C. Trembath

Fantasy genre is a large and complex genre. For the past 60 years the fantasy genre has been the dumping ground for any story that does not fall into any other genre.

A genre that uses magic and other supernatural elements as essential ingredients of plot, theme, and settings.

And is usually novelette or book-length.

Fairy tales are stories that are short in length---one sitting and rely on the fantastic involving fairies and magic usually ending “happily ever after”. The name “fairy tale” was first used to describe these stories by Madame d’Aulnoy. Older fairy tales were intended for adults as well as children.

It is best to define fantasy by what it is not... The fantasy genre does not include:  Fables  Folktales  Myths  Tall Tales

Fantasy genre and fairy tales overlap and share many of the same qualities called: “fantastic elements” Like fairies, dragons, giants, talking animals, magic and so on.

The hero is a doer of deeds and has great courage and moral values. The hero is a doer of deeds and has great courage and moral values. This hero usually has humble beginnings and must prove himself worthy. The main character refuses to accept the world as it is. He /she fights evil and good prevails in the end.

Tolkien’s Hobbits were not great or powerful characters until the adventure made them be.

The plot is usually centered around the Quest. There is a desire to accomplish a difficult task. The main characters operate in a dreadful world turned upside down by some force.

The quest may be for an artifact that will yield great power or it may be by a character that will make an essential difference. The quest may be to save the world or be a character’s internal quest of self-understanding.

In fantasy Medieval Europe is the most favored setting. The world is a global village. Many creatures, setting, and elements are drawn from medieval folklore such as dragons and unicorns. Races of being such as elves and dwarves are often tweaked from medieval sources.

This a popular theme in fantasy, such as evil characters that invade and disrupt the good characters’ lands. Example : The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

While the cost may be great and major characters may die along the way, evil is defeated, often by those who seem to have little power or authority.

Something magical is almost always part of fantasy. Something magical is almost always part of fantasy. Either the character has magical powers or uses objects to heightened their senses and skills.

Among the most common objects are magic swords and magic rings. Prophecies are another common forms of magic, because they are often used as plot devices. devices. Magic can be known as “The Force” (Star Wars) or “the Deeper Arts” (The Lord of the Rings).

Fairy tales came long before the written page. Tales were told or enacted dramatically rather than written down, and handed down from generation to generation. Because of this, the history of their development is unclear.

The oldest known written fairy tales stem from ancient Egypt, in1300 BC. Fairy tales appear, now and again, in written literature such as Cupid and Psyche (Roman AD). What they do show is that the fairy tale has ancient roots, older than the Arabian Nights. The first western famous fairy tales are those of the Greek Aesop (6 th century BC ).

The fairy tale itself became popular among the upper-class of France ( ) with tales told by Charles Perrault who in (1697) fixed the forms of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.

The first collectors who attempted to preserve not only the plot and characters of the tale, but also the style in which they were preserved, were the Brothers Grimm, who collected German fairy tales in their first editions (1812 & 1815).

In the early decades of the 20 th century several classic children's fantasies were published such as Peter Pan and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

High fantasy came into being with and the popularity of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in the late 1960s that allowed fantasy to become all the rage. Several other series, such as C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia helped make the genre more popular.

Sometimes, especially in children's literature, fairy tales are retold with a twist for comic effect such as the Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka. Another example is Robert Munch’s picture book the Paperbag Princess in which a princess rescues a prince

Snow WhiteCinderella Rapunzel Little Red Riding Hood Sleeping Beauty Beauty and the Beast Rumpelstiltskin Jack and the Beanstalk

Famous Fantasy Titles

Fantasy Grades 3-4

Famous Fantasy Titles Grades 5-6

Harry Potter The Lord of the Rings Chronicles of Narnia 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Indian in the Cupboard

“Fantasy opens the door to experiencing the magic that is in the world around us and more importantly the magic in ourselves..” ~ T.A. Baron