3 Reasons to Read Fantasy Fiction

Fantasy stories are magical. No pun intended. Well, maybe a little bit intended.

There are two types of people watching this video right now: those who read fantasy and those who don’t. If you’re in camp “Fantasy Reader,” this video will be me preaching to the converted, but you might discover something about why you read what you read. Then there are the viewers who have not or will not read fantasy for a variety of reasons.

Science Fiction and Fantasy aren’t for everybody. That’s fine. I won’t judge you. Just know that I have a list, and you may or may not be on it. 

There are probably countless reasons to read the fantasy genre, but I’m going to focus on just three because, for me, they’re the most important reasons why the genre shouldn’t be disregarded as being the underbelly of literature.

1. All Genres Included

Fantasy and Science Fiction are reality genres. What this means is that, unlike mystery, romance, horror, and many other genres, the core distinguishing characteristic of all fantasy stories is that the rules of the story world are somehow different from the rules of your everyday life.

Whether you’re reading The Hobbit or The Martian, the same common ground remains. What can occur in these stories can not occur in our world—at least not in the same way that they occur in our world.

The Hobbit is a classic modern fantasy novel that follows a Hobbit, Wizard, and a party of Dwarves as they set off to reclaim a lost kingdom from a formidable dragon. It’s easy to see how this story bends the rules of reality to tell its story.

The Martian is a Hard Science Fiction story. This means that while the concepts in the story are based on reality or the science we know today, the execution of the story is still outside of the bounds of our current technological ability. While much closer to reality than The Hobbit, it still resides in the realm of fantasy.

What this really means is that almost every other retail genre, from romance to psychological thriller to slice of life can exist within a fantasy story. There are genres that are more common within fantasy like action/adventure, war, and coming of age, but there is almost no limit to what a fantasy or science fiction story can be.

Want a Story with magic and romance. You got it. Want a story with faster than light travel and revenge. That’s possible too. The only limit to what a fantasy story can be is up to the limits of our imaginations.

2. Hard Truths Are Easier to Swallow

There are a lot of problems in our world. War, slavery, inequality, resource deficiencies, natural disasters… just take a casual glance at your daily news and you’ll be confronted with more pain and suffering than many of us can stomach.

It’s real, ever-present, overwhelming. It’s no wonder that so many people seek escapism from the fantasy genre in a world where we, as individuals, can feel increasingly powerless to affect meaningful change.

But fantasy stories are hardly without conflict. Many of the problems we face today have been explored through the lens of strange new worlds that parallel our own. 

Stories like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley explored the perils in the application of science without wisdom and the effects of alienation. 

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson explores classism and the emotional toll of mental illness.

Star Trek is legendary for exploring mankind’s social responsibility when encountering the “other,” especially when there’s a large imbalance of power.

Nested within the wonder of the many worlds that Science Fiction and Fantasy stories imagine are questions of truth, purpose, and responsibility—a proxy, allowing for enough distance from the real world so that we might be able to gain a greater perspective without ever leaving our favorite reading nook.

3. Expansion of the Imagination

One of the most unfortunate casualties of getting older is that we often systematically destroy our sense of wonder. As the beauty of the world around us becomes mundane, so does our ability to imagine a better world.

Fantasy stories break us away from our routine and force us to see a world that can only be experienced in our minds.

When we read about magic and worlds lost to time, we’re forced to imagine how we can insert the lessons of ages past into our present.

When we see technologies of a distant future, we’re inspired to do the work now to build a world that our descendants can be proud to live in.

This mental exercise greases the wheels of innovation and social progress. 

Engaging with our past is a great way to help us break the cycle of mistakes in our lives. And engaging with our potential future can serve as a warning to help us avoid subsequent suffering.

But what do you think? If you read Fantasy and Science Fiction, why do you read it? If not, what don’t you like about it?

Let me know in the comments. I’d love to know what you think and discuss it further with you.

If you’d like to support me and this channel outside of liking, subscribing, and hitting the notification bell, you can buy my book. If you enjoy Fantasy stories, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy mine as well.