This unique fantasy-writing textbook combines a historical overview of the genre with an anthology and a comprehensive craft guide, exploring the foundations of one of the most popular forms of fiction. The initial section introduces readers to the extensive canon of fantasy literature and its various sub-genres, while also discussing the vital connection between fantasy, creative writing, academia, and publishing. Following this, a craft guide provides essential storytelling concepts viewed through a fantastical lens, covering topics such as character and dialogue, point of view, plot and structure, worldbuilding, and style and revision. The third section categorizes the spectrum of styles in fantasy fiction, ranging from epic and high fantasy to Lovecraftian and weird fiction, as well as magical realism and hybrid fantasy. An accompanying anthology enhances students' understanding of the diverse possibilities available to fantasy writers, featuring works by notable authors like Ursula Le Guin, China Miéville, and Ken Liu. With writing exercises, prompts, online resources, and suggestions for further reading, this textbook is an invaluable tool for aspiring writers of fantastical fiction.
