What is Modern Fantasy Fiction?

Modern fantasy literature allows for a break with reality. In fantasy, anything is possible, from flying cars, to traveling to other worlds through a simple piece of furniture. For fantasy to succeed, the author needs to suspend the reader's disbelief of the plot and characters. We accept Frodo and Strider as real because Tolkien makes these characters feel human and real. We accept the world of Middle Earth because it is so vividly described and catalogued. We also accept fantasy because of the universal themes related. Good versus Evil. Perseverance against insurmountable odds. Unbreakable friendships. We can relate to these things because they are important to us in the real world.

Modern fantasy is broken down into the following categories:

Articulate Animals

In this category, animals talk like people and have human emotions but still retain animal qualities. Often the animals become caricatures of the human quality they portray (i.e. the sneaky snake, the sly fox, the wise owl, etc.).

Examples:

- Redwall by Brian Jacques

- The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Toys

In this category, the stories are told from the point of view of children's toys. This is an easily suspended disbelief for most children, since many already treat their toys as if they are real.

Examples:

- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

- Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Preposterous Characters and Situations

In this category, the impossible is very possible and likely. Cars and nannies can fly, you can ride in a giant peach, and tongue twisters lie around every corner.

Examples:

- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Strange and Curious Worlds

In this category, Earth as we know it is left behind. The laws of physics, nature, and conduct are often different from what we are used to. These worlds often have their own language and belief systems.

Examples:

- Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

- Isle of View by Piers Anthony

Little People

In this category, stories deal with creatures like faeries, trolls, gnomes, or simply "little" people. These stories often look at life from the perspective of these creatures and often deal with the complications that arise when the little and big world come into contact with each other.

Examples:

- The Borrowers by Mary Norton

- Thumbelina by Hans Christian Anderson

Spirits Friendly and Frightening

In this category, the stories focus on ghosts and other visitors from the great beyond. Sometimes these spirits or beings are friendly, many times they are malicious.

Examples:

- The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns by Brian Jacques

- Seven Strange & Ghostly Tales by Brian Jacques

Time Warps

In this category, characters travel backward or forward in time, or sometimes both. Generally these stories allow the readers to consider what the future might hold, or look back at past events, and think about why they happened. Often characters that travel back in time make life changing discoveries or insights.

Examples:

- The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

- Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo

Science Fiction

In this category, science and technology run the show. The incredible places visited and things done are usually due to machines and technology. This is an often misplaced category, as it often fits more than one slot. There is almost one constant with science fiction: Just about everything that occurs is can be traced to Man's development of technology to allow him to do the impossible.

Examples:

- The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

- The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer