fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that uses magical or supernatural elements deliberately outside the bounds of the ordinary world. It often features expansive world-building, mythical creatures, and quests or conflicts that test protagonists, with magic functioning as a shaping force rather than mere ornament. Works may be set in wholly imagined universes, alternate timelines, or in versions of the real world where the extraordinary intrudes into daily life.

Fantasy draws on folklore, myth, fairy tales, and medieval romance, and it evolved through oral and written traditions. In the modern era, George MacDonald influenced the genre, while J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings helped establish high fantasy with extensive world-building and linguistic invention. Later writers broadened its scope and subgenres.

High fantasy presents magical worlds separate from the real one; low or contemporary fantasy blends magical events into everyday settings. Sword and sorcery centers on personal heroism and action. Epic fantasy traces broad histories; urban fantasy places magic in contemporary cities; dark fantasy combines wonder with horror.

Fantasy appears in novels, film, television, games, and tabletop role-playing. It has shaped popular culture through enduring tropes such as quests and prophecies, while inviting reflection on power, morality, and human values. Notable authors include Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and Brandon Sanderson.