High fantasy, also called epic fantasy, is a type of fantasy story that has big, exciting settings or characters, themes, or plots. These stories usually take place in a make-believe, fictional world, not the real world we live in. This fictional world has its own rules, which are different from the rules in our real world. In contrast, low fantasy stories are set in Earth, the real world, or a world that feels familiar, but they include magical elements.
Characteristics
The term "high fantasy" was created by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay titled "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance." This essay was first presented in October 1969 at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians. Alexander based his definition on ideas from Northrop Frye, who wrote about different types of stories in his book Anatomy of Criticism. Frye's theory included a category called the "High Mimetic Mode," and Alexander used this idea to explain what high fantasy is. Over time, the term "high fantasy" has come to describe many types of fantasy stories, including mythic fantasy, dark fantasy, and wuxia. It usually does not include stories from the sword and sorcery genre. High fantasy stories often take place in worlds that are similar to medieval times, are inspired by myths or legends, and may include magic or mythical creatures like dragons.
Many high fantasy stories follow one main hero. The plot often focuses on the hero’s background or mysterious identity, as well as a problem that threatens the entire world. In many stories, the hero is an orphan or has an unusual family, and they often have special skills in magic or fighting. They usually start the story as a young person or are shown as weak or helpless.
The hero often begins as someone who is not very experienced or seems childlike but must grow quickly to face challenges. As the story progresses, the hero learns about powerful and dangerous forces working against them. The villains in these stories are usually clearly evil and hard to understand.
Early examples of high fantasy include the works of William Morris, such as The Well at the World's End, which is set in an imaginary medieval world. Other early examples are some books by American writer James Branch Cabell, published starting in 1919, known as Biography of the Life of Manuel. E.R. Eddison’s novels The Worm Ouroboros (1922) and the Zimiamvian Trilogy (1935–1958) are also important in the development of epic fantasy.
The works of English writer J.R.R. Tolkien, especially The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), are considered classic examples of high fantasy.
Themes
High fantasy is often described by its themes and messages. A common theme in high fantasy is "good versus evil." In many high fantasy stories, showing what evil is like is an important theme. For example, in The Lord of the Rings, this idea is explored. The importance of good and evil can be seen as the main difference between high fantasy and sword and sorcery. In some high fantasy works, this conflict shows a deep interest in moral issues. In other works, the conflict is a struggle for power. For example, wizards may act irresponsibly, whether they are described as "good" or "evil."
Game settings
Role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, often use specific story settings, like Dragonlance created by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, and Forgotten Realms created by Ed Greenwood. These settings serve as a foundation for many fantasy books, and other writers continue to add new stories and characters to these worlds.