fictionalfantasy

Fictionalfantasy is a term used to describe works of fiction that center on invented worlds or scenarios in which magical or supernatural elements are integral to the narrative. The term is not tied to nonfiction or strictly realist fiction and overlaps with established fantasy subgenres, yet it emphasizes the fictionality of the setting and often employs allegory or metafiction.

Common features include detailed worldbuilding, magical systems, beings such as spirits or dragons, quests or transformative journeys, and themes addressing power, identity, ethics, and social change. The stakes in fictionalfantasy stories are typically tied to how characters navigate or reshape the rules of their imagined worlds, as well as the moral or political implications of those worlds.

Narrative approaches vary, including traditional third-person narration and intimate first-person perspectives, with devices such as unreliable narrators, frame stories, or non-linear timelines that foreground the constructed nature of the world. Authors may use these techniques to explore commentary on real-world issues or to heighten thematic resonance within the fantasy setting.

In academic and critical discourse, fictionalfantasy serves as a working label for examining how authors imagine alternate realities and use fantasy elements to reflect and critique real-world concerns. Because the term is broad and not uniformly defined, readers often encounter it alongside related labels such as fantasy, speculative fiction, or magical realism, depending on context and emphasis.

See also: fantasy, speculative fiction, magical realism, worldbuilding.