High fantasy, orepic fantasy, is asubgenre offantasy[1] defined by theepic nature of itssetting or by the epic stature of itscharacters,themes, orplot.[2] High fantasy is usually set in analternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world.[2] This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast,low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.[3][4][5][6]
The term "high fantasy" was coined byLloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance", which was originally given at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians in October 1969. In this definition, Alexander was using the frameworkNorthrop Frye set forth in hisAnatomy of Criticism, particularly Frye's Theory of Modes; High Fantasy being fantasy in the High Mimetic Mode.[7][2] Since then, "high fantasy" has come to serve as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy genre, mythic fantasy,dark fantasy, andwuxia.[8] It typically is not considered to include thesword and sorcery genre.[9] High fantasy is typically set in a quasi-medieval world, is frequently inspired by various mythological or legendary traditions, and often but not always features supernaturalsorcery and imaginary beings such asdragons.
Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around their heritage or mysterious nature, along with a world-threatening problem. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, and frequently portrayed with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child, or are portrayed as being very weak and/or useless.[10]
The hero often begins as a naïve or childlike figure but is forced by circumstances to mature rapidly, experiencing a considerable gain in fighting or problem-solving abilities along the way.[11] The progress of the story leads to the character's learning the nature of the unknown forces against them, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. Thevillains in such stories are usually completely evil and unrelatable.[12]
The romances ofWilliam Morris, such asThe Well at the World's End, set in an imaginarymedieval world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy.[13] Other early examples of the genre are some works of American novelistJames Branch Cabell which were set in a fictional world inspired by medieval France and published starting in 1919, known collectively asBiography of the Life of Manuel.E.R. Eddison's novelsThe Worm Ouroboros (1922) and theZimiamvian Trilogy (1935–1958) are also important in epic fantasy.
The works of EnglishJ. R. R. Tolkien, especiallyThe Lord of the Rings (1954–55), are regarded asarchetypal works of high fantasy.[13]
High fantasy has often been defined by its themes and messages.[14] "Good versus evil" is a common one in high fantasy, and defining the character of evil is often an important theme in a work of high fantasy,[15] such asThe Lord of the Rings. The importance of the concept of good and evil can be regarded as the distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery.[9] In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks a deep concern with moral issues; in other works, the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance,wizards behaving irresponsibly whether they are "good" or "evil".[16]
Role-playing games such asDungeons & Dragons withcampaign settings likeDragonlance[17] byTracy Hickman andMargaret Weis andForgotten Realms byEd Greenwood[18] are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings.[19]
High Fantasy is probably one of the most recognizable subgenres of Fantasy.
For Dungeons and Dragons, both TSR and WotC produced additional settings that can be used with the core rules, two of the most popular being the magic-punk Eberron ... and the high fantasy Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.
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