Which Sub-Genre...

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JPSpideyCJ

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..... Of Fantasy do I write? I just wanted to know.
 

JPSpideyCJ

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No, I meant what type am I writing, in my books? I don't know what type it is. The plot is about a farmer boy who wakes up to find out about the tower where the Immortal Spirits live, to bring them back to our world. He goes on a journey to find it. Then he, (and the surviving members of his party,) is blessed.
 

glutton

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I can't be sure without knowing more, but it sounds likely to be epic fantasy to me.
 

dclary

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Oh good god. What a ridiculous number of subgenres.

How do you guys take yourselves so seriously?
 

Zoombie

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I don't. I just slap together words and think of a genera later. That's why I end up with Romantic Comedy mystery with werewolves, vampires and 1001 zombies in Cuba as a genera.
 

Stormhawk

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"How do you guys take yourselves so seriously?"

It's not a good idea to take yourself too seriously, otherwise you'll realise that the hours you spend perfecting a scene or working on a character's syntax can be used to play the stock market, make connections to get ahead at work, or doing other things that can't be construed as a possible waste of time.
 

Dawnstorm

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Genres are for critics and marketing folks. And for genre-conscious writers. If you have to ask, it's probably not important (for a query "fantasy" should be enough, I think).

For what it's worth, it sounds epic to me, too.
 

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I agree with what the others have said - don't worry about genre too much. I had a look at that wikipedia list and couldn't place anything I've written, so I'm just sticking with 'fantasy'. If you're sufficiently successful that other people start wanting to work out how to place your stuff, celebrate - and let them nut it out for you.
 

Anne Lyle

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I don't. I just slap together words and think of a genera later. That's why I end up with Romantic Comedy mystery with werewolves, vampires and 1001 zombies in Cuba as a genera.

Same here. Mine's an alternate history soft SF crime spy thriller that will probably end up being marketed as fantasy. Go figure...
 

JPSpideyCJ

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After looking at that, I would say it is High Fantasy. The lamps are artifacts which save the world, and they only have a year to do this before the sinister Dark Lord Serenius destroys the Earth, as he is also searching for the lamps.
 

Chasing the Horizon

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I assume agents and editors won't mind if I simply list my genre as 'fantasy' in my query letter and leave it at that? :D

And that definition of romantic fantasy isn't even right. Romantic fantasy is simply a fantasy with a strong romance subplot. Whether or not you have female warriors has nothing to do with it. You could write a gay romantic fantasy and have no female characters at all. Romantic fantasy should be shelved in fantasy, not in romance. Fantasy romance is a different sub-genre, which refers to a romance taking place in a fantasy setting. This gets shelved in romance.
 

Zoombie

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After looking at that, I would say it is High Fantasy. The lamps are artifacts which save the world, and they only have a year to do this before the sinister Dark Lord Serenius destroys the Earth, as he is also searching for the lamps.


No offence, JP, but your plot sounds kinda...done before. Whether it's lamps, rings, masks, spittons, or crystals, it all ends up in the same kind of idea. Try thinking up a real reason the badguy could destroy the world. Like the magical equivlent of a nuclear warhead...or a nation that has been whipped into a near relligious fever by his excellent propaganda skills...or something.

Also why destroy the world? It seems wastefull. Think of all the lucritave slavery oppertunities, mining potential. And don't forget the money you can make by selling Earth's women to the Pleasure Planet. And there is the long term satisfaction of crushing the human race's spirit by slowly grinding them into the dirt for eons opon eons!

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
 

JPSpideyCJ

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No, it must be artifacts. I based this on LotR and other High Fantasy, the world is actually destroyedin the last book, by means of a natural disaster. What I mean is, the plot doesn't reolve around stopping the bad guy, he's just the general of some army under commands from a captain who finds the main guys guarding the lamp at the end. He doesn't appear before this happens.

By the way, when I meant the bad guy will destroy the Earth, I meant he will open the lamps, the Immortals will see him, when he tries to control them, they'll get angry and blow the world up. The world's danger is not an immediate threat until the end.
 

mscelina

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I'd have to say epic or high fantasy too.

My Asphodel series is unabashedly high fantasy...but I destroyed all the fantastical archetypes in it so it makes me feel better. As far as something being done before---don't worry about it. If you're dealing with epic themes they date back to the ancient greeks and more (read Joseph Campbell for a really good clue of epic archetypes and the hero's journey blah blah blah). There are always going to be thematic similarities in epic fantasy---all because of one little word: EPIC.
 
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