Fantasy gets real
What’s the difference between fantasy and other genres? A fantasy novel might have romance, adventure, mystery, historical, horror, and thriller elements. In fact, every good fantasy incorporates a few delectable bits from many other genres.
So what makes fantasy unique?
What makes it so compelling?
Let’s stipulate the obvious differences… non-human characters, non-Earth settings, or non-Now times. Rogue nuclear elements we name magic. Siren’s songs that tempt us to dive into escapism.
But none of that explains Fantasy’s appeal.
Fantasy’s appeal is that it’s REAL.
REAL transcends place and time. It’s an ephemeral, instinctive, guttural tuning fork twang that says, “Yes, that’s me. I recognize myself in this story.”
“I relate.”
That’s why characterization is so fundamental to fantasy storytelling. We ask readers to suspend belief, to transport themselves through space and time to consider the world the storyteller has built for them. There must be something there to relate to, something to ground them to the story.
That something is character.
The character can be a thousand years or ten days old. Have tentacles instead of hands. Breathe methane instead of oxygen. Breed once every twenty years or twice daily to perpetuate the species. Serve masters, monarchs, merchants, or whim. Count lineage by matriarch, patriarch, or clone bank serial number.
Doesn’t matter.
The character must be REAL to the reader. Relatable. Tangible, Authentic. No matter how different the character is from the reader.
Fantasy demands we abandon preconceptions. About people. About our beliefs. About the world around us.
The characters in Rootstock Saga are real to me. I know them. Their quirks and virtues. Their doubts and dreams. They know who they are and they stay true to character, to challenges and successes. They feel, and we feel.
That is what makes fantasy different.
REAL characters are the secret sauce in any good fantasy.