I know how you felt when you saw my topic title. (we need a sad smiley)

I know no one at my school who likes fantasy books, only a couple people who have even seen the Lord of the Rings movies, and no one who is writing fantasy. I also know that Northern Kentucky is kind of different and opinionated differently from the rest of the world.

So how popular is the fantasy genre in the rest of the world?

At my school, everyone is crazy about fantasy.

Of course, population is four, and they're all my sibs... (and I'm graduated, but I still kinda count. )

But all of my friends are into fantasy in some form. ;D (internet friends, e-pals, kids I grew up with...)

Nah, it's not dying. Especially considering the box office returns on the fantasy movies of the last few years (including 2010's How To Train Your Dragon).

There is no way that fantasy as a genre is dying. GOOD fantasy might be. (Twilight, anyone? BLECK!) But people will always be interested in elves, and faeries, and all things beautiful and bizarre.

Pretty much everyone I know is at least mildly interested in fantasy. Fairy Tales have been around for ages, and they aren't going anywhere either.

If fantasy is dying, it's only because people are sick of all the generic and boring rip-offs of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. Many people who don't consider themselves fantasy fans will read any books that are good enough to transcend genre.

I think fantasy is still alive and kicking! However, I could see apathy being generated towards the mainstream fantasy works that keep cropping up. I’m not a fan of Harry Potter, but at least it hadn’t been done before. I don’t personally know about Twilight *echoes Willows bleck!* because I never had an interest in seeing it, but I’ve heard plenty to disinterest me, plus I know some girls who wrote a wonderful article on the subject…

I think games like World of Warcraft are actually helping to drive the fantasy genre. There have been quite a few fantasy movies and tv shows over the last few years as well. LOTR, the Narnia movies, Eragon, for movies. Merlin, Legend of the Seeker for tv shows. The Elfstones of Shannara, second book of the Sword of Shannara series is due to hit the theaters in 2012 (originally 2011 but you know how that goes) and there are still great authors putting out great novels as well. And there's going to be a remake of the movie, Excalibur. I actually think fantasy is more popular now, than when I was in junior high and high school. And I'm (ahem... cough cough... ) thirty six now.

Remember that when C. S. Lewis and Tolkien wrote fantasy, there were very few fantasy authors out there, if any. Now, stores have whole sections of fantasy. This doesn't mean that fantasy isn't dead. 98% of those books are either badly written or downright sinful in morals, and another 1% is the 50-year-old classics. My point is, you can't just grab a fantasy book off a shelf from a bookstore and enjoy it.

. . . Has that crying smilie always been there?

You couldn't then either. My dad tells me that there were just as many bad books back in the 50's as there are now -- just nobody kept them, so we only have the good books from that era now.

No, Jay gave everyone new smiley faces as a birthday gift.

I don't think fantasy is dying. I live in the capital hippie state where political books fly off the shelves and everyone has dreads. But good ole Fantasy books are always going to be loved for the creativity it takes to write them. I think people always admire people who can think up or do what they can't.
Ana

It isn't. Fantasy is probably the number one most popular genre right now in the juvenile, teens, and YA market. Fantasy will never die because it has existed far longer than any other genre in existence, and will probably outlive them all too.

Fantasy isn't dying. What's happened is that the genre has been polluted by a lot of garbage and rip-offs, but that's what happens as genres develop.

Also remember that fantasy is a new genre, in a technical sense. What we call "fantasy" is actually modern fantasy, and is sort of a new genre. Think of the classical period developing into the romantic period (this is music). Just like Beethoven bridged the gap between those genres, Lewis, Tolkien, MacDonald, and others, bridged between classical fantasy and modern fantasy. It's a new genre with a lot of backstory and a lot of confusion.

Besides that, fantasy is different from other genres. Spy fiction, the mystery novel, and genres of that sort have stabilized into classic genre conventions. Fantasy, on the other hand, is all about bucking the genre convention. At least, good fantasy is.

I know a lot of people who love fantasy, and I think this forum is a testimony to the fact that fantasy isn't just alive, it's thriving. Speculative fiction in general has been making a big leap lately, especially fantasy.

I've pretty much gone from eagerly looking at most fantasy novels that came out to groaning whenever I see a new fantasy book.


Fortunately, the bad fantasy books will be forgotten as time passes and then the ones worth reading will stand out. But that means we either have to wait twenty years to find out which ones have become classics and then read them, or keep sorting through all the garbage searching for the good fantasy novels.

Just remember, that this is true of every genre. There are only a few really good thrillers every year. Only a few really good detective novels. Only a few really good sci-fi novels.

Generally, I find one or two really good fantasy stories a year. Combined with the number of other stories I find, I can probably find six to twelve good novels or serial fictions a year. That's not even touching on non-fiction.

I agree here. It isn't dying...but the bad books are threatening to kill it. Which is why we're here...to make good books.

Well put, Luke.

I must disagree. The bad books are threatening to drive "Christian" books off the market. Quality fantasy is at no risk.

We are here to save our culture by filling the media with quality material from a Christian worldview.

Oh yes, you're right. But I think that, in addition to what you said, they have the potential to also drive Christian readers away from the genre, removing some of the audience for Christian authors.

OK, I guess it's just another one of those Northern-Kentucky-is-out-of-touch-with-the-rest-of-the-world things. I was in Pennsylvania a couple days ago and fantasy was everywhere (no exaggeration).

I think fantasy is the most popular genre at the moment, not only to read but also to write in. Historical Fiction is probably not far behind, but I do think that fantasy is probably the most popular.

I think that fantasy is popular among readers. People who enjoy reading and who enjoy good literature have much to gain from reading fantasy.
Fantasy is unpopular amongst many people in my class because it's too much work. I know many people who can't be bothered to read because 'it's boring. I get distracted easily.' They're the ones who grab romance off the shelves. Any good fantasy book will challenge them to think outside the box. That involves thinking, and when they read they aren't looking to think, they're looking to be entertained. Period.
Truth is, most of the world doesn't hate fantasy. It engages us, teaches us and reflects truths. The world is just too lazy for fantasy. They need us to write something simplistic. Many people I know will watch LotR, but they won't read it because it's too hard to understand. There are people in my class who want to watch Gnomeo and Juliet because they can't handle Shakespeare. Fantasy is not unpopular, it's just too hard.

This doesn't by any means mean that we should write so that they can understand. The people who are going to read fantasy are looking for something good.

This is the result I got when I googled genres...

Romance was rated that low? Fascinating.

I haven't seen those yet, I hope to very soon, but I was going to say, when people hear that I haven't seen them, they're like: and

Well said Lady E...

I agree, E.

Good thoughts there, E.