Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fantasy world and usually inspired by mythology or folklore. The term "fantasy" can also be used to describe a "work of this genre", usually literary. Its roots are in oral traditions, which became fantasy literature and drama.

Quest fantasies conventionally start in a place of security and stability, and then a disruption from the outside world occurs. The protagonist, generally an average person with hidden abilities, receives a call to action and reluctantly embarks on the first adventure.

No matter what kind of fantasy you've read before, you should be a veritable expert by the time you finish our crash course on 50 different fantasy subgenres, as well as must-reads from each. We've divided them into two categories, content and tone, under which they're all listed alphabetically.

Here are a few examples: Science Fiction:Similarities: Science fiction, like fantasy, involves elements of the imaginative and speculative. It often explores alternative worlds, technologies, or future societies.