Modern Fantasy
The body of literature in which the events, the settings, or the characters are outside the realm of possibility. A fantasy is a story that cannot happen in the real world, and for this reason the genre has been called "the literature of the fanciable impossible."
Types of Modern Fantasy
Modern Folktales
Tales told in a form similar to that of a traditional tale with the accompanying typical elements: little character description, strong conflict, fast-moving plot with a sudden resolution, vague setting, and in some cases, magical elements.
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Animal Fantasy
Stories in which animals behave as human beings in that they experience emotions, talk, and have the ability to reason.
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Personified Toys and Objects
Stories in which admired objects or beloved toys are brought to life and believed in by a child or adult character in the story are the focus of this type of fantasy
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Unusual Characters and Strange Situations
Stories that appear to be ridiculous, exaggerated, and beyond reality.
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Worlds of Little People
Stories about the worlds inhabited by miniature people who have developed a culture of their own in this world or who live in another world.
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Supernatural Events
Stories where the main characters have supernatural abilities or have assistance from supernatural beings.
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Mystery Fantasy
Stories that contain a mystery aspect, but can also involve characters from the supernatural world.
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Historical Fantasy
Stories in which a present-day protagonist goes back in time to a different era.
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Quest Stories
Adventure stories with a search motif.
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Science Fiction
A form of imaginative literature that provides a picture of something that could happen based on a real scientific facts and principles.
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Science Fantasy
A type of science fiction in which a scientific explanation though not necessarily plausible, is offered for imaginative leaps into the unknown