What is Epic Fantasy Literature?

Wizards, dragons, and elves! Oh, My!

Let's face it, as an adult or child, we all wanted to fly on the back of a dragon or destroy the evil wizard. Some of us wished we could save Fantasia with Falcor. Still, in the end, reality hits, and we're back in our crazy world devoid of imagination, magic, and dragons. While a case can be made for dragons and magic, our best chance of living the fantasy life is by delving into books. Those are fantasy or epic fantasy.

What is epic fantasy literature?

Fantasy is usually a book about a gazillion pages in length. The heroes go on endless side quests while walking to their destination to defeat the bad guy. I'm not going to lie, I could, but I prefer an excellent fantasy novella or novelette of a book that'll take me the rest of my life to read. While these long novels are good, my ADHD can't handle that shit. That being said...

However, there are many genre variations, including dark fantasy, urban fantasy, and the ever-popular high-fantasy. Epic Fantasy Literature features an epic story with battles, an evil force to defeat, and a dramatic conclusion that takes too long to finally finish. It often takes place in a setting that is not the ordinary world and features characters who have quests or missions that usually take up most of the story. The location usually consists of creatures, magic, gods, and other unknown aspects.

Unpopular opinion, Lord of the Rings could've been finished in a day if Gandalf used his eagles to fly Frodo to destroy the ring. Still, we got endless walking and death, which probably could've been avoided. Anyways, don't get me started on Jordan and Martin either.

What makes a good epic fantasy story?

Fantasy is a genre of fiction typically set in a fictional world, often but not always without any locations or events that are identifiable as being from the real world. Magic and magical creatures are common occurrences in these fictional worlds and maybe a central theme. Epic Fantasy Literature is a subgenre of Fantasy that usually takes place in an imaginary world with Earth-like characteristics.

Now that was a mouthful... (that's what she said?)

What makes a fantasy story suitable? Depends on who you ask. Most will agree that characters they can relate are the best. Good plot, if not original, then make it worth reading, a bad guy to hate, yet love at the same time. Some magic. Of course, how much magic is preferred varies on the reader's tastes? Some prefer less. Others want to see a fireball every chapter.

Why read these stories?

The love for epic fantasy lit has grown vastly in the past decade. Epic fantasy literary novels are stories that encompass different cultures, languages, and worlds. They often tell the story of a hero's journey. Individuals face conflicts and challenges with courage, strength, determination, and moral character to either defeat great evils or win great rewards. Dragons... it's always about the dragons.

Why has Fantasy been so popular in recent years?

Let me see, tv shows like Game of Thrones, Shannara (gag! Did no justice to the books), Wheel of Time, Conan the Barbarian (Arnold version, yes I'm fucking old), and I could go on. Every generation has lovers of fantasy, and however, it does come in cycles like superheroes and zombies.

The Epic Fantasy genre is a form of fantasy fiction that expresses positive and noble values, such as heroism and moral victory. It is set in imaginary times and places to have a relevant, meaningful effect on readers. The novels may take place on earth or in an exotic world created by the writer's imagination, or they can contain elements of both. These stories make great escapism. For me, they made my teenage years bearable. However, fantasy isn't for everyone when it comes to books. Most are going to belong, hence the word epic. I m hoping to change that by writing novelettes and novellas in this genre. As a fantasy author, it's time for the short stories to reign supreme.

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