Why Fantasy?

Fantasy and sci-fi are the fourth most profitable book genres combined, generating 590 million dollars a year. With its many subgenres, including epic fantasy, low fantasy, fairy tales and fables, superhero fiction, steampunk, dark fantasy, urban fantasy, and — my personal favorite — sword and sorcery, the possibilities are endless, confined only by the limitations of the human imagination.

Those of us who read fantasy don’t simply dabble in it, rather, we bask in it, completely immersing ourselves into these fantastical worlds, with their heroic storylines and admirable characters.

But why?

Why does fantasy create such a pleasant response in so many of us that we find ourselves dedicating years — or a lifetime — to a fandom? What is so compelling about it that we find ourselves returning to the same tropes and storylines over and over again? What feelings, thoughts, and ideas are we chasing after, which we cannot find in the physical world?

After looking into what some avid fantasy fans had to say, I’ve discovered these to be the top five reasons which make this genre so appealing to readers:

ESCAPISM

The world we live in can, at times, appear hell-bent on beating us down. Our hearts can break, we may suffer excruciating losses, some of us might struggle financially and vocationally, and our bodies will inevitably become fragile, making it difficult — if not impossible — to do the things we once loved. By the time we are old, we have all had our fair share of life’s torments and difficulties, and it takes a toll on us.

But when we were still children, we had a certain glow to us; one of endless hope and possibility. We did not yet understand that reality is not the dream world we envisioned it to be: our passions may be forgotten in lieu of making ends meet, we will soon realize that nothing in this life is a guarantee, and the hurdles we must face will never cease. 

Being a child, for many, is and was a blissful experience, and fantasy fiction can take us back to that time before reality failed to meet our expectations.

While we are sitting in our cubicle staring blankly at a computer all day, loading our third basket of laundry, or filling out tax forms, it is only natural for us to want to wander somewhere more exciting in our minds. In the fantasy genre, there are no limitations for possibility, except for those which the author put in place as obstacles for the protagonist. Instead of imagining what we cannot do in this world, we imagine what we can do in that world. When reading, we find ourselves escaping our dull everyday lives and entering into a colorful and limitless life of magic, heroes, creativity, and beauty.

A SENSE OF ADVENTURE

Building off of my previous reason, we don’t want to escape into just any world, but into a more invigorating one. Through fantasy, we get to enter into alternate worlds — or worlds within our world — each with their own unique places, people, history, and culture. We can travel from north to south and from east to west without having to buy a single plane ticket or leave the comfort of our homes.

We can traverse through Middle Earth (The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien), stopping by Hobbiton to have second breakfast with the halflings, taking in the beauty of the magnificent Elven city Rivendell, navigating through the underground Dwarven kingdom Khazad-dûm, and — if you’re daring enough — simply walk into Mordor.

We can enter into the land of Westeros (Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin), exploring places like The Eyrie atop the Mountains of the Moon and looking down its famously frightening Moon Door, visiting Winterfell castle’s godswood and crypts, and watching the horizon beyond The Wall while seated on it. 

We can climb through the infamous wardrobe; the portal from earth to Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis), and drink tea with Mr.Tumnus, roam The White Witch’s ice palace, and visit the castle in the capital Cair Paravel, where the four Pevensies reigned. 

The storyline itself is also an adventure, as readers join the protagonist on their quest to accomplish something for the greater good; rooting for a worthy cause. We are not mindlessly roaming a new, vast world — although that also seems appealing and can be done in open-world video games — but we are moving somewhere for and toward something.

Some of us may even find a home in these imaginative worlds, which I found for myself in the J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world of Harry Potter.

“LIVE” MULTIPLE LIVES

As we are exploring this new world, we are not limited to being our normal selves, either. 

The reader can become anything — someone and something they perhaps dreamed of being as a child — a knight, a hero, a prince or princess, a wizard or witch, an elf or a dwarf,.. Through the pages of fantasy, we can live multiple lives, from multiple perspectives, within multiple worlds.

Presently, we may find ourselves living a life we don’t necessarily want to live, whether that be working a 8–5 job we’re not passionate about just to make ends meet, finding ourselves divorced or single, or never leaving the boring town we grew up in despite promising ourselves we would one day travel the world.

In fantasy, however, we are reminded of our imaginative abilities, daydreaming again about slaying threatening beasts and overcoming menacing villains, casting magic spells, and being a skilled swordsman (or woman). We can live a short while through someone else — perhaps someone we wish to be like — as a heroic and brave protagonist who fears nothing, as royalty with innate magical abilities, as a dragon slayer or protector, or as a lone traveler living off of the vast and endless lands. And when we pick up a new book, we get to do it all over again.

“MEET” MULTIPLE PEOPLE

Even if you do not project yourself onto certain characters, you can find comfort in knowing them. Although, those we fixate on in novels tend to be reflections of ourselves, connecting with them because we relate to them and have empathy for their situations.

The more you learn about a character’s past and personality, the more real they will feel, and the easier it will be to identify with them, sometimes even befriending them. You may relate to their history, their struggles, their motives, or their disposition, and through such characters find solace, friendship, and strength, inspired by their deeds, selflessness, and resilience. 

A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

Happy endings are far and few in reality, but the endings in fantasy novels have a sense of completion and satisfaction, even if it is bittersweet. Although overcoming the villain(s) may have come at the cost and innocence of many, the danger is eventually overcome and the world is restored to its former glory. 

Fantasy worlds reflect conflicts we face in the real world — often exaggeratedly — shedding light on real problems in a palatable way. The resolutions provided in books gives readers a feeling of fulfilled justice; a feeling that may be lacking outside of fiction. 

Finally, there is the sense of accomplishment one feels after finishing a fantasy novel or series. It’s a big task to take on, and you should feel proud of yourself for sticking it through to the end.. even if it was for the second or third time.