What Is Fantasy Fiction? Plus A Fantasy Book Title Generator

Do you want to write fantasy? We answer the question: What is fantasy fiction? And we include a fantasy book title generator for writers.

What Is Fantasy Fiction? Fantasy 101

We love reading genres because they fulfil our expectations. Fantasy is one of the most popular fiction genres.

We usually find ourselves in imaginary kingdoms in fantasy universes, and, if you write in this genre, worldbuilding is important. You should also love myths and magic and magical creatures. Many fantasy authors use real-world folklore and mythology as inspiration.

The stories are mostly set in worlds that resemble Europe in the middle ages. They are filled with other-worldly characters like witches, elves, and sorcerers. They often feature animals and mythical creatures, like dragons, that may or may not have the ability to talk to human beings.

They follow the plot of The Quest, where the protagonist has to search for something or someone to save the world. They also have to find the inner strength to succeed, battle seemingly insurmountable odds, face their enemies, and reach their story goal.

You can choose to write high fantasy, low fantasy, or portal fantasy.

A great fantasy novel also has all the elements of a good book, including a great protagonist, a formidable antagonist, a love interest, and an inspiring friend/sidekick.

For everything else you need to know about fantasy, look under The Last Word, at the end of this post.

Fantasy Sub-Genres

You will also find many sub-genres, including these:

1. Children’s Fantasy
2. Comic Fantasy
3. Cozy Fantasy
4. Fairy Tale Retellings
5. Gothic Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
6. Grimdark Fantasy
7. High Fantasy / Epic Fantasy
8. Historical Fantasy
9. Low Fantasy
10. Medieval Fantasy / Arthurian Fantasy
11. Portal Fantasy
12. Romantasy
13. Science Fantasy
14. Sword and Sorcery / Heroic Fantasy
15. The New Weird
16. Urban Fantasy / Contemporary Fantasy
17. Young Adult Fantasy (YA Fantasy)

Fantasy Book Title Generator

There are even certain types of titles that we expect to see in different genres.

If you want to write a fantasy novel, or, if you just want to have some fun, use this fantasy book title generator to create a title for your next book.

You can play around with the prompts:

1. If you find a better title by choosing a different letter of the alphabet, use it!
2. You can use all three lists. Examples from real life:
   • A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
   • Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
   • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
   • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
   • The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar
   • A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
   • House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
3. Or you can stop the title after the second list. Examples from real life:
   • The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
   • Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
   • The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
   • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
   • The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
   • The Once and Future King by T. H. White
   • The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

For a larger image and to download your free generator, click here: Fantasy Book Title Generator

If you like this generator, click here for our:

1. Literary Book Title Generator
2. Thriller Book Title Generator

The Last Word

If you want to write fantasy, or if you love reading fantasy, you will love these posts:

1. 101 Fantasy Tropes For Writers
2. A Complete Glossary Of Terms For Fantasy Writers
3. The Greatest Fictional World Builder Series
4. The 4 Pillars Of Fantasy
5. 10 Classic Fantasy Tropes & How To Enliven Them
6. 7 Ways To Create A Spectacular Magic System For Your Novel
7. Why Writers Should Know About Monsters Before They Write a Word
8. Hard Or Soft Worldbuilding: Which Is Right For You?
9. 3 Things Authors Of The Golden Age Of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Did Better
10. Mary Hoffman’s Top 10 Rules For Fantasy Writers
11. What Is An Epic Fantasy? 5 Things To Consider Before You Write An Epic Fantasy Book
12. 10 Classic Fantasy Tropes & How To Enliven Them
13. A Quick Start Guide To Writing Fantasy
14. 24 Jobs For Fantasy Characters
15. 11 Popular Sub-Genres In Fantasy Romance
16. How Much Magic Do You Need In A Fantasy Novel?
17. Here Be Dragons – 7 Tips For Writing Dragons In Fiction
18. What is Romantasy & Why Is It So Popular?
19. What Is A Cozy Fantasy?
20. What Is Grimdark Fiction & Where Did It Come From?
21. The Best Fantasy Map Hacks
22. How To Write A Space Opera

And these podcasts:

1. Writers Talk 4 | The Top 100 Fantasy Books
2. Writers Talk 6 | Fantasy Sub-Genres

Top Tip: Learn how to write fantasy. Buy The Fantasy Workbook

by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

More posts from Amanda:

1. 9 Essential Character Questionnaires Every Writer Needs
2. How To Choose A Book Title: 10 Things Every Writer Should Know
3. 10 Ways To Move Your Plot Forward
4. 10 Ways To Create Dangerously Nuanced Antagonists (With Examples)
5. The 4 Pillars Of A Memoir
6. Writing A Memoir? Narrow Your Focus
7. How To Write A Query Letter In 12 Easy Steps (With Examples)
8. 5 Essential Exercises For Creating Characters
9. 7 Reasons Introverts Make Great Writers
10. What Is Anger? 37 Ways To Write About Anger

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