While fantasy is widely known as anything that isn’t of our world, there are still different sub-genres to differentiate stories.
High or epic fantasy is set in a magical environment with its own rules and physical laws. The plots of the stories contain themes of grand scale and typically focus on a single, well-developed hero or a band of heroes.
Low fantasy is set in the real world and includes magical elements that shock the characters.
Magical realism is similar to low fantasy, except the fantastical elements are considered a normal part of the otherwise realistic world.
Sword and sorcery is a subset of high fantasy that focuses on sword-wielding heroes, magic, and or witchcraft.
Dark fantasy combines elements of fantasy and horror that is meant to unnerve and frighten readers.
Fables contain personified animals and the supernatural to impart moral lessons.
Fairy tales are intended for children and are set in distant magical worlds. They usually start off with “once upon a time” and trolls, dragons, witches, and other supernatural characters are accepted truth.
Superhero fiction stories have heroes with supernatural powers, unlike other stories where heroes gain powers through scientific means.
The fantasy genre combines heroic epics of the Great Migration, chivalric epics of the high middle ages, and 19th century romantic idealization of the middle ages in one genre. In our mundane world, it’s great to escape into a reality where the impossible is possible, giving us a little more imagination every day.