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{{Short description|Subgenre of fantasy}}
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{{Short description|Subgenre of fantasy}}{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=August 2009}}
{{original research|date=October 2010}}
{{more footnotes|date=August 2009}}
}}

{{Fantasy}}
{{Fantasy}}
'''Contemporary fantasy''', also known as '''modern fantasy''', is a [[genre|subgenre]] of [[fantasy]], set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, [[urban fantasy]]. Several authors note that within the genre of contemporary fantasy, magical or fantastic elements are separate or secret from the mundane world.
'''Contemporary fantasy''' is a [[genre|subgenre]] of [[fantasy]] set in the present day. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenres, [[Occult detective fiction]], [[urban fantasy]], [[low Fantasy]], [[Supernatural Fiction]] and [[Paranormal fiction]]. Several authors note that in contemporary fantasy, magical or fantastic elements are separate or secret from the mundane world.


==Definition and overview==
==Definition and overview==
The term is used to describe stories set in the putative real world (often referred to as ''[[consensus reality]]'') in contemporary times, in which magic and magical creatures exist but are not commonly seen or understood as such, either living in the interstices of our world or leaking over from [[Parallel universe (fiction)|alternate world]]s.
[[File:The Mealtime Prayer - Fritz von Uhde - Google Cultural Institute.jpg|thumb|[[Fritz von Uhde]]'s late-19th-century series of paintings, depicting [[Jesus Christ]] appearing in the homes of realistically-drawn working class German families of the painter's time, can be considered a kind of pictorial contemporary fantasy.]]
These terms are used to describe stories set in the putative real world (often referred to as ''[[consensus reality]]'') in contemporary times, in which magic and magical creatures exist but are not commonly seen or understood as such, either living in the interstices of our world or leaking over from [[Parallel universe (fiction)|alternate world]]s. It thus has much in common with, and sometimes overlaps with secret history; a work of fantasy in which the magic could not remain secret, or does not have any known relationship to known [[history]], would not fit into this subgenre.

Novels in which modern characters travel into alternative worlds, and all the magical action takes place there (except for the portal required to transport them), are not considered contemporary fantasy. Thus, [[C.S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'', where all fantasy events take place in the land of [[Narnia]] which is reached via a magic wardrobe, would not count as contemporary fantasy; on the other hand, the part of ''[[The Magician's Nephew]]'', where the [[White Witch|Empress Jadis]] gets to London, tries to take over the Earth and clashes with police and a crowd of cockneys, would qualify as such.

Contemporary fantasy is generally distinguished from [[horror fiction]] – which also often has contemporary settings and fantastic elements – by the overall tone, emphasizing joy or wonder rather than fear or dread.

In his preface to ''[[That Hideous Strength]]'', one of the earlier works falling within this subgenre, [[C.S. Lewis]] explained why, when writing a tale about "''magicians, devils, pantomime animals and planetary angels''", he chose to start it with a detailed depiction of narrow-minded academic politics at a provincial English university and the schemes of crooked real estate developers: "''I am following the traditional fairy-tale. We do not always notice its method, because the cottages, castles, woodcutters and petty kings with which a fairy tale opens have become for us as remote as the witches and ogres to which it proceeds. But they were not remote at all to the men who first made and enjoyed the tales''".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=C.S.|title=That Hideous Strength|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbVTcgOyCRoC&q=I+am+following+the+traditional+fairy-tale.+We+do+not+always+notice+its+method,+because+the+cottages,+castles,+woodcutters+and+petty+kings+with+which+a+fairy+tale+opens+have+become+for+us+as+remote+as+the+witches+and+ogres+to+which+it+proceeds.+But+they+were+not+remote+at+all+to+the+men+who+first+made+and+enjoyed+the+tales&pg=PA7|date=October 1996|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780684833675|access-date=15 October 2017}}</ref> The same is true for many of the later works in the genre, which often begin with a seemingly normal scene of modern daily life to then disclose supernatural and magical beings and events hidden behind the scenes.


Frances Sinclair, determining what to call fantasy set in our known world, contrasts contemporary fantasy with [[magical realism]]. She notes that in contemporary fantasy, magical elements are often kept secret from all but a few and notes the amount of young adult fantasy in the subgenre. In contrast, Sinclair points out that in magical realism "the impossible can occur without comment", and the relationship between reader and narrator may be stronger.<ref>{{cite book
Frances Sinclair, determining what to call fantasy set in our known world, contrasts contemporary fantasy with [[magical realism]]. She notes that in contemporary fantasy magical elements are often kept secret from most people, and notes the amount of young adult fantasy in the subgenre. In contrast, Sinclair points out that in magical realism "the impossible can occur without comment", and the relationship between reader and narrator may be stronger.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Sinclair
| last = Sinclair
| first = Frances
| first = Frances
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| publisher = [[School Library Association]]
| publisher = [[School Library Association]]
| page = 34
| page = 34
| url =https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fantasy_Fiction/DX2O_0df_REC?hl=en&gbpv=1
| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=DX2O_0df_REC
| access-date = 2023-08-09
| access-date = 2023-08-09
| isbn = 9781903446461
| isbn = 9781903446461
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


