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HIGH
FANTASY
High fantasy is a subgenre
of fantasy fiction that is set in
invented or parallel worlds. Built
upon the platform of a diverse body
of works in the already very popular
fantasy genre, high fantasy came into
fruition through the work of authors
such as C. S. Lewis and, foremost,
J. R. R. Tolkien, whose major fantasy
works were published in the 1950s.
While it is far from being the oldest
fantasy subgenre, high fantasy, along
with sword and sorcery, has become
one of the two genres most commonly
associated with the general term fantasy.
These stories are generally serious
in tone and often epic in scope, dealing
with themes of grand struggle against
supernatural, evil forces. It is one
of the most popular subgenres of fantasy
fiction. Some typical characteristics
of high fantasy include fantastical
elements such as elves and dwarves,
magic, wizards, invented languages,
quests, coming-of-age themes, and
multi-volume narratives. The term
can also distinguish between high
fantasy and low fantasy—or to
be more precise, low fantasy can be
contrasted with high fantasy, as the
term "low fantasy" has been
defined in varying ways that contradict
each other—but all contrast
with high fantasy. In some fiction,
a contemporary, "real-world"
character is placed in the invented
world, sometimes through devices such
as portals to other worlds or even
subconscious travels. |
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Characters:
Most high fantasy storylines are told from
the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much
of the plot revolves around his heritage
or mysterious nature. In many novels the
hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, often
with some incredible ability or abilities
and skills in a particular area. Some examples
of this are Lloyd Alexander's Taran, Assistant
Pig-Keeper, Terry Goodkind's Richard Rahl,
Nathan Pyles' Aemyn of Quelvyn's Rede, Robert
Jordan's Rand al'Thor of The Wheel of Time,
Raymond Feist's Pug of Riftwar Saga, David
Eddings' Belgarion of Belgariad, Tad Williams'
Simon of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. In other
works he is a completely developed individual
with his own character and spirit —
David Eddings' Sparhawk of The Elenium and
The Tamuli.
In the beginning of the
storyline, the hero is threatened by the
unknown force. One reason for such a threat
is that, unlike the typical sword and sorcery
adventurer, the hero is seldom bored stiff
by ordinary life and therefore will not
abandon it quickly and on any excuse. While,
like Bilbo Baggins, he may be eager for
adventure, he is also usually capable of
appreciating the quotidian. By the same
token, the hero of the high fantasy adventure
is capable of completing it and settling
down to ordinary life again.
Typically, the hero slowly
gains knowledge of his past through legend,
prophecy, lost-and-found-again family members,
or encounters with "mentor" characters
who know more about him than he does. With
that knowledge comes power and self-confidence;
the hero often begins as a childlike figure,
but matures rapidly, experiencing a huge
gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities
along the way. In many books there is a
knowing, mystical teacher, often a formidable
wizard or warrior, who provides the main
character with advice and help. Examples
would be: the wizard Kulgan of Riftwar Saga,
Tolkien's Gandalf, Eddings' Belgarath, Jordan's
Moiraine, Goodkind's Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander,
and Allanon of Terry Brooks. The plot of
the story often depicts the hero's fight
against the evil forces as a Bildungsroman.
The progress of the story leads to the character
learning the nature of the unknown forces
against him, that they constitute a force
with great power and malevolence. Facing
down this evil is the culmination of the
hero's story and permits the return to normal
life. |
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Good
vs. evil:
Good vs. evil is a common concept in
high fantasy, and the character of evil is often
an important concept in a work of high fantasy,
as in The Lord of the Rings, or in Ursula K. LeGuin's
Earthsea works. Indeed, the importance of the
concepts of good and evil can be regarded as distinguishing
mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery.
In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks
a deep concern with moral issues; in other works,
the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance,
wizards behaving irresponsibly whether they are
"good" or "evil". |
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Saga or series:
Role-playing campaign settings
like Forgotten Realms by Ed Greenwood or R. A.
Salvatore and Dragonlance by Tracy Hickman and
Margaret Weis' are a common basis for many fantasy
books and many other authors continue to contribute
to the settings.
From Tolkien to the modern day,
authors in this genre tend to create their own
worlds where they set multi-tiered narratives
such as the Belgariad, Malloreon and Memory, Sorrow,
and Thorn. Other authors such as George R.R. Martin,
Robert Jordan, R. Scott Bakker, Steven Erikson,
Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings, L. E. Modesitt,
Jr., and Terry Goodkind write extended stories
over several volumes relating with the same character
threads. |
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