fantastikas

Fantastikas is a term used in several Baltic-language contexts to describe a broad field of fiction and media that features elements considered supernatural, magical, or speculative. In English, closest equivalents are fantasy or speculative fiction, but the precise scope of fantastikas is not uniform and varies by language and national literary tradition.

Origins and development: The word derives from the common root of “fantastic,” with cognates in many European languages. In Lithuanian and Latvian, the forms fantastika or fantastikas have been used since the early 20th century to describe literary and artistic works that exceed ordinary realism. The term functions as a broad umbrella rather than a tightly defined genre.

Scope and subgenres: Fantastikas encompasses a range of subgenres, including high fantasy, urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, science fiction, horror, and weird fiction. In some contexts it emphasizes myth, folklore, and metamorphosis; in others, it foregrounds scientific or speculative premises. Because classifications differ by region, fantastikas often overlaps with national terms for science fiction (mokslo fantastika) or fantasy and may be used more inclusively or more narrowly depending on the discourse.

Media and reception: Works labeled fantastikas appear in novels, short stories, comics, film, and video games. Academic discussions of fantastikas frequently explore how fantastical elements reflect cultural fears, ethics, and identities, and how such works renegotiate perceptions of reality.

See also: Fantasy, Science fiction, Speculative fiction, Weird fiction, Folklore.