Fantasy Checklist Challenge

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Romantic Fantasy

    ~posted by Selby G. Romance novels, by their very nature, are usually not considered great literature. This is not to say that romance novels are not worth reading, but perhaps they should be judged with relaxed criteria. It is no different in the fantasy romance subgenre. Stories abound with sexy witches, shape shifters of all… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Slipstream & Surreal

         – posted by David W. Oh no, they’ll tell you, they don’t read fantasy. They have no idea where the fantasy section is at the library, let alone where to find Westeros or Xanth, or how to get into Mordor – doesn’t one simply walk? Oh sure, they read the Harry Potter books, but when… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Young Adult

    ~posted by Jessica W. Young adult novels appeal to many people, often because of the plot-driven storylines, but also because they’re about people finding themselves through turmoil, whether it’s a breakup or the world literally ending.  The protagonist enters the book (or series) unsure and unformed, and leaves stronger, wiser, and often a leader in… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Mythopoeia

    Mythopoeia: The creation of a myth or myths. –Oxford English Dictionary How do you decide if it’s a mythopoetic book? I’m not entirely sure, but to me these books display a deep and believable magical system, drawn from old gods and stories. They create myths that I want to believe in. Possibly one of the best examples of this, The Wood… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Thieves

    ~posted by Deborah B. Fantasy tales are rife with characters from the seedy underbelly of society. Robin Hood, a mythical English robber, is the hero of Disney’s 1973 animated film, where many children are first introduced to the “loveable rascal” thief-type. Robin Hood’s shenanigans were so much more fun than any other Disney film, at least… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Dark Fantasy

    ~posted by Carrie M. What constitutes a work of “Dark Fantasy,” can be difficult to define. For our purposes, we will be looking at some works that are fantasy in the sense that they have the mandatory elements of other worlds and/or otherworldly beings, but that also contain a “dark” element such as (cue *gasps*)… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Urban Fantasy

    ~posted by Lindsay S. If you like the idea of magic and fantasy, but think made-up worlds and pseudo-medieval times are weird, Urban Fantasy might just be the subgenre for you. In Urban Fantasy stories, magical and fantastical elements are plunked right down in the middle of modern day life. The results can be hilarious,… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: High Fantasy

    ~posted by Meranda T. Lloyd Alexander, of the Prydain Chronicles, can be given credit for coining the term “High Fantasy.” A term used to define a genre that is placed in an imaginary world or based on epic and fantastical plots. This is a sub-genre of fantasy I have always liked. My first experience with High Fantasy is… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Fairy Tale Retellings

    ~posted by Jenny C. I love a good fairy tale; both the originals and all the myriad sorts of retelling. My very favorites, though, are the ones that keep that darkness that’s inherent in many fairy tales, and add infinite embroideries onto a familiar cloth. One of the best examples of the sheer variety possible… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Comic Fantasy, All Pratchett

    ~posted by David H. If there has ever been a king of comic fantasy, then that crown was worn by the late Terry Pratchett. And in that crown, the shining jewel is the Discworld series. Published in 37 different languages with over 80 million books sold, Pratchett is second only to J.K. Rowling as the… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Comic Fantasy

    ~posted by David H. Much like its sister genre science fiction, funny isn’t the first word that springs to mind when people think of the fantasy genre. The straight-faced seriousness of early fantasy authors like J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) and Robert E. Howard (Conan), and contemporary ones like Robert Jordan (The Eye… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Magical Beasts

    ~ posted by Jessica H. If you’re unfamiliar with fantasy, Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn is a quiet classic.  A unicorn is told by hunters that she is the last of her immortal kind, causing her to wonder if this is true.  As she leaves her forest, she is recognized by humans as simply… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Dragons

    ~Posted by Jenny C. Oh, Dragons! How do I even begin? I mean, we’ve recently had a post that featured the Mother of Dragons — and by that I mean Anne McCaffrey (sorry Khaleesi). And my friend Misha’s post captured three of my all time favorite dragon fantasies: Temeraire, (Master and Commander with dragons), Tooth and Claw, (Dickensian succession drama) and A Natural History of… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Classic Fantasy

    ~posted by Meranda T. Classic Fantasy is both old and new. What we casually think of as Fantasy is relatively new. However, Fantasy has been around for ages if we take into consideration fairy tales, myths, folk stories, and legends. Look to the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Yei Theodora Ozaki, and many more for translations of stories… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Children’s Books

    ~posted by Selby G. All ages love the possibilities bound in the pages of a fantastical book and children are no different. Some of the most creative and entertaining fantasy books I have read were written for kids. So don’t let the age vector deter you. The books in this post may be geared towards… Continue reading

  • Fantasy Checklist Challenge!

    ~Posted by Selby G. Fantasy is a genre of fiction that usually conjures up images of wizards battling dragons or beautiful maidens riding unicorns. While these are common elements in many fantasy novels, they are by no means the only ones. Fantasy novels run the gamut from hints of magic popping up in urban settings… Continue reading