fantasy, and wuxia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It typically is not considered to include the sword and sorcery genre.<ref name=":0" /> High fantasy is typically set in a quasi-medieval world, is frequently inspired by various mythological or legendary traditions, and often but not always features supernatural sorcery and imaginary beings such as dragons.
Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around their heritage or mysterious nature, along with a world-threatening problem. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, and frequently portrayed with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child, or are portrayed as being very weak and/or useless.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The hero often begins as a naïve or childlike figure but is forced by circumstances to mature rapidly, experiencing a considerable gain in fighting or problem-solving abilities along the way.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The progress of the story leads to the character's learning the nature of the unknown forces against them, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. The villains in such stories are usually completely evil and unrelatable.<ref>Patricia A. McKillip, "Writing High Fantasy", p 53, Philip Martin, ed., The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest, Template:ISBN</ref>
The romances of William Morris, such as The Well at the World's End, set in an imaginary medieval world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy.<ref name="dg">Template:Cite book</ref> Other early examples of the genre are some works of American novelist James Branch Cabell which were set in a fictional world inspired by medieval France and published starting in 1919, known collectively as Biography of the Life of Manuel. E.R. Eddison's novels The Worm Ouroboros (1922) and the Zimiamvian Trilogy (1935–1958) are also important in epic fantasy.
The works of English J. R. R. Tolkien, especially The Lord of the Rings (1954-55), are regarded as archetypal works of high fantasy.<ref name="dg" />
ThemesEdit
High fantasy has often been defined by its themes and messages.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> "Good versus evil" is a common one in high fantasy, and defining the character of evil is often an important theme in a work of high fantasy,<ref>Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, p 120, Template:ISBN</ref> such as The Lord of the Rings. The importance of the concept of good and evil can be regarded as the distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery.<ref name=":0">Joseph A. McCullough V, "The Demarcation of Sword and Sorcery Template:Webarchive"</ref> In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks a deep concern with moral issues; in other works, the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance, wizards behaving irresponsibly whether they are "good" or "evil".<ref>Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Question I Get Asked Most Often" p 274, The Wave in the Mind, Template:ISBN</ref>
Game settingsEdit
Role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons with campaign settings like Dragonlance<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis and Forgotten Realms by Ed Greenwood<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings.<ref>"Most role-playing games draw upon a universe based in high fantasy; this literary genre, half-way between traditional fantasy ..." Squedin, S., & Papillon, S. (2008). U.S. Patent Application 12/198,391.</ref>
See alsoEdit
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- List of genres
- List of high fantasy fiction
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ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- "Fantasy Genre Lecture"—A paper by Michael Joseph discussing high fantasy and referencing Alexander's theories, via Rutgers' School of Communication and Information.
- "The Flat-Heeled Muse" by Lloyd Alexander, the inventor of the term "high fantasy", discusses fantasy world-building and "the problems and disciplines of fantasy"
- "Fantasy book writing: 7 tips"—Now Novel discusses the origin of the term, referencing Lloyd Alexander and offering high fantasy writing tips