The State and Future of Fantasy Fiction
Have you ever wondered: what’s the real DNA of contemporary Fantasy and Science Fiction? What do they share, and where do they diverge? And what about their future?
Hey guys, it’s Jim Wilbourne, author of The Continua Chronicles, and today we’re discussing the beginnings and current state of The Contemporary Era of Fantasy.
Like the Modern Era before it, the Contemporary Era’s literature received an exponential boost through the development of new technologies. The Information age gave us magazines, radio, television, computers, stronger distribution channels, and the internet. These mediums amplified the work that began with the development of the printing press in the 16th century.
Contemporary Fantasy’s Origins
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were two of the most influential writers of the 20th century, and their works have had a lasting impact on the world of storytelling.
Tolkien is best known for his epic fantasy series The Lord of the Rings. The story follows a group of hobbits as they embark on a quest to destroy a powerful magical artifact known as the One Ring. The series is notable for its complex world-building and vivid depiction of mythical creatures and landscapes.
Tolkien’s prose takes an elevated tone. This, combined with the many poems and songs throughout his stories about Middle Earth take a page from the epic poetry passed down from ancient times. His stories also utilize elements of fairy tales—such as enchanted objects and relatively simple themes—and we can see the use of the fish-out-water trope from Gulliver’s Travels.
Taking all of these elements and expanding them to create a world that feels large and deep with history has created the modern epic fantasy genre that we know today, which is why we often credit Tolkien as being the grandfather of contemporary fantasy. To this day, his worldbuilding and staying power is nearly unrivaled.
C. S. Lewis, on the other hand, is best known for his series of fantasy novels known as The Chronicles of Narnia. The books follow a group of children who are transported to the magical world of Narnia, where they encounter talking animals and other fantastical creatures.
Like the ancient myths and biblical stories, Lewis uses talking animals and an afterlife. Just like Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia draws on our rich tradition of fairy tales, and, though Lewis himself didn’t like to see it this way, the books lean heavily on allegorical elements like The Little Prince.
Tolkien and Lewis were members of an informal writing club called the Inklings, and were close friends, sharing their literary ideas. Both authors were pioneers of contemporary fantasy, and their works helped establish many of the conventions and tropes of the genre. Both authors were passionate about the power of the human imagination, and both inspired many other writers to push the boundaries of storytelling.
Their influence can be seen in other contemporary landmark tales such as The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.
Contemporary Science Fiction’s Origins
After the Modern Period, Science Fiction rose to become one of the most important forms of fantasy stories. As the world continued to modernize, and what was once a fantastical pipedream slowly became reality, Science Fiction has risen to serve many of the same purposes that traditional fantasy served before it.
Isaac Asimov is best known for the Foundation series and the Robot collection. His stories often explore the social and philosophical implications of scientific and technological advances. He’s credited with coining the term “robotics” and his works have helped to popularize the idea of artificial intelligence and robots.
Arthur C. Clarke is another towering figure in the world of science fiction. He is best known for his novel, 2001: A Space Odyssey, exploring the possibilities of space exploration, and helping launch the modern space opera sub-genre.
Robert A. Heinlein is best known for Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers. His stories often explore the social and political implications of scientific and technological advances. He is considered one of the pioneers of the “hard” science fiction sub-genre.
Together, these authors helped give rise to many of the stories we love today. It might be hard to imagine Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson or Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan without Asimov, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card or Dune by Frank Herbert without Clarke, The Martian by Andy Weir or Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie without Heinlein.
The State of Fantasy Stories
Today, fantasy and science fiction are both well-developed genres and are as popular as they were in ancient times. Because of the development of technology, filmmaking, and the internet, fantasy stories have taken a strong leap into popular culture in ways that haven’t been seen since its dominance prior to the modern era.
New subgenres have emerged like urban, dark, and grimdark fantasy. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and The Magicians by Lev Grossman helped popularize Urban Fantasy. Coraline by Neil Gaiman and The Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin helped launch dark and grimdark fantasies as common forms of the fantasy tradition.
There’s also a growing trend of diverse voices appearing in fantasy, splitting away from the more traditional and well-worn paths walked over the past several centuries. These fantasy tales explore marginalized communities and feature cultures and myths from societies that haven’t been explored to a great extent, especially in the western canon.
And, after splitting off into a subgenre so popular that it’s often considered its own genre, Science Fiction often finds itself reunited with Fantasy in blended forms such as The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, and, of course, George Lucas’s Star Wars.
DC, Marvel, and other comic publishers emerged at the end of the Modern period and grew throughout the Contemporary era. And though the popularity of comics declined during late 20th century, Marvel and DC managed to survive, and their science fiction and fantasy characters are some of the most popular fantasy icons in the early 21st century, further popularizing the blending of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
In the 1980s, Video Games began their rise to popularity and is now one of the biggest forms of entertainment in the world. The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Halo, Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls and even adaptations such as Star Wars, The Witcher, and The Matrix have been turned into beloved fantasy and science fiction interactive experiences.
Additionally, there has been a meteoric rise in independently published fantasy novels and comics in the 21st century, further widening the potential for both popular and underserved niches in fantasy. Where there was once a much smaller bottleneck to publication, gatekept by large corporations who controlled the distribution of stories to the market, the internet—the Contemporary era’s innovation on the printing press—has afforded many more storytellers a chance to make their mark on the fantasy genre.
The future of fantasy storytelling is wide open.
I expect to see new ideas we haven’t yet explored.
I look forward to diving into worlds that have yet to penetrate popular culture.
And I also expect to see the talents of writers, programmers, visual artists, narrators, musicians, and audio engineers to mix and merge, forging new experiences that have yet to be realized.
Built on the foundations of ancient myths, epic poems, and fairy tales, fantasy stories have a long history in human culture, and as long as we continue to enjoy exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new lives and new civilizations, boldly reading, watching, and playing in realms where no man has gone before, the fantasy genre will persist.
But that requires storytellers everywhere to understand fantasy’s past, it’s bright future, and do the work to bridge that gap. It’s a risky venture—far too risky for many large corporate entertainment companies that would rather lean on existing IP or proven paths to yield profits.
So that leaves us. Whether you’re a storyteller looking to make your mark on the world, or you’re a reader searching for the next great experience, we’re the ones who must band together and take advantage of tools the Information Age has given us to innovate on fantasy or share those new experiences with others.
It’s tall order. But that’s what fantasy is all about—making the impossible possible. And as a fantasy fan, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you haven’t seen my video on “The Secret Myths Behind Your Favorite Fantasy Stories,” definitely check it out to gain a deeper understanding of the connections between ancient myths and the contemporary fantasy we love.
Or, perhaps, you’d like to further explore the connection between Fantasy and Science fiction. I have a video on that as well. Check it out if you’re curious about the shared DNA of the two genres.
I’ll drop links to both of those videos in the description.
But what do you think? What are your favorite fantasy and science fiction stories of the past several decades? And where do you think fantasy stories are headed?
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 books. If you enjoy fantasy stories, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy mine as well. You can find a link in the description.
Until next time, err on the side of awesome.
