Tales of the Tome

We delve into a myriad of Fantasy literature sub-genres and get lost in their descriptions, grey zones and publications. Here the Fantasy literature sub-genres we cover in our segment 'Tales of the Tome' of this Rolling Into Fantasy episode:

High Fantasy:

• Set in a secondary, often magical world with epic stakes.
• Grand, sweeping stories with a clear battle between good and evil, featuring complex world-building, often with maps, languages, and detailed histories.
• Examples:

-The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien 

- The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan

- The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander

- The Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini

- The Belgariad, by David Eddings

- Throne of Glass, by Maas

- The Hobbit, by J.R.R; Tolkien

Low Fantasy:

• Set in the real world or a world similar to ours but with magical elements that are less pervasive.
• Magic and fantastical elements exist but are more subtle or rare; stories are often more grounded.
• Examples:

- Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling 

- Percy Jackson, by Rick Riordan

- The starless sea, Erin Morgenstern

- The Raven Cycle, by Maggie Stiefvater

- The Magicians, by Lev Grossman

- Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

- The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud

Sword and Sorcery:

•  Focuses on fast-paced, action-driven stories involving heroes, magic, and combat.
•  Emphasis on personal conflicts, battles, and adventures, often with a lone or small group of protagonists.
• Examples:

- Conan the Barbarian, by Robert E. Howard 

- Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, by Fritz Leiber

- Elric of Melniboné, by Michael Moorcock

- The Witcher series, by Andrzej Sapkowski

- Thieves’ World anthology, edited by Robert Asprin

Epic Fantasy:

• A sub-genre of High Fantasy characterized by large-scale stories, often involving world-spanning quests and battles.
•  Multi-volume series with numerous characters, intricate plots, and detailed world-building.
• Examples:

- A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. Martin 

- The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson

- Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erikson

- The Broken Empire, by Mark Lawrence

- The Faithful and the Fallen, by John Gwynne

Dark Fantasy:

•  Blends fantasy with horror, focusing on dark, often violent themes.
•  Morally ambiguous characters, grim settings, and an atmosphere of dread or despair.
• Examples:

- The Black Company, by Glen Cook 

- The First Law, by Joe Abercrombie

- Atlas Six, by Olivie Blake

- Wicked Saints, Emily A. Duncan

Historical Fantasy:

• Combines historical settings with fantasy elements.
• Real historical events, places, or figures are integrated with magic, mythical creatures, or alternative histories.
• Examples:

- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke 

- The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker

- Babel, by Kuang R. F.

- Circe, by Madeline Miller

Fairy Tale Retellings:

• Reinterpretations of traditional fairy tales.
• Familiar stories reimagined, often with a darker tone or more complex characters.
• Examples:

- Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine

- Uprooted, by Naomi Novik

- Cinderella is dead, by Kalynn Bayron

- Heartless, by Marissa Meyer

Mystic Market

 Source books & spin-offs:

• DnD source books: new Player’s Handbook 2024; Heroes’ Feast
• Kickstarter source books: Herbalist Primer; Barbarians
• FF: You are the Hero (Jonathan Green)

Events

Comic Cons

• Facts (1993)
• Comicon Brussels (2016)

Fantasy / Medieval festivals

• Elftopia (Belgium, 2017)
• Elfia (Netherlands) 
• Medieval Festival Spectaculum (Germany)
• Les Médiévales de Provins (France)
• England’s Medieval Festival (England)

Next episode of RIF:

• Tales from the Tome: the Fantasy subgenres continued
• Events: Report from Elftopia
• Through the Palantir

Links:

• England's Medieval Festival
• Les Médiévales de Provins
• MPS - Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum
• Elfia - Arcen
• Elftopia - The coolest fantasy festival in Europe
• Comic Con Brussels - Comics, Cosplay, Gaming, Sci Fi, ...
• What is FACTS? The History and DNA of Your Belgian Comic Con
• Kickstarter: Barbarians, from Conan to He-Man
• Heartless (Marissa Meyer)
• Cinderella is dead (Kalynn Bayron)
• Uprooted (Naomi Novik)
• Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)
• Circe (Madeline Miller)
• Babel (R.F. Kuang)
• The Golem and the Jinni (Helene Wecker)
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke)
• Wicked Saints - Something Dark and Holy, #1 (Emily A. Duncan)
• The Atlas Six, #1 (Olivie Blake)
• The First Law, series: #1 The Blade Itself (Joe Abercrombie)
• The Black Company (Glen Cook)
• Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen, #1 (John Gwynne)
• The Broken Empire series (Mark Lawrence)
• Gardens of the Moon (Steven Erikson)
• The Stormlight Archive - Book 1: The Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson)
• A Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire, Book One (George R.R. Martin)
• Thieves' World (Robert Lynn Asprin)
• The Witcher saga (Andrzej Sapkowski)
• Elric of Melniboné - The Elric Saga (Michael Moorcock)
• Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Series (Fritz Leiber)
• Conan (Robert E. Howard)
• The Bartimaeus Sequence (Jonathan Stroud)
• Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman)
• The Magicians (Lev Grossman)
• The Raven Cycle (Maggie Stiefvater)
• The Starless Sea (Erin Morgenstern)
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Rick Riordan)
• Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Books | Wizarding World (J.K. Rowling)
• Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas)
• The Belgariad Series (David Eddings)
• Inheritance Cycle - Eragon Eldest Brisingr Inheritance (Christopher Paolini)
• The Chronicles of Prydain Series (Lloyd Alexander)
• Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson) - Macmillan
• Lord of The Rings & The Hobbit (Tolkien) - The Tolkien Estate