High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s.^[1] High fantasy has become one of the two genres most commonly associated with the general term fantasy, the other being sword and sorcery, which is typified by the works of Robert E. Howard.

Genre overview[link]

High fantasy is defined as fantasy fiction set in an alternative, entirely fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the real, or "primary" world. The secondary world is usually internally consistent but its rules differ in some way(s) from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set in the primary, or "real" world, or a rational and familiar fictional world, with the inclusion of magical elements.^[2][3][4][5]

Nikki Gamble distinguishes three subtypes of high fantasy:^[4]

• A setting in which the primary world does not exist^[4] (e.g. The Lord of The Rings, The Prydain Chronicles,The Inheritance Cycle, The Wheel of Time, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Name of the Wind)
• The secondary/parallel world(s) is entered through a portal from the primary world^[4] (e.g. Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia,^[4] His Dark Materials, Xanth, The Dark Tower, and Avantasia)
• A distinct world-within-a-world as part of the primary world^[4] (e.g. Gods of Pegana, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

Where the primary world does not exist, detailed maps, geography and history of the fictional world will often be provided. The secondary world often is based on, or symbolically represents, the primary world. The Oxford of Phillip Pullman's Northern Lights is similar, a world that is "both familiar and strange". Pullman's preface to that book explains that the setting is "a universe like ours, but different in many ways".^[4]

In the case of a world-within-a-world, the secondary world co-exists with the primary world; however, the mundane inhabitants of the primary world are unaware of the secondary world.

Gamble suggests that Lord of the Rings takes place in a setting where the primary world does not exist.^[4] This was something Tolkien often denied; rather, he suggested that Middle-earth was the primary world, but in the past.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]} This was not always clear, however, as a few of his early letters described that while his stories take place on earth, elements of the stories as a kind of "...secondary or sub-creational reality" or "Secondary belief" in replies to letters, or "at a different stage of imagination...".^{[14][15][16][17][18]} In most cases he is adamant that the events ("history") occurred on primary earth, and not another planet.^{[19][20][21][22]}

Setting[link]

These stories are often serious in tone and epic in scope, dealing with themes of grand struggle against supernatural, evil forces.^[23] Some typical characteristics of high fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, dwarves, dragons, demons, magic or sorcery, wizards or magicians, constructed languages, quests, coming-of-age themes, and multi-volume narratives.

In some fiction, a contemporary, "real-world" character is placed in the invented world, sometimes through framing devices such as portals to other worlds or even subconscious travels. Purists might not consider this to be "true" high fantasy, although such stories are often categorized as high fantasy because they've yet to be classified as their own distinct subgenre, and often resemble this subgenre more closely than any other.^{[original research?]}

High fantasy worlds may be more or less closely based on real world milieus, or on legends such as the Arthurian Cycle. When the resemblance is strong, particularly when real-world history is used, high fantasy shades into alternative history.

High fantasy is the most popular and successful subgenre of the fantasy fiction.^{[citation needed]} Its fandom ranges from Tolkien to contemporary. Recent screen versions of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader have contributed to the subgenre's continuing popularity. Moreover, film adaptations of some novels are in preproduction, such as David Farland's The Runelords, and also Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom of Landover as well as The Elfstones of Shannara.

Characters[link]

Most high fantasy storylines are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around his heritage or mysterious nature. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, often with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. He begins the story young, if not an actual child.^[24] Some examples of this are: R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt of "The Legend of Drizzt", Kathryn Lasky's Soren of Guardians of Ga'Hoole, David Eddings' Belgarion in the Belgariad and Malloreon, Terry Brooks' Shea and Wil Ohmsford of The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara, Terry Goodkind's Richard Cypher, Robert Jordan's Rand al'Thor of The Wheel of Time, Pug and Arutha of Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga, Philip Pullman's Lyra Belacqua of His Dark Materials, Ursula K. Le Guin's Ged, and Christopher Paolini's Eragon of The Inheritance Cycle. In other works he is a completely developed individual with his own character and spirit — David Eddings' Sparhawk of The Elenium and The Tamuli. High fantasy is not by any means limited to a male protagonist, as seen in such works as Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksenarrion and P.C. Hodgell's Jame, though a man is perhaps more common.^[25]

Siegfried kills Fafner, by Arthur Rackham

In the beginning of the storyline, the hero is threatened by the unknown force. One reason for such a threat is that, unlike the typical sword and sorcery adventurer, the hero is seldom bored stiff by ordinary life and therefore will not abandon it quickly and on any excuse. Even though, like Bilbo Baggins, he may not be eager for adventure, he is willing or somehow brought into a fantasy affair. By the same token, the hero of the high fantasy adventure is capable of completing it and settling down to ordinary life again.

