Fantasy literature is a genre featuring the use of magic, imaginary universe, or supernatural situations in the plot. It often describes mythological creatures and races other than humans, including elves, dwarves, etc. Historically, most fantasy books were written since the 1960s and although a number of them were originally created for children and adolescents, such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings, they are loved by adults a lot. Fantasy is an ever-evolving genre that is still developing.
There are many different fantasy subgenres, such as epic, high, dark, historical, and urban fantasy as well as grimdark, steampunk, and arcane punk. Let’s consider them in more detail below:
- epic fantasy usually involves long book series;
- high fantasy is typically quite traditional and Tolkienesque;
- dark fantasy combines horror and grim themes;
- historical fantasy is about incorporating magic into historical fiction;
- urban fantasy blends magic and myth with today’s world;
- grimdark fantasy uses dystopian elements in the plot;
- steampunk is a mix of fantasy and Victorian elements;
- arcane punk is defined as a blend of sci-fi and fantasy.
Read more essays about US writers
As you see there is a big variety of fantasy novels, so anyone can pick something they like in this genre. You can choose among writers from all over the world, all of which have their own style. However, if you want to learn more about different authors, you can check student essays at https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/writers/, providing detailed information on their work. In particular, you should read about the US writers since many of them are extremely popular and respected in different countries.
Top fantasy novel writers of all time
George Raymond Martin
George Raymond Martin is a renowned American novelist and short story writer. He is also popular as a screenwriter and television producer. George Martin published his first installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series in 1996 and it wasn’t an overnight success. However, he became a best-selling author in 2005 thanks to the fourth title of the series called A Feast for Crows. That same year, Lev Grossman of Time called George Martin “the American Tolkien”. Later, his masterpiece was adapted into the Emmy Award-winning series Game of Thrones. What’s more, the author was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people worldwide.
J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is an English fantasy writer. He earned fame with his book for children called The Hobbit and his epic fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings, which is usually published in three parts, namely The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Several polls named The Lord of the Rings the best book of the 20th century, so it is immensely popular. Just imagine, more than 50 million copies of this book in 30 languages have been sold. What’s more, its film version achieved both critical and financial success all over the world.
Clive Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis was a British writer known for his fiction works, such as The Screwtape Letters, The Space Trilogy, andThe Chronicles of Narnia. He wrote more than 30 books that were sold in millions of copies in 30 languages. The Chronicles of Narnia have been popularised on stage, TV, and radio in all parts of the world. Alongside creating books in the fantasy genre, Lewis was a renowned Christian apologist whose works are still widely cited.
John Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author of fantasy novels and a famous humorist. He gained popularity mostly for his Discworld series of 41 novels. His books were sold in 37 languages and he was the UK’s best-selling author of the 1990s. In total, more than 85 million copies of Pratchett’s books have been distributed so far. In 2010, his extraordinary talent brought him the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.
Scott Lynch
Scott Lynch is an American fantasy writer who created a legendary Gentleman Bastard series of novels. The Lies of Locke Lamor, his debut novel, was a finalist of the World Fantasy Award in 2007. Moreover, he was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in the years 2007 and 2008. Lynch received the Sydney J. Bounds Best Newcomer Award from the British Fantasy Society at the same period, which made him one of the most outstanding fantasy writers of all time.
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