A Complete Overview of 18 Fantasy Subgenres

Fantasy is a genre of literature that features magical and supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world. In broad terms, the fantasy genre is one of the most popular and enduring of the twenty-first century literary market, spawning many New York Times bestsellers. Fantasy is also known for its many subgenres that range from mythical to modern, from kid-centric to frightening, from gritty to otherworldly.The existence of so many types of fantasy helps explain its widespread popularity among today’s fiction readers. Speculative in nature, fantasy is not tied to reality or scientific fact and can include a range of subject matter. Although some writers juxtapose a real-world setting with fantastical elements, many create entirely imaginary universes with their own physical laws and logic and populations of imaginary races and creatures.