Many of us love to spend the evening with a good book, especially, when it is a fascinating fantasy story. With such book in hands you can easily escape from the real life and everyday problems. Fantasy writers are only limited by their own imagination and maybe it`s the reason we like their stories so much – we never know what can happen next. But what is the fantasy genre?

It is a genre of literature that tells about magical and supernatural creatures or elements that do not exist in real life. It`s never about reality or scientific fact, but it`s the main reason why this genre is so charming.

Especially if we are talking about the fantasy genre, we should remember how many types and subgenres it contains. Their number is always growing, so let me tell you about the main ones:

• High/epic fantasy. An author works on his own fantasy world with its own rules and physical laws. This type typically has a grand scale and a single well-developed hero or a group of characters. Usually, it is about the road and what adventures can happen with heroes on it. An excellent example is the classic ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (1954) by J. R.R. Tolkien.
• Low fantasy. It is set in the real world, but with some magical elements in it. And magic always shocks heroes with its unexpectedness.
• Magical realism. It is similar to low fantasy, but some magical elements penetrate into the usual life of heroes. Folklore creatures and nature spirits, time loops and alternate history cases, doppelgangers and spell books… whatever could happen.
• Dark fantasy. This genre combines elements of fantasy and horror.  A terrifying but cool example is ‘Lovecraft`s universe’ with his monsters.
• Fairy tales. These are the stories for children, written in a simple and traditional way. Mostly, all supernatural creatures in it are an accepted truth. Derailed fairy tales also relate to this genre.

These five kinds are only a beginning, but what a beginning it is! It`s the perfect time to start research this amusingly amazing genre and find out what is better for you.