Fantasy as Literature- Why I Will Always Take Fantasy Seriously
I am participating in Fantasy with Friends: A New Discussion Meme hosted by Pages Unbound, and today’s prompt is “Do you think fantasy still isn’t taken “seriously” as literature by some people or in some circles? What response do you have to that?“, So here is Why I Will Always Take Fantasy Seriously as a genre I love and respect. While I can’t speak for everyone, I can share my own perspective on fantasy as literature and why it deserves recognition as serious literature.
Fantasy as Literature : Why I Will Always Take Fantasy Seriously
Fantasy was one of the first genres that made me fall in love with reading, and it has remained my ultimate comfort genre ever since. I read across many genres, but I always return to fantasy. It refreshes my mind, inspires my imagination, and continually reminds me why I fell in love with stories in the first place.
When I first read this prompt, my immediate thought was simple: who decided fantasy isn’t serious literature? I hadn’t personally encountered anyone making that claim outright. Still, curiosity led me to explore discussions and opinions online, and I noticed a few recurring arguments about why fantasy as literature is sometimes underestimated.
In this post, I first explore those reasons and then share my response, explaining why fantasy as literature will always hold a serious place in my reading life and I will always take it seriously.
Why Some People May Not Take Fantasy Seriously
I have not personally encountered anyone who has openly declared that fantasy is not literature or that it should not be taken seriously. But google search definitely shows that skepticism around the genre does linger, often quietly, often unexamined, passed along more as assumption than argument.
One of the most common reasons is accessibility. Fantasy can feel overwhelming. The unfamiliar names, the invented histories, the rules of magic, the maps, the politics. For some readers, this level of world building feels like work rather than pleasure. When understanding a story requires patience and attention from the very first page, it can be easier to walk away and label the genre as confusing or excessive.
There is also the long standing belief that fantasy as literature is lowbrow because it leans on familiar elements like the chosen one, dragons, elves, and epic quests. These recurring tropes are often mistaken for a lack of originality. Alongside this comes the assumption that fantasy prioritizes spectacle over substance, that it trades emotional or psychological depth for grand battles and mythical creatures.
Another criticism is repetition. The idea that fantasy stories all follow the same structure, that once you have read a handful of them, you have essentially read them all. Different names, similar journeys, predictable endings.
And then there is the most persistent argument of all. That fantasy is merely escapism. That it exists to help readers avoid reality rather than engage with it. That it offers comfort and distraction, but little in the way of meaningful insight.
My Response to That Skepticism
I see fantasy as literature very differently. To me, it is one of the most demanding and rewarding genres. It does not simply require good writing. It requires imagination with structure, creativity with discipline. Authors are not only crafting characters and their emotional arcs, they are constructing entire worlds from nothing. Cultures, histories, belief systems, languages, and moral frameworks all have to coexist convincingly. If the world fails, the story fails with it.
Fantasy also asks something of the reader. It asks you to participate. Reading fantasy feels less like passively consuming a story and more like stepping into one. It is almost like watching a 3D movie inside your mind. You have to transform words into images, scenes, and sensations, and connect them as the narrative unfolds. When that process does not click, the genre can feel distant or overwhelming, but that difficulty is not a weakness. It is part of what makes fantasy immersive.
The idea that fantasy lacks psychological depth no longer holds up, if it ever truly did. Modern fantasy is rich with morally grey characters who reflect the contradictions and complexities of real human behaviour. These characters struggle with power, ambition, loyalty, fear, and desire. They make flawed choices, justify questionable actions, and live with the consequences. They feel real because they are rooted in recognisable human nature, even when surrounded by magic and myth.
Yes, fantasy still has dragons and elves. And it should. Familiar elements are not limitations. They are foundations. What matters is how authors use them. Read beyond a few books and you begin to see how drastically the genre shifts. The execution changes. The themes deepen. The perspectives widen. Many authors deliberately subvert expectations, steering away from predictable twists and neat resolutions, allowing stories to end in ways that feel honest rather than comfortable.
Fantasy also tackles power, war, grief, