As fantasy picked up in popularity again, people's interests broadened and now fantasy encompasses so much more. Now there are so many subgenres out there, I don't think I even know them all. Here are a few I do know:
Dark Fantasy - traditionally this subgenre combined elements of fantasy with horror, but more recently it also includes fantasy with darker themes.
Epic/High Fantasy - includes a life or death struggle between good and evil, has many characters and a vast world, and generally is written in series or even multiple series.
Sword and Sorcery - the typical medieval style story with lots of magic... and sword fighting.
Urban Fantasy - these take place in our own world, but they involve fantasy themes, such as magic and mythical beings.
Paranormal Fantasy - very similar to urban fantasy, and usually go hand-in-hand, but these speficially are stories about vampires, wereworld, shapeshifters and other similar mythical beings.
Science Fantasy - this one is really a mix of science fiction and fantasy. It's fantasy that takes place in the future or uses futuristic technology.
There are tons of others... far too many to name here. And it can get really confusing when looking for something new to read. It's even more confusing for us authors who are trying to decide where our books fit in, as most books can probably fit into several of these categories.
So, what's your favorite fantasy subgenre? Or are you like me... wishing it could just go back to simply being fantasy? Tell me about it here!
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