Brian Stableford attempts to narrowly define the genre, excluding [[portal fantasy]], or fantasy "in which the magical entity is a blatant anomaly".<ref name=Stableford>{{cite book
[[Brian Stableford]] attempts to narrowly define the genre, excluding [[portal fantasy]] and fantasy "in which the magical entity is a blatant anomaly".<ref name=Stableford>{{cite book
| last = Stableford
| last = Stableford
| first = Brian
| first = Brian
| author-link = Brian Stableford
| date = 2009
| date = 2009
| title = The A to Z of Fantasy Literature
| title = The A to Z of Fantasy Literature
| publisher = [[Scarecrow Press]]
| publisher = [[Scarecrow Press]]
| page = 86
| page = 86
| url = https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_A_to_Z_of_Fantasy_Literature/7JKw5FYA4GgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22contemporary+fantasy%22&pg=PA86&printsec=frontcover
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7JKw5FYA4GgC&dq=%22contemporary+fantasy%22&pg=PA86
| access-date= 2023-08-09
| access-date= 2023-08-09
| isbn = 9780810863453
| isbn = 9780810863453
}}</ref> He arrives at a definition of fantasy set in the mundane world, often including an "elaborate secret history". He notes that much contemporary fantasy is set in rural settings, but also notes the subgenre of urban fantasy. Stableford notes that both children's fiction and literary fiction often fall within this genre.<ref name=Stableford/>
}}</ref> He arrives at a definition of fantasy set in the mundane world, often including an "elaborate secret history". He notes that much contemporary fantasy is set in rural settings, but also notes the subgenre of [[urban fantasy]], and that both children's fiction and literary fiction often fall within this genre.<ref name=Stableford/>


The ''[[Encyclopedia of Fantasy]]'' similarly suggests that the mundane and fantastic are contrasted within the genre. The ''Encyclopedia'' includes "portal fantasy in which transition between the two realms occurs regularly", as well as several other subgenres.<ref name=CluteGrant>{{cite book
The ''[[Encyclopedia of Fantasy]]'' similarly suggests that the mundane and fantastic are contrasted within the genre. The ''Encyclopedia''{{'}}s definition includes "portal fantasy in which transition between the two realms occurs regularly", as well as several other subgenres; it cites [[Peter S. Beagle]]'s ''Lila the Werewolf'' as a classic of the type. It also notes that in many contemporary fantasies, the fantastic "colonizes" the mundane home.<ref name=CluteGrant>{{cite book
| last1 = Clute
| first1 = John
| last2 = Kaveney
| first2 = Roz
| editor-last = Clute
| editor-last = Clute
| editor-first = John
| editor-first = John
| editor-last2 = Grant
| editor-last2 = Grant
| editor-first2 = John
| editor-first2 = John
| date = 1997
| date = 1997
| title = The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
| title = The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
| publisher = [[Orbit Books]]
| publisher = [[Orbit Books]]
| url = https://sf-encyclopedia.com/fe/contemporary_fantasy
| url = https://sf-encyclopedia.com/fe/contemporary_fantasy
| access-date = 2023-08-09
| access-date = 2023-08-09
| isbn = 978-1-85723-368-1
| isbn = 978-1-85723-368-1
}}</ref> The ''Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' also notes that many contemporary fantasies include a theme of [[colonization]] either of the fantastic or of the mundane home.<ref name=CluteGrant/> Greg Bechtel agrees with the ''Encyclopedia'', saying the sub-genre "explicitly depicts the collision of the contemporary world with a world of magic and spirits".<ref name=Bechtel>{{cite journal
}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Greg Bechtel agrees with the ''Encyclopedia'', saying the sub-genre "explicitly depicts the collision of the contemporary world with a world of magic and spirits".<ref name=Bechtel>{{cite journal
| last1 = Bechtel
| last1 = Bechtel
| first1 = Greg
| first1 = Greg
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| volume = 18
| volume = 18
| issue = 3
| issue = 3
| pages = 204-223,285
| pages = 204–223, 285
}}</ref> He notes the distinction between this genre and magical realism, crediting Greer Watson,<ref>{{cite journal
}}</ref> He notes the distinction between this genre and magical realism, crediting Greer Watson,<ref>{{cite journal
| last1 = Watson
| last1 = Watson
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| date = 2000
| date = 2000
| title = Assumptions of Reality: Low Fantasy, Magical Realism, and the Fantastic
| title = Assumptions of Reality: Low Fantasy, Magical Realism, and the Fantastic
| url = https://www.jstor.org/stable/43308437
| journal = [[Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts]]
| journal = [[Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts]]
| volume = 11
| volume = 11
| issue = 2
| issue = 2
| pages = 165-172
| pages = 165–172
| jstor = 43308437
| access-date = 2023-08-11
}}</ref> but says that there can be overlap.<ref name=Bechtel/>
}}</ref> but says that there can be overlap.<ref name=Bechtel/>


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| first1 = Grzegorz
| first1 = Grzegorz
| date = 2014
| date = 2014
| title = Subverting Mythopoeic Fantasy: Miyuki Miyabe’s the Book of Heroes
| title = Subverting Mythopoeic Fantasy: Miyuki Miyabe's the Book of Heroes
| url = https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol32/iss2/5/
| url = https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol32/iss2/5/
| journal = [[Mythlore]]
| journal = [[Mythlore]]
| volume = 32
| volume = 32
| issue = 124
| issue = 124
| pages = 49-63
| pages = 49–63
| access-date = 2023-08-09
| access-date = 2023-08-09
}}</ref> He says that such works are usually driven by genre conventions other than mythical archetypes.
}}</ref> He says that such works are usually driven by genre conventions other than mythical archetypes.


The term has also been equated with "Paranormal Fantasy", due to the frequency of "paranormal characters ([[werewolves]], [[vampire]]s, [[Wizard (fantasy)|wizards]], [[fairies]], etc.)"<ref name=Burcher>{{cite journal
==Subgenres==
| last1 = Burcher
Contemporary fantasies often concern places dear to their authors, are full of local color and atmosphere, and attempt to lend a sense of magic to those places, particularly when the subgenre overlaps with ''[[mythic fiction]]''.
| first1 = Charlotte
| last2 = Hollands
| first2 = Neil
| last3 = Smith
| first3 = Andrew
| last4 = Trott
| first4 = Barry
| last5 = Zellers
| first5 = Jessica
| date = Spring 2009
| title = Core Collections in Genre Studies: Fantasy Fiction 101
| jstor = 20865077
| journal = Reference & User Services Quarterly
| volume = 48
| issue = 3
| pages = 226–231
}}</ref>


=== A broad definition ===
When the story takes place in a city, the work is often called ''[[urban fantasy]]''.


[[Camille Bacon-Smith]] uses the term to describe fantasy stories set in the time they were written, and provides [[H.P. Lovecraft]] and [[Fritz Leiber]]'s novel ''[[Conjure Wife]]'' as examples. She states that "contemporary fantasy belongs to the Gothic tradition of Bram Stoker's ''[[Dracula]]'' and Poe's '[[The Fall of the House of Usher]]'", noting also that "contemporary fantasy has been a part of the genre since its beginning".<ref name=Bacon-Smith>{{cite book
The contemporary fantasy and [[low fantasy]] genres can overlap as both are defined as being set in the real world. There are differences, however. Low fantasies are set in the real world but not necessarily in the modern age, in which case they would not be contemporary fantasy. Contemporary fantasies are set in the real world but may also include distinct fantasy settings within it, such as the [[Harry Potter]] series, in which case they would be [[High fantasy|high]] rather than low fantasy.
| last = Bacon-Smith
| first = Camille
| author-link = Camille Bacon-Smith
| date = 2000
| title = Science Fiction Culture
| publisher = [[University of Pennsylvania Press]]
| page = 250
| isbn = 9780812215304
}}</ref> She notes that the genre was less popular by the 1960s, considering it supplanted by [[New Wave science fiction|New Wave]] and [[Celtic Twilight]] books. Bacon-Smith credits [[Terri Windling]]'s 1986 introduction of [[Borderland (book series)|Borderland]] as a key event in improving interest in the genre, also noting the earlier influence of [[Anne Rice]]'s ''[[Interview With The Vampire]]'' which she says has a "contemporary background".<ref name=Bacon-Smith/>


== Style ==
Related to Contemporary fantasy are fantasies set in fictional worlds, with their own distinct history and culture, but in which magic coexists with modern technology - rather than being set in a quasi-medieval setting, as were most earlier Fantasy works. For example, at the climax of [[L.E. Modesitt]]'s ''[[The Saga of Recluce|The Death of Chaos]]'', powerful magicians engage in a titanic battle and destroy a vast fleet of [[WWI]]-type [[Dreadnought|Dreadnaught]]s, foiling the expansionist plans of a militarist Emperor loosely modeled on [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser Wilhelm]] of [[Imperial Germany]].
In his preface to ''[[That Hideous Strength]]'', one of the earlier works falling within this subgenre, [[C. S. Lewis]] explained why, when writing a tale about "magicians, devils, pantomime animals and planetary angels", he chose to start it with a detailed depiction of narrow-minded academic politics at a provincial English university and the schemes of crooked real estate developers:


{{Blockquote
== Examples ==
|text=I am following the traditional fairy-tale. We do not always notice its method, because the cottages, castles, woodcutters and petty kings with which a fairy tale opens have become for us as remote as the witches and ogres to which it proceeds. But they were not remote at all to the men who first made and enjoyed the tales.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=C.S.|title=That Hideous Strength|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbVTcgOyCRoC&q=I+am+following+the+traditional+fairy-tale.+We+do+not+always+notice+its+method,+because+the+cottages,+castles,+woodcutters+and+petty+kings+with+which+a+fairy+tale+opens+have+become+for+us+as+remote+as+the+witches+and+ogres+to+which+it+proceeds.+But+they+were+not+remote+at+all+to+the+men+who+first+made+and+enjoyed+the+tales&pg=PA7|date=October 1996|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780684833675|access-date=15 October 2017}}</ref>
}}


The same is true for many later works in the genre, which often begin with a seemingly normal scene of modern daily life to then disclose supernatural and magical beings and events hidden behind the scenes.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
===19th and early 20th centuries===


In an analysis of religion in modern fantasy, Sylvia Kelso notes a "market shift" from [[high fantasy]] toward contemporary fantasy, also explaining that "paranormal" subgenres have branched from contemporary fantasy, especially ones centered on vampires and werewolves. Kelso notes that contemporary fantasy is more willing to draw on religious themes than high fantasy. This has been influenced by its openness to vampires and other traditionally evil supernatural beings, which encourages writers to use Christianity to create villains such as demons. However, other books and series draw on other religions and traditions.<ref name=Kelso>{{cite journal
*[[Erich Kästner]] ''[[The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas]]''
| last1 = Kelso
* [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]: ''[[The Bottle Imp]]''
| first1 = Sylvia
* [[Jack Williamson]]: ''[[Darker Than You Think]]''
| date = 2007
* William T. Cox, ''[[Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods]]''
| title = The God in the Pentagram: Religion and Spirituality in Modern Fantasy
* [[Denis Wheatley]]'s ''Gregory Sallust'' series, pitting the protagonist against supernatural forces on the background of [[WWII]] and [[Nazi Germany]].
| journal = [[Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts]]
* [[Stella Benson]]: ''Living Alone'' [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14907]
| volume = 18
* [[Edith Nesbit]]: ''[[The Magic City (novel)|The Magic City]]'', [[E. Nesbit#Psammead series|Psammead series]], [[E. Nesbit#House of Arden series|House of Arden series]], ''[[The Enchanted Castle]]'', ''[[The Magic World]]'' and other works
| issue = 1
* [[Stefan Grabiński]]: ''Salamandra'' (''Salamander'')
| pages = 76–77
* [[Edward Eager]]: ''The Magic Series''
| jstor = 24351027
* [[Janusz Korczak]], ''[[Kaytek the Wizard]]'' ({{lang-pl|Kajtuś Czarodziej}})
}}</ref>
* [[P. L. Travers]]: ''[[Mary Poppins (book series)|Mary Poppins]]''
* [[Mikhail Bulgakov]]: ''[[The Master and Margarita]]''
* [[Rudyard Kipling]], ''[[Puck of Pook's Hill]]''
* [[C.S.Lewis]]: ''[[That Hideous Strength]]''
* [[Hendrik Willem van Loon]]: ''[[Van Loon's Lives]]''
* [[Selma Lagerlöf]]: ''[[The Wonderful Adventures of Nils]]'' (orig. ''Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige'')
* [[H. G. Wells]]: ''[[The Wonderful Visit]]'', ''[[The Sea Lady]]'' and ''[[The Man Who Could Work Miracles]]''
* [[Charles Williams (UK writer)|Charles Williams]]: An early innovator of theology-oriented contemporary fantasy.


==Relationship with other subgenres==
===Later 20th and early 21st centuries===
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2023}}
Novels in which modern characters travel into other worlds, and all the magical action takes place there (except for the portal required to transport them), are not considered contemporary fantasy. Also, contemporary fantasy is generally distinguished from [[horror fiction]] that mixes contemporary settings and fantastic elements by the overall tone, emphasizing joy or wonder rather than fear or dread.


The contemporary fantasy and [[low fantasy]] genres can overlap as both are set in the real world. There are differences, however. Low fantasies are set in the real world but not necessarily in the modern age, in which case they would not be contemporary fantasy.
*[[Freda Warrington]]'s ''Aetherial Tales'' series

* [[Benedict Jacka]]'s ''Alex Verus'' series
There is a considerable overlap between contemporary fantasy and [[urban fantasy]].<ref name=CluteGrant/>
* [[Eoin Colfer]]'s ''[[Artemis Fowl (series)|Artemis Fowl]]'' series

* [[Ryohgo Narita]]'s ''[[Baccano!]]'' (in part) and ''[[Durarara!!]]''
== Examples ==
* [[Tite Kubo]]'s ''[[Bleach (manga)|Bleach]]''
Examples are grouped by author, ordered by initial publication year in the genre.
* [[Mary Norton (author)|Mary Norton]]'s ''[[The Borrowers]]''

* [[Joss Whedon]]'s [[Buffyverse]]
* The occult thrillers of [[Charles Williams (UK writer)|Charles Williams]], 1930–1945<ref name=CluteGrant/>
* [[Kazuma Kamachi]]'s ''[[A Certain Magical Index]]''
* ''[[That Hideous Strength]]'' by [[C. S. Lewis]], 1945
* Virtually the entire oeuvre of [[Charles de Lint]]
* ''Lila the Werewolf'' by [[Peter S. Beagle]], 1969<ref name=CluteGrant/>
* ''Dangerous Angels'' and other works by [[Francesca Lia Block]]
* The novels of [[Tom Robbins]], 1971–2009<ref name=Stableford/>
* [[Constance M. Burge]]'s ''[[Charmed]]''
* ''[[Little, Big]]'' by [[John Crowley (author)|John Crowley]], 1981<ref name=Stableford/>
* ''Dark Cities Underground'' by [[Lisa Goldstein]]
* ''Living in Ether'' by [[Patricia Geary]], 1982<ref name=Stableford/>
* [[Susan Cooper]]'s ''[[The Dark Is Rising Sequence]]''
* ''[[Moonheart]]'', 1984, and ''[[The Onion Girl]]'', 2001, and the rest of the Newford series by [[Charles de Lint]], 1990–2009<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* [[Tom Deitz]]'s ''The David Sullivan series''
* ''[[Talking Man]]'' by [[Terry Bisson]], 1986<ref name=Stableford/>
* Hazel Butler's ''Deathly Insanity'' series.
* ''[[War for the Oaks]]'' by [[Emma Bull]], 1987<ref name=CluteGrant/>
* [[Jenna Black]]'s ''The Devil Inside'', set in the United States with demons.
* The short fiction of [[Lucius Shepard]]<ref name=CluteGrant/>
* ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' series by [[Jim Butcher]]
* ''[[Neverwhere (novel)|Neverwhere]]'', 1996, and the graphic novels of [[Neil Gaiman]]<ref name="EndicottList">{{cite web |title=A Contemporary Fantasy Reading List |url=http://www.endicott-studio.com/lists/index.html |website=The Endicott Studio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041021034006/http://www.endicott-studio.com/lists/index.html |access-date=11 August 2023|archive-date=2004-10-21 }}</ref><ref name=CluteGrant/>
* [[Raymond E. Feist]]'s ''[[Faerie Tale]]''
* ''The Hex Witch of Seldom'' by [[Nancy Springer]], 1988<ref>{{cite news
* [[Type-Moon]]'s ''[[The Garden of Sinners]]'', ''[[Tsukihime]]'', and ''[[Fate/stay night|Fate]]'' series which takes place in a world where magic has all but vanished as technology has overtaken it and all the gods and magical creatures have either disappeared or simply left.
| last = Straub
* [[Peter S. Beagle]]'s ''[[A Fine and Private Place]]'' and other works by him.
| first = Matt
* [[Richelle Mead]]'s ''[[Georgina Kincaid]]'' series
| date = Feb 19, 1989
* [[Midori Snyder]]'s ''Hannah's Garden''
| title = 77 books later, Nancy Springer is writing 'like a dream'
* [[J.K. Rowling]]'s ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series - set in the United Kingdom during the 1990s, with flashbacks to the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1970s, and 1980s, and flash-forwards to the 2010s. [[Harry Potter and the Cursed Child]] is set during the 2020s, with flashbacks to the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s. Alternately, J.K. Rowling's ''[[Fantastic Beasts (film series)|Fantastic Beasts]]'' series of screenplays, takes place in a number of global locations, throughout the 1920s, '30s, and ending in 1945.
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yrclAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22contemporary+fantasy%22&pg=PA5&article_id=6704,1191300
* [[Kouta Hirano]]'s ''[[Hellsing]]''
| work = [[The Gettysburg Times]]
* [[Philip Pullman]]'s ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' trilogy - The trilogy takes place across several universes including "ours".
| page = 8A
* [[Hirohiko Araki]]'s ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' (''[[Stardust Crusaders]]'', ''[[Diamond Is Unbreakable]]'', ''[[Golden Wind (manga)|Golden Wind]]'', ''[[Stone Ocean]]'', and ''[[JoJolion]]'') – ''[[Phantom Blood]]'' and ''[[Steel Ball Run]]'' take place in the late 19th century, while ''[[Battle Tendency]]'' takes place in the late 1930s; and with the exception of ''Stardust Crusaders'' and ''JoJolion'', each series takes place in a near future relative to its original publishing date.
| access-date = 2023-08-11
* [[China Miéville]]'s ''[[King Rat (1998 novel)|King Rat]]''
}}</ref>
* ''[[Little, Big]]'' and other works by [[John Crowley (author)|John Crowley]]
* ''Dangerous Angels'' by [[Francesca Lia Block]], 1989<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* [[Lev Grossman]]'s ''[[The Magicians (Grossman novel)|The Magicians]]'' series <ref>{{cite journal
* ''The Thread That Binds the Bones'' by [[Nina Kiriki Hoffman]], 1993<ref name=Stableford/>
* ''[[Waking the Moon]]'' by [[Elizabeth Hand]], 1994<ref name=CluteGrant/>
