Fantasy Makes History Cool
Nicole Singer
I’m a history major at heart, so one of the things I love seeing in fantasy is how authors draw on real-world history to fuel their worlds. Whether it be…
history
Faeries and Folklore – Part Three: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Leo Elijah Cristea
Last time we looked at how faeries have evolved, through some of their integral folklore as well as the genre as a whole. Some changes have been marked, others more…
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Eric Christensen
In August of last year, I wrote about a variety of resources that might be useful to fantasy writers. Recently, I came across another resource that I found so amusing,…
Underground Fantasy – Part One: Caves
Steff Humm
The name Dungeons and Dragons sums up the appeal of the fantasy genre perfectly. Giant magical creatures and dark, mysterious settings create images of mythic adventure and enchantment that provoke…
The Sword – Fantasy’s Weapon of Choice
Samuel S. B.
If you open a fantasy book, or even think of watching one of the fantasy epics on TV, you will know that fantasy is not complete without some form of…
Elements of Fantasy – Frogs
Janie Bill
For a dame seeking a handsome, wealthy husband who has an affluent family, all she needed to do was kiss a lot of frogs. Simple and foolproof. The Brothers Grimm…
Why Do We Need Stories?
Geoff Matthews
Have you ever thought of why we need stories? Clearly, as this site demonstrates, we love stories. We love heroes and villains, adventure and danger, thrills and spills, and, of…
Fantasy Rings: The Ultimate Power Accessory
Raymond K. Rugg
We all know THE Ring. The One Ring to Rule them all. (And if you don’t, then shame on you.) The Ring is so well-known in popular culture that it…
Atlantis, We Meet Again!
The mythical lost continent of Atlantis is a staple of the fantasy genre, from the science romances of Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle to the swords and sorcery of…
Faeries and Folklore – Part Two: The Evolution of Fae
Last time we looked at the faeries as a whole, a genus. But to really get to grips with the fae and just who and what they are, we need…
Elements of Fantasy: Fairies
The types of spirits known as fairies exceeded the number of ways the word was spelled. Fairy godmothers were given human dimensions, oftentimes without wings. Tinkerbell was tiny with dragonfly…
Magic In Fantasy: Alternative Magic Systems
This is the forth article in our series on Magic in Fantasy. To read the earlier articles click the links below. Part One: Introduction Part Two: Real Magic Part Three:…