Fantasy is a genre of works of art based on the use of fairy-tale and mythological motives. Fantasy, unlike science fiction, does not seek to explain the world and the possibilities of heroes from a rational point of view.
Features of the fantasy genre
Typical fantasy literature is like a historical adventure novel set in a fictional world reminiscent of the European Middle Ages. The heroes are faced with supernatural beings and phenomena. Fantasy works are often based on archetypal plots.
The fantasy genre in its modern form was formed by the middle of the 20th century. The English writer John Ronald Ruel Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Or back and forth."
Knightly novels, epics, epics, folk and author's tales are considered the literary predecessors of this genre. Nowadays, not only literary works are created in the fantasy style, but also paintings, feature films, television series, board and computer games.
Fantasy archetypes
The archetypal features of fantasy include the presence in the work of various fantastic races and mythological creatures, the opposition of the forces of Good and Evil, the organization of the plot in the form of a quest. For European and partly American fantasy, creatures from Celtic and Scandinavian mythology are characteristic: elves, gnomes, trolls, ogres, pixies, goblins, etc. In the works of this genre with a Slavic flavor, goblin, mermaids, brownies and kikimors can be found.
A clear opposition of dark and light forces is clearly visible in the classic works of the genre: "The Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Wheel of Time by R. Jordan, The Tapestries of Fionavar by G. G. Kea. In modern fantasy, this archetype is less pronounced. For example, in the extremely popular and yet unfinished cycle by J. Martin "A Song of Ice and Fire" there are practically no absolutely evil or absolutely kind characters.
Fantasy works are difficult to classify. Often, supernatural elements serve as the backdrop for a love story or detective story. The most popular are epic, romantic, urban and children's fantasy.
The main storyline of many works is a quest - the search for a certain magical object, person, place or knowledge. This archetype takes its origin in the plots of ancient and medieval literature, for example, the journey of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece or the search for the Holy Grail. Now the quest, as a way of organizing the plot, is most fully realized in computer games.
