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a short exposition on the fantasy genre:


By setting

Epic/High fantasy : High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. eg percy jackson,alice in wonderland, ogboju ode, amos tutuola's works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fantasy



Low fantasy: Low fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy fiction involving "nonrational happenings that are without causality or rationality because they occur in the rational world where such things are not supposed to occur." Low fantasy stories are set in the real world. Low fantasy is contrasted with high fantasy, which takes place in a completely fictional fantasy world setting (partly or entirely, as high fantasy may start from or connect to the real world in places).

Low fantasy is characterised by being set in the real ("Primary" ) world, or a rational and familiar fictional world, with the inclusion of magical elements.

examples are The Dark is Rising, the adventures of Pinocchio, role playing video games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_fantasy



Hard fantasy: a sub-genre of fantasy literature that strives to present stories set in (and often centered on) a rational and knowable world. Hard fantasy is similar to hard science fiction, from which it draws its name, in that both aim to build their respective worlds in a rigorous and logical manner. The two diverge in that hard science fiction uses real scientific principles as its starting point, while hard fantasy postulates starting conditions that do not, and often cannot, exist according to currently scientific understanding.


eg a song of ice and fire



Historical fantasy:
a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too. Stories fitting this classification generally take place prior to the 20th century.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fantasy


Prehistoric fantasy:

Medieval fantasy:

a subgenre of fantasy that encompasses medieval era high fantasy and sometimes simply represents fictitious versions of historic events. This subgenre is common among role-playing games, text-based roleplaying, and high-fantasy literature. It can include various elements of Middle Ages European culture and society, including a monarchical government, feudal social structure, medieval warfare, and mythical entities common in European folklore.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_fantasy



Wuxia

source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_literary_genres

Common genres: nonfiction

Biography/Autobiography

Narrative of a Person's Life - A true story about a real person.

Essay - A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.

Narrative Nonfiction - Factual information presented in a format which tells a story.

Speech - Public address or discourse

Common genres: fiction

Subsets of genres, known as common genres, have developed from the archetypes of genres in written expression.

Drama - stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action.

Fable - narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans; legendary, supernatural tale.

Fairy tale - story about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children.

Fantasy - fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality.

Fiction narrative - literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact.

Fiction in verse - full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor characters, in which the narrative is presented in (usually blank)verse form.

Folklore - the songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by word of mouth.

Historical fiction - story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.

Horror - fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.

Humor - fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain; but can be contained in all genres

Legend - story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, that has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material.

Mystery - fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets.

Mythology - legend or traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism;often pertaining to the actions of the gods.

Poetry - verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses.

Realistic fiction - story that can actually happen and is true to life.

Science fiction- story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets.

Short story- fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots.

Tall tale - humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with nonchalance.

Genre categories: fiction and nonfiction

Genre may fall under one of two categories: Fiction and Nonfiction. Any genre can be either: a work of Fiction (nonfactual descriptions and events invented by the author) or a work of Nonfiction (a communication in which descriptions and events are understood to be factual).

Classic major genres

Genre is a category characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. The classic major genres of Literature are:

Epic

Lyric

Drama

Romance

Satire

Tragedy

Comedy

Tragicomedy

Major forms of literature

The major forms of Literature are:

Novel

Poem

Drama

Short story

Novella

@ topic

i'm a general reader but would like to post something on genres in literature.

author's name has three initials

wrote well known trilogy which was made into a motion picture and has a fan following


setting is earth, not top, or bottom, but___________