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Fantasy media
Genre studies
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Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too. Stories fitting this classification generally take place prior to the 20th century.
Films of this genre may have plots set in Biblical or classical antiquity, often with contrived plots based very loosely on mythology or legends of Greco-Roman history, or the surrounding cultures of the same era.
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Historical fantasy usually takes one of three common approaches:
All three approaches have overlapped with the sub-genre of steampunk commonly associated with science fiction literature. However, not all steampunk fantasy belongs to the historical fantasy sub-genre.
Celtic fantasy has links to Historical fantasy and Celtic historical fiction. Celtic historical fantasy includes such works as Katharine Kerr's Deverry series, or Teresa Edgerton's Green Lion trilogy. These works are (loosely) based on Ancient Celtic cultures.
The separate folklore of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland has sometimes been used indiscriminately, sometimes with great effect,as in Paul Hazel's Finnbranch trilogy, Yearwood (1980),Undersea, (1982) and Winterking (1985);,[2]other writers have distinguished to use a single source.[3]
Notable works inspired by Irish mythology included James Stephens' The Crock of Gold (1912), Lord Dunsany's The Curse of the Wise Woman (1934), Flann O'Brien's humorous At Swim-Two-Birds (1939), Pat O'Shea's The Hounds of the Morrigan (1985) and novels by Peter Tremayne, Morgan Llywelyn and Gregory Frost.[3]
The Welsh tradition has been particularly influential, owing to its connection to King Arthur and its collection in a single work, the epic Mabinogion.[3] One influential retelling of this was the fantasy work of Evangeline Walton: The Island of the Mighty, The Children of Llyr, The Song of Rhiannon, and Prince of Annwn. A notable amount of fiction has been written in the Welsh area of Celtic fantasy;[4] other notable authors of Welsh Celtic fantasy include Kenneth Morris, John Cowper Powys, Vaughan Wilkins, Lloyd Alexander, Alan Garner,[5] and Jenny Nimmo.[6]
Scottish Celtic fantasy is less common, but James Hogg, Fiona MacLeod (William Sharp), George Mackay Brown and Deborah Turner Harris all wrote material based on Scottish myths and legends.[5]
Fantasy based on the Breton folklore branch of Celtic mythology is uncommon in the English language, although both Robert W. Chambers' The Demoiselle d'Ys (from The King in Yellow,1895) and A. Merritt in Creep,Shadow! (1934) both drew on the Breton legend of the lost city of Ys.[7]
Classical Fantasy is a term used to describe fantasy based on the Greek and Roman myths. Symbolism from classical mythology is enormously influential on Western culture, but it was not until the nineteenth century that it was used in the context of literary fantasy. Richard Garnett (The Twilight of the Gods and Other Tales, 1888, revised 1903) and John Kendrick Bangs (Olympian Nights, 1902) used the Greek myths for satirical purposes.[8] Twentieth century writers who made extensive use of the subgenre included John Erksine,who continued the satirical tradition of Classical Fantasy in such works as The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1925), and Venus, the Lonely Goddess (1949). Eden Phillpotts used Greek myths to make philosophical points in such fantasies as Pan and the Twins (1922) and Circe's Island (1925).[8] Jack Williamson's The Reign of Wizardry (Unknown Worlds, 1940) is an adventure story based on the legend of Theseus.[9] The Firebrand (1986) by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Olympic Games (2004) by Leslie What are both Classical fantasy tales with feminist undertones.[8]
Fantasy Steampunk is another subgenre of historical fantasy, generally set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras. Steam technology, mixed with Victorian- or Gothic-style architecture and technology, is the most widely-recognized interpretation of this genre. One of the most popular characteristics of steampunk is the appearance of naked clockwork and rusty gears.
Some works in this genre are alternate history.
Wǔxiá (Traditional Chinese: 武俠, Simplified Chinese: 武侠, Mandarin [ùɕjǎ], Cantonese Pinyin: mów hàb), literally meaning "martial (arts) heroes", is a sub-genre of the quasi-fantasy and martial arts genre in literature, television and cinema. Wǔxiá figures prominently in the popular culture of Chinese-speaking areas, and the most important writers have devoted followings.
The wǔxiá genre is a blend of the philosophy of xiá (俠, "honor code", "an ethical person", "a hero"), and China's long history in wǔshù ("kung fu" (pronounced gong fu, despite popular misconceptions) or "martial arts"). A martial artist who follows the code of xiá is called a swordsman, or xiákè (俠客/侠客, literally "chivalrous guest"). Japan's samurai bushidō traditions, England's knight chivalry traditions, and America's gunslinger Western traditions all share some aspects with China's swordsman xiá traditions. The swordsman, however, need not serve a lord or hold any military power and they are not required to be from an aristocratic class.
The characteristics of stories being set in prehistoric times and describe the lives of prehistoric people.