Romantic fantasy

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Abaelard und seine Schulerin Heloisa (English: Abaelard and His Student Heloisa
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Abaelard und seine Schülerin Heloisa (English: Abaelard and His Student Heloisa)

Romantic fantasy or romantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction combining fantasy and romance, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre. [1] One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, political, and romantic. [2]

Contents

Romantic fantasy has been published by both fantasy lines and romance lines. As a result of the financial success of authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros in the 2000s, publishers created imprints to focus on this subgenre. Some publishers distinguish between "romantic fantasy" where the fantasy elements is most important and "fantasy romance" where the romance are most important. [1] Others say that "the borderline between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy has essentially ceased to exist, or if it's still there, it's moving back and forth constantly". [3] Game historian Stu Horvath noted, "the heroes and heroines of romantic fantasy seek social connection and emotional wealth. Instead of carrying on by themselves, they find belonging in a community and a purpose larger than themselves. Magic and psychic abilities are often in-born talents; intelligent animals speak; and societies are egalitarian." [4]

2023–2024 romantasy trend

In 2023 and 2024, romantic fantasy novels termed "romantasy" became a social media trend. Sales of the books have been widely driven by promotion on social media, particularly the part of TikTok known as BookTok. [5] The Economist notes that the genre has particular appeal to those who grew up reading young-adult fantasy, such as Harry Potter , and are now interested in similar themes, but with adult themes of sex and romance. [6] Popular authors in the genre include Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, whose Fourth Wing and Iron Flame have both broken sales records and are due to be made into a TV series. [5] Authors of novels labeled as romantasy are largely women, as is the market, and the novels are known for representing minorities. [6] [7]

Notable examples

Some of the most notable examples of media in the romantic fantasy sub genre include:

Literature

Films

Television

See also

Related Research Articles

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Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction films and horror films, although the genres do overlap. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary.

<i>The Princess Bride</i> (film) 1987 film by Rob Reiner

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Romance may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romance novel</span> Literary genre

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romance film</span> Film genre

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Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, placing supernatural elements in a contemporary urban-affected setting. The combination provides the writer with a platform for classic fantasy tropes, quixotic plot-elements, and unusual characters—without demanding the creation of an entire imaginary world.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early history of fantasy</span>

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Twilight is a series of four fantasy romance novels, two companion novels, and one novella written by American author Stephenie Meyer. Released annually from 2005 through 2008, the four novels chart the later teen years of Bella Swan, a girl who moves to Forks, Washington, from Phoenix, Arizona and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire named Edward Cullen. The series is told primarily from Bella's point of view, with the epilogue of Eclipse and the second part of Breaking Dawn being told from the viewpoint of character Jacob Black, a werewolf. A novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, which tells the story of a newborn vampire who appeared in Eclipse, was published on 2010. The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, a definitive encyclopedic reference with nearly 100 full color illustrations, was released in bookstores in 2011. In 2015, Meyer published a new novel in honor of the 10th anniversary of the book series, Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, with the genders of the original protagonists switched. Midnight Sun, a retelling of the first book, Twilight, from Edward Cullen's point of view, was published in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantasy</span> Literary genre

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction which involves themes of the supernatural, magic, and imaginary worlds and creatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of fantasy</span> Overview of and topical guide to fantasy

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fantasy:

Home Movie: The Princess Bride is an American comedy television miniseries directed by Jason Reitman, a "fan made" recreation of the 1987 film The Princess Bride. Produced while the participating actors were isolating themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it is filmed in a deliberately DIY fashion, with an ensemble cast recording their scenes on their own smartphones, and multiple actors playing the most prominent roles. It features the final screen performance of Carl Reiner, the father of the original film's director Rob Reiner. It premiered in short installments in June and July 2020, on Quibi.

<i>Fourth Wing</i> 2023 fantasy novel by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing is a 2023 new adult, high romance fantasy, or "romantasy", novel by American author Rebecca Yarros. It is the first book in TheEmpyrean series. Released on May 2, 2023, the novel achieved viral success on TikTok's reader community BookTok, which contributed to its No. 1 The New York Times bestseller list success.

References

  1. 1 2 Robinson, William C. (October 2004). "A Few Thoughts on the Fantasy Genre". University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. Snead, John. "What is Romantic Fantasy?". Green Ronin Publishing. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. D'Ammassa, Don. "Fantasy Reviews" . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  4. Horvath, Stu (2023). Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. p. 293. ISBN   9780262048224.
  5. 1 2 Creamer, Ella (2 February 2024). "A genre of swords and soulmates: the rise and rise of 'romantasy' novels". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Romantasy brings dragons and eroticism together. At last". The Economist . 26 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024.
  7. Open Book. 15 February 2024.
  8. Reader's Advice