Typically, the hero slowly gains knowledge of his past through legend, prophecy, lost-and-found-again family members, or encounters with "mentor" characters who know more about him than he does. With that knowledge comes power and confidence; the hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a huge gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along the way.^[26] The plot of the story often depicts the hero's fight against the evil forces as a Bildungsroman. However, the epic adventure is not always quite so stereotyped. A good example of a less stereotyped epic is The Deed of Paksenarrion in which the main character becomes a paladin through her own growing strength instead of it having been forced on her at birth.

In many books there is a knowing, mystical mentor/teacher, associated with the Jungian archetype of Senex, or wise old man. This character is often a formidable wizard or warrior, who provides the main character with advice and help. Examples would be: Tolkien's Gandalf of The Lord of the Rings, Dumbledore of Harry Potter series, Merlin of Arthurian Legends, Lasky's Ezylryb of Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Brooks' Allanon of The Sword of Shannara, Eddings' Belgarath and Polgara of The Belgariad, Feist's Macros the Black of the Riftwar Saga, Jordan's Moiraine of The Wheel of Time (who at least starts out as this kind of character), Goodkind's Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander of The Sword of Truth, and Paolini's Brom and Oromis of The Inheritance Cycle.

In some books, there is also a mysterious Dark Lord, often obsessed with taking over the world and killing the main hero. This character is an evil wizard or sorcerer, or sometimes a kind of god or demon. This character commands a huge army and a group of highly feared servants. Examples would be: Tolkien's Morgoth of The Silmarillion as well as Sauron, the King of the Nazgûl and the others of the Nine Riders from The Lord of the Rings, Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter series, Lasky's Kludd and Nyra of Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Brooks's Warlock Lord of The Sword of Shannara, Jordan's Dark One of The Wheel of Time, and Eddings' Torak of The Belgariad and Zandramas of The Malloreon, Rick Riordan's Kronos of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Goodkind's Darken Rahl and Emperor Jagang of The Sword of Truth, and Paolini's Galbatorix of The Inheritance Cycle. In some works the villain may have had a predecessor/s who might have been superior or inferior to them. Examples of this would be Morgoth from the Silmarillion, Sauron's former commander, Goodkind's Panis Rahl, as well as Morzan and the Forsworn from the Inheritance Cycle.

The progress of the story leads to the character learning the nature of the unknown forces against him, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence.^[27] Facing down this evil is the culmination of the hero's story and permits the return to normal life.

Good versus Evil[link]

Good versus evil is a common concept in high fantasy, and the character of evil is often an important concept in a work of high fantasy,^[28] as in The Lord of the Rings. Indeed, the importance of the concepts of good and evil can be regarded as distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery.^[29] 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".^[30] In some works, as in large parts of Jordan's The Wheel of Time, the struggle between good and evil is mainly used as a backdrop for more intricate conflicts of interest, such as conflicts between different factions formally on the same side in the good vs. evil conflict.

Recent fantasy novels have begun to depart from the more common good vs evil background that became prevalent after Lord of the Rings. Prominently, George R R Martin's acclaimed A Song of Ice and Fire series more or less abandons the good-evil paradigm in favor of a more politically based and multifaceted struggle between different ruling families, most of whom display both good and evil tendencies in pursuit of power, which takes the place of the main catalyst of the story. Although several characters who have a civilised, trustworthy guise do perform terrible acts of cruelty marking them as morally degenerate, their intentions are not necessarily "evil". Often the villain will try to convince the hero either a)the villain is not in fact evil like the hero thinks he is, b)the hero is actually the evil/immoral one, c) the mentor character has been using the hero's special qualities for his own ends and does not really care about him/her. Most of these arguments will be followed up by a conversion attempt, with promises of redemption for supposed misdeeds or glory, riches and power.

Saga or series[link]

Role-playing campaign settings like Greyhawk by Gary Gygax and Dragonlance^[31] by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to the settings.

From Tolkien to the modern day, authors in this genre tend to create their own worlds where they set multi-tiered narratives such as the Belgariad, Malloreon, Wheel of Time, Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Black Company, The Sword of Truth, A Song of Ice and Fire, and Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.

References[link]

See also[link]

Novels portal

• Eric Rücker Eddison (The Worm Ouroboros and The Zimiamvian Trilogy) was a pre-Tolkien high fantasy writer.
• List of high fantasy fiction
• Low fantasy
• Medieval fantasy
• Historical fantasy
• List of genres