* ''[[The Wood Wife]]'' by [[Terri Windling]], 1996<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* ''The Seventh Heart'' by [[Marina Fitch]], 1997<ref name=Stableford/>
* The ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series by [[J.K. Rowling]], 1997–2007<ref name=Stableford/>
* ''[[King Rat (1998 novel)|King Rat]]'' by [[China Miéville]], 1998<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* ''Dark Cities Underground'' by [[Lisa Goldstein]], 1999<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* ''The Dragons of the Cuyahoga'' by [[S. Andrew Swann]], 2001<ref name=Stableford/>
* ''[[Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale]]'' by [[Holly Black]], 2002<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* ''[[Summerland (novel)|Summerland]]'' by [[Michael Chabon]], 2002<ref name=Stableford/>
* ''The Summer Country'' by [[James A. Hetley]], 2002<ref name=Stableford/>
* ''Hannah's Garden'' by [[Midori Snyder]], 2004<ref name="EndicottList"/>
* ''[[The Magicians (Grossman novel)|The Magicians]]'' and its sequels by [[Lev Grossman]], 2009–2014<ref>{{cite journal
| last1 = Kramer
| last1 = Kramer
| first1 = Kelly
| first1 = Kelly
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| volume = 35
| issue = 130
| issue = 130
| pages = 153-169
| pages = 153–169
| access-date = 2023-08-09
| access-date = 2023-08-09
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
* ''The Book of Heroes'' by [[Miyuki Miyabe]], 2009<ref name=Trebicki/>
* Various works by [[Mercedes Lackey]].
* ''Minions of the Moon'' by [[Richard Bowes]]
* [[Boris and Arkady Strugatsky]]'s "[[Monday Begins on Saturday]]", where magic and characters from Russian myth exist in the Soviet Union of the time of writing.
* [[Nisio Isin]]'s [[Monogatari (series)|Monogatari]] series.
* A number of works by [[Neil Gaiman]], among them ''[[American Gods]]'' and ''[[Neverwhere]]''
* [[Sergei Lukyanenko]]'s ''[[Night Watch (Russian novel)|Night Watch]]'', set in [[Moscow]]. It has three sequels that form a [[tetralogy]]; ''[[Day Watch (novel)|Day Watch]]'', ''[[Twilight Watch]]'' and ''[[Final Watch]]''.
* [[Natasha Mostert]]'s ''The Other Side of Silence'' and ''Season of the Witch''
* [[Rick Riordan]]'s [[Percy Jackson & the Olympians]], [[Heroes of Olympus]], [[The Kane Chronicles]], [[Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard]], and ''[[The Trials of Apollo]]'' series.
* [[Richard Kadrey]]'s ''Sandman Slim'' series
* [[Derek Landy]]'s [[Skulduggery Pleasant (series)]]
* [[Josepha Sherman]]'s ''Son of Darkness''
* [[Charlaine Harris]]' ''[[The Southern Vampire Mysteries]]'' and its television adaption, [[True Blood]]
* [[Eric Kripke]]'s ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]''
* Various works by [[Tanya Huff]].
* Most of the novels of [[Tim Powers]]
* ''[[Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale]]'' and a number of other works by [[Holly Black]]
* [[Sui Ishida]]'s ''[[Tokyo Ghoul]]''
* [[Stephenie Meyer]]'s ''[[Twilight (novel series)|Twilight Saga]]''
* [[Isaac Asimov]]'s "The Two-Centimeter Demon" and other stories involving the tiny demon [[Azazel (Asimov)|Azazel]].
* [[L. J. Smith (author)|L. J. Smith]]'s ''[[The Vampire Diaries (novel series)|The Vampires Diaries]]'' and its [[The Vampire Diaries|television adaption]]
* [[P.N. Elrod]]'s ''Vampire Files'' series following Jack Fleming a vampire P.I.
* [[Emma Bull]]'s ''[[War for the Oaks]]''
* [[Clive Barker]]'s ''[[Weaveworld]]'' and ''[[Imajica]]''
* [[Tony Vilgotsky]]'s ''Chronicles of Skharn'' and ''Shepherd of the Dead''
* ''[[W.I.T.C.H.]]'' a comic book series by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci, and Barbara Canepa.
* [[Kelley Armstrong]]'s ''Women of the Otherworld'' series
* [[Terri Windling]]'s ''[[The Wood Wife]]''
* [[Terry Brooks]]' ''[[Shannara#Word .26 Void|Word/Void]]'' novels
* [[Diane Duane]]'s ''[[Young Wizards]]'' – the protagonists live in Manhattan, New York, but each book in the series has a different setting; settings include various planets within and outside of the Solar System and various alternative universes.
* ''[[Ysabel]]'' by [[Guy Gavriel Kay]] mostly set in 21st-century Aix-en-Provence
* [[Yoshihiro Togashi]]'s ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]''
* [[Philip Kerr|P. B. Kerr]]' ''[[Children of the Lamp]]''
* [[Oh Seong-dae]]'s ''Tales of the Unusual''
* [[Drew Magary]]'s ''The Hike'' <ref>{{cite news
| date = Aug 11, 2017
| title = Moravian Book Shop best-sellers: Paperback fiction
| work = [[The Morning Call]]
| publisher = [[Tribune Publishing Company]]
| location = [[Allentown, PA]]
}}</ref>

