High fantasy
High fantasy is a
subgenre of
fantasy fiction that is set in invented or
parallel worlds. Built upon the platform of a diverse body of works in the already very popular fantasy genre, high fantasy came into fruition through the work of authors such as
C. S. Lewis and, foremost,
J. R. R. Tolkien, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s. While it is far from being the oldest fantasy subgenre, high fantasy, along with
sword and sorcery, has become one of the two genres most commonly associated with the general term
fantasy.
These stories are generally serious in tone and often epic in scope, dealing with themes of grand struggle against
supernatural,
evil forces. It is one of the most popular subgenres of fantasy fiction. Some typical characteristics of high fantasy include fantastical races such as
elves and
dwarves,
magic,
wizards, invented languages, coming-of-age themes, and multi-volume narratives.
The term can also distinguish between high fantasy and
low fantasy â€" or to be more precise, low fantasy can be contrasted with high fantasy, as the term "low fantasy" has been repeatedly defined in manners that contradict each other but all contrast with high fantasy. In the commonest, "low fantasy" is distinguished by relative amount of
supernatural forces in the world â€" low â€" or by its setting in the real world with fantasical elements intruding.
In some fiction, a contemporary, "real-world" character is placed in the invented world, sometimes through devices such as portals to other worlds or even
subconscious travels. Purists might not consider this to be "true" high fantasy, although such stories are often categorized as high fantasy due to the fact that they've yet to be classified as their own distinct subgenre, and often resemble this subgenre more closely than any other.
High fantasy worlds may be more or less closely based on real world milieus, or on legends such as
Arthurian. When the resemblance is strong, particularly when real-world history is used, high fantasy shades into
alternate history.
When the scope is less than epic, dealing with the hero's personal fight for personal stakes against evil forces, the epic fantasy may shade into
sword and sorcery.
High fantasy is the most popular and successful subgenre of the fantasy fiction. Its fandom ranges from Tolkien to contemporary. Recent screen versions of
The Lord of the Rings have contributed to the subgenre's continuing popularity. Moreover some novels are in preproduction status for movie adaptations like David Farland's
The Runelords and
Terry Brooks'
Magic Kingdom of Landover.
Concepts
One of the main concepts of the high fantasy storylines is the main
hero's storyline. Most of the main characteristics revolve around his heritage. In many novels the hero is an
orphan, or an unusual and strange sibling, often with some incredible ability or abilities and skills in a particular area (usually either magic or skill with a weapon). Some examples of this are
Lloyd Alexander's
Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper,
Terry Goodkind's
Richard Rahl,
Nathan Pyles's
Aemyn of
Quelvyn's Rede,
Robert Jordan's
Rand al'Thor of
The Wheel of Time,
Raymond Feist's
Pug of
Riftwar Saga,
David Eddings'
Belgarion of
Belgariad,
Tad Williams' Simon of
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. In other works he is a completely developed individual with his own character and spirit â€" David Eddings'
Sparhawk of
The Elenium and
The Tamuli.
In most stories, the hero, considering his dark and vague heritage, slowly gains knowledge of his past, through legend, prophecy, lost-and-found-again family members, or from more mysterious encounters. With that knowledge comes power and self-confidence. In many books there is a love interest surrounding the main character. Usually, she is as selfless and good as the
main character. The plot of the story often depicts the hero's fight against the forces against him as a
Bildungsroman.
In the beginning of the storyline, there is one important twist or event in the life of the character. He is threatened by the unknown force. Many times, the character is destined to destroy the evil force, or to be a threat himself of some importance. In many books there is one mystical persona who provides the main character with advice and help. Mostly he is a formidable wizard or warrior. Examples would be: the wizard
Kulgan of
Riftwar Saga, Tolkien's
Gandalf, and
Allanon of Terry Brooks.
One reason for such a threat is that, unlike the typical
sword and sorcery protagonist, the hero is seldom bored stiff by life and therefore will not abandon it quickly and on any excuse. While, like
Bilbo Baggins, he may be eager for adventure, he is also usually capable of appreciating the quotidian. By the same token, the hero of the high fantasy adventure is capable of completing it and settling down to ordinary life again.
These concepts have become so well-known amongst fantasists over the years that
Danny Birt jokingly wrote them up in the form of a math equation in the author's note of his epic fantasy book
Ending an Ending. The author's note went on to say that the book was written in direct opposition of expected fantasy concepts. Whether the rest of his pentology will continue in this vein remains to be seen.
Plagiarism of ideas sometimes makes novels dull or repetitive. Many of the novels are strongly influenced by Tolkien's
The Lord of the Rings, which is considered the groundwork of the genre.
Saga or series
Role-playing campaign settings like
Forgotten Realms by
Ed Greenwood or
R. A. Salvatore and
Dragonlance by
Tracy Hickman and
Margaret Weis' are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings.
From
Tolkien to the modern day, authors in this genre tend to create their own worlds where they set multi-tiered narratives such as the
Belgariad,
Malloreon and
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Other authors such as
George R.R. Martin,
Robert Jordan,
R. Scott Bakker,
Steven Erikson,
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., and
Terry Goodkind write extended stories over several volumes relating with the same character threads.
There are several publishing companies that are devoted entirely to publishing fantasy literature (or fantasy and science fiction).
DAW Books was one of the first such publishers established, and others include
Avari Press,
Roc,
Tor Books, and
Del Rey Books.
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Eric Rucker Eddison (
The Worm Ouroboros and
The Zimiamvian Trilogy) was a pre-Tolkien high fantasy writer.
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List of high fantasy fiction
