Today’s topic is from Tam Ames: “What exactly do you consider fantasy? What does it mean to you? How broad, how narrow?”
It’s a good question. for me, “Fantasy” has always been defined by the “Lord of the Rings” – which I started reading in second grade. Others have built upon this in my world, including most notably Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” and Terry Brooks’ “Shannara” series.
But over time, my understanding of what constitutes “Fantasy” has broadened to include urban fantasy, fantasy/sci fi hybrids, magical realism, and others.
So my questions today: What does “Fantasy” mean to you? Who are your favorite authors in the genre, and why? If you write Fantasy, what kind of subgenre to you specialize in?