==Overlap with other genres==
Contemporary fantasy can also be found marketed as mainstream or [[literary fiction]] and frequently marketed as [[magical realism]], itself arguably a fantasy genre. Examples include ''[[Practical Magic (novel)|Practical Magic]]'' by [[Alice Hoffman]], ''[[The Antelope Wife]]''<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kakutani|first1=Michikomi|title='Antelope Wife': Myths of Redemption Amid a Legacy of Loss|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/22/daily/antelope-book-review.html|website=Books of the Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref> by [[Louise Erdrich]], and ''[[Mistress of Spices]]'' by [[Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni]].


==See also==
==See also==
Line 215: Line 201:
== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}
== Sources ==
:* Martin Horstkotte, ''The postmodern fantastic in contemporary British fiction''. WVT, Trier 2004, {{ISBN|3-88476-679-1}}
:* Lance Olsen, ''Ellipse of uncertainty : an introduction to postmodern fantasy''. Greenwood Press, Westport 1987, {{ISBN|0-313-25511-3}}
* Martin Horstkotte, ''The postmodern fantastic in contemporary British fiction''. WVT, Trier 2004, {{ISBN|3-88476-679-1}}
* Lance Olsen, ''Ellipse of uncertainty : an introduction to postmodern fantasy''. Greenwood Press, Westport 1987, {{ISBN|0-313-25511-3}}
{{refend}}


== External links ==
== External links ==

Latest revision as of 19:40, 1 September 2024

Fantasy
Media
Genre studies
Subgenres
Fandom
Categories

Contemporary fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy set in the present day. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenres, Occult detective fiction, urban fantasy, low Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction and Paranormal fiction. Several authors note that in contemporary fantasy, magical or fantastic elements are separate or secret from the mundane world.

Definition and overview

[edit]

The term is used to describe stories set in the putative real world (often referred to as consensus reality) in contemporary times, in which magic and magical creatures exist but are not commonly seen or understood as such, either living in the interstices of our world or leaking over from alternate worlds.

Frances Sinclair, determining what to call fantasy set in our known world, contrasts contemporary fantasy with magical realism. She notes that in contemporary fantasy magical elements are often kept secret from most people, and notes the amount of young adult fantasy in the subgenre. In contrast, Sinclair points out that in magical realism "the impossible can occur without comment", and the relationship between reader and narrator may be stronger.[1]

Brian Stableford attempts to narrowly define the genre, excluding portal fantasy and fantasy "in which the magical entity is a blatant anomaly".[2] He arrives at a definition of fantasy set in the mundane world, often including an "elaborate secret history". He notes that much contemporary fantasy is set in rural settings, but also notes the subgenre of urban fantasy, and that both children's fiction and literary fiction often fall within this genre.[2]

The Encyclopedia of Fantasy similarly suggests that the mundane and fantastic are contrasted within the genre. The Encyclopedia's definition includes "portal fantasy in which transition between the two realms occurs regularly", as well as several other subgenres; it cites Peter S. Beagle's Lila the Werewolf as a classic of the type. It also notes that in many contemporary fantasies, the fantastic "colonizes" the mundane home.[3] Greg Bechtel agrees with the Encyclopedia, saying the sub-genre "explicitly depicts the collision of the contemporary world with a world of magic and spirits".[4] He notes the distinction between this genre and magical realism, crediting Greer Watson,[5] but says that there can be overlap.[4]

Grzegorz Trebicki describes "contemporary" fantasy works "set in our 'primary' world, in which the textual reality has been enriched by various fantastical elements, usually borrowed from particular mythologies or folk traditions".[6] He says that such works are usually driven by genre conventions other than mythical archetypes.

