Dark Fantasy Defined!
” Dark fantasy” defined…
The fantasy writing genre is full of subgenre’s and honestly, they are all pretty much looked at as interchangeable. Take for instance “dark fantasy” which oftentimes is lumped in with horror though it is surely its own category. So, when categorizing a novel make sure to pay close attention not only to the elements within the pages but also the writers intent. “Dark fantasy” is a type of fantasy that seems to elude exact definition and when the phrase itself came into existence let alone who came up with the term. The best way to define this genre (which I absolutely love) is a piece of work housed in fantasy with a little tinge of some very common horror motifs. So often times any novel with werewolves or vampires find themselves housed on the “dark fantasy” shelves. Another clear delineation between the world of fantasy and “dark fantasy” is that wherein fantasy you mostly have some brave hero fighting to save a kingdom or the princess, in dark fantasy the main character is oftentimes not only doing hat nut fighting an internal struggle for their sanity. In fantasy especially high fantasy there is often that element of the happily ever after or the chronic good versus evil, whereas in “dark fantasy” you may not have a clear line drawn in the sand about what is good and what is evil. The ending as well sometimes could be left up to the reader/viewers decision on whether or not it was a classic “happily ever after” scenario.
Elements to consider when looking at “dark fantasy”…
- The overarching theme is a struggle against the “end of the world” whether that is the characters or the actual world.
- The character may have an inner struggle as well either with his morals or simply just his sanity.
- As I stated above they often lack that “happily ever after” we are so familiar with in fantasy.
- The story is set in the world of fantasy but has wrapped itself in the world of myth, legend or the supernatural (sometimes all three).
- Occasionally the writer will use these plot devices to draw the reader/viewer into questioning their own sanity. Are they real or is this all in the characters mind?
These are all great elements to build yourself a “dark fantasy” story but let’s talk about this gene in literature and film.
“Dark fantasy” in literature…
“Dark fantasy” if looking at the elements above and the definition has been around since at least the 1800s. Just look at the novels you are asked to read as classics Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, Bram Stokers “Dracula” and even the works of one of my favorite authors of all time, Edgar Allan Poe. To this day writers such as Steven King and Clive Barker (a bio of him is coming soon), among vast many others dabble in “dark fantasy”. There is, of course, some that dance in the edge of falling into this category like any of “the Shannara novels” by Terry Brooks, but then per the usual, that is only my opinion.
But what about “dark fantasy” in film…
Besides the fact that many of those pieces of literature, such as “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” have found their way to the big screen, the genre itself has found quite a nice little home in film and television. Films such as “Underworld”, “Edward Scissorhands” and “Legend (1985)” toy with those dark elements as well as the fantastical while housing the core story in the modern world bringing them into the world of “magical realism”.
I don’t think that this hyper-saturated genre will disappear anytime soon, The human population is fascinated with the dark and supernatural worlds that all these pieces of art live in. Though in time it might the “dark fantasy” wave may ebb it will always cycle back into popularity as all things in the creative arena do, but you guessed it that is only my geekin’ opinion.
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