- The 4 main types of fantasy literature
- 1- the fantastic wonderful
- 2- The fantastic strange
- 3- The pure wonderful
- 4- I miss it pure
- References
The main types of fantastic literature are the wonderful fantastic, the strange fantastic, the pure wonderful and the pure strange. Fantastic literature is a narrative genre characterized by having extraordinary elements in its stories.
It is generally associated with witchcraft and magical creatures, and is characterized by having its own worlds in which the stories unfold.
The definition of this literary genre is imprecise. This is because no agreement has been reached as to which element distinguishes this genre from the others.
It has been alleged that what is special about this genre is that it uses supernatural settings and elements.
But the extraordinary and magical elements are not exactly what makes it unique, since these elements are also present in religious narratives.
As it has been difficult to define, it is also complex to classify. However, the literary theorist Tzvetan Todorov, in his book Introduction to Fantastic Literature, established a definition of the genre. This has been widely accepted by the guild.
Tzvetan Todorov
Todorov's theories are based on the fact that the distinctive element of fantastic literature is "the marvelous."
In this same book he establishes a classification of 4 types of fantastic literature: the wonderful fantastic, the strange fantastic, the pure wonderful and the pure strange.
The 4 main types of fantasy literature
1- the fantastic wonderful
The narratives that maintain the wonderful without rational explanation are part of the wonderful fantastic.
The mystery is answered with another mystery, and inexplicable events are recognized and noted for being out of the ordinary. But even so they are assumed to be inexplicable.
The basis of this typology is acceptance rather than rationalization. The Dead in Love, by Théophile Gautier, is part of the wonderful fantastic narrative.
2- The fantastic strange
The fantastic weird is misleading. On the surface what counts is supernatural or magical. But towards the end the same writer reveals the mystery and gives a rational explanation for what happened.
Manuscript found in Zaragoza, by Jan Potocki, is an example of this type of narrative.
3- The pure wonderful
In these narratives the wonder or the fantastic are assumed as part of everyday life. No character is affected by the surprise of something he believed impossible. But it is designed to get the reader out of everyday life.
In these there are many parallel worlds with different laws although similar to this world. An example of this type of narrative is The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis.
4- I miss it pure
The fantasy of the pure strange is one in which the extraordinary element is in the sum of the everyday.
These elements are so everyday that the events framed in this type of literature can be explained by nature.
In other words, the combination of certain common facts becomes something out of the ordinary. But the extraordinary thing does not lie in what happens, but in the combination of the facts.
The mystery of the narrative is revealed by the reader himself through the tools given by the writer.
Horror literature stands out within this type of fantasy. The Sinking of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe, is an example of this type of fantastic literature.
References
- Fantasy. literarydevices.com
- The fantasy gender. childliterature.net
- Fantasy; narrative gender. (2017) britannica.com
- Types of fantastic literature. (2016) types.com.mx
- A start from middle earth. (2009) journalismo.uma.es