The term has also been equated with "Paranormal Fantasy", due to the frequency of "paranormal characters (werewolves, vampires, wizards, fairies, etc.)"[7]

A broad definition

[edit]

Camille Bacon-Smith uses the term to describe fantasy stories set in the time they were written, and provides H.P. Lovecraft and Fritz Leiber's novel Conjure Wife as examples. She states that "contemporary fantasy belongs to the Gothic tradition of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher'", noting also that "contemporary fantasy has been a part of the genre since its beginning".[8] She notes that the genre was less popular by the 1960s, considering it supplanted by New Wave and Celtic Twilight books. Bacon-Smith credits Terri Windling's 1986 introduction of Borderland as a key event in improving interest in the genre, also noting the earlier influence of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire which she says has a "contemporary background".[8]

Style

[edit]

In his preface to That Hideous Strength, one of the earlier works falling within this subgenre, C. S. Lewis explained why, when writing a tale about "magicians, devils, pantomime animals and planetary angels", he chose to start it with a detailed depiction of narrow-minded academic politics at a provincial English university and the schemes of crooked real estate developers:

I am following the traditional fairy-tale. We do not always notice its method, because the cottages, castles, woodcutters and petty kings with which a fairy tale opens have become for us as remote as the witches and ogres to which it proceeds. But they were not remote at all to the men who first made and enjoyed the tales.[9]

The same is true for many later works in the genre, which often begin with a seemingly normal scene of modern daily life to then disclose supernatural and magical beings and events hidden behind the scenes.[citation needed]

In an analysis of religion in modern fantasy, Sylvia Kelso notes a "market shift" from high fantasy toward contemporary fantasy, also explaining that "paranormal" subgenres have branched from contemporary fantasy, especially ones centered on vampires and werewolves. Kelso notes that contemporary fantasy is more willing to draw on religious themes than high fantasy. This has been influenced by its openness to vampires and other traditionally evil supernatural beings, which encourages writers to use Christianity to create villains such as demons. However, other books and series draw on other religions and traditions.[10]

Relationship with other subgenres

[edit]

Novels in which modern characters travel into other worlds, and all the magical action takes place there (except for the portal required to transport them), are not considered contemporary fantasy. Also, contemporary fantasy is generally distinguished from horror fiction that mixes contemporary settings and fantastic elements by the overall tone, emphasizing joy or wonder rather than fear or dread.

The contemporary fantasy and low fantasy genres can overlap as both are set in the real world. There are differences, however. Low fantasies are set in the real world but not necessarily in the modern age, in which case they would not be contemporary fantasy.

There is a considerable overlap between contemporary fantasy and urban fantasy.[3]

Examples

[edit]

Examples are grouped by author, ordered by initial publication year in the genre.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sinclair, Frances (2008). Fantasy Fiction. School Library Association. p. 34. ISBN 9781903446461. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stableford, Brian (2009). The A to Z of Fantasy Literature. Scarecrow Press. p. 86. ISBN 9780810863453. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Clute, John; Kaveney, Roz (1997). Clute, John; Grant, John (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. Orbit Books. ISBN 978-1-85723-368-1. Retrieved 2023-08-09.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b Bechtel, Greg (2007). "The Word for World Is Story: Syncretic Fantasy as Healing Ritual in Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. 18 (3): 204–223, 285.
  5. ^ Watson, Greer (2000). "Assumptions of Reality: Low Fantasy, Magical Realism, and the Fantastic". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. 11 (2): 165–172. JSTOR 43308437. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  6. ^ a b Trebicki, Grzegorz (2014). "Subverting Mythopoeic Fantasy: Miyuki Miyabe's the Book of Heroes". Mythlore. 32 (124): 49–63. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  7. ^ Burcher, Charlotte; Hollands, Neil; Smith, Andrew; Trott, Barry; Zellers, Jessica (Spring 2009). "Core Collections in Genre Studies: Fantasy Fiction 101". Reference & User Services Quarterly. 48 (3): 226–231. JSTOR 20865077.
  8. ^ a b Bacon-Smith, Camille (2000). Science Fiction Culture. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 250. ISBN 9780812215304.
  9. ^ Lewis, C.S. (October 1996). That Hideous Strength. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780684833675. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  10. ^ Kelso, Sylvia (2007). "The God in the Pentagram: Religion and Spirituality in Modern Fantasy". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. 18 (1): 76–77. JSTOR 24351027.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "A Contemporary Fantasy Reading List". The Endicott Studio. Archived from the original on 2004-10-21. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  12. ^ Straub, Matt (Feb 19, 1989). "77 books later, Nancy Springer is writing 'like a dream'". The Gettysburg Times. p. 8A. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  13. ^ Kramer, Kelly (2017). "A Common Language of Desire: The Magicians, Narnia, and Contemporary Fantasy". Mythlore. 35 (130): 153–169. Retrieved 2023-08-09.

Sources

[edit]
  • Martin Horstkotte, The postmodern fantastic in contemporary British fiction. WVT, Trier 2004, ISBN 3-88476-679-1
  • Lance Olsen, Ellipse of uncertainty : an introduction to postmodern fantasy. Greenwood Press, Westport 1987, ISBN 0-313-25511-3
[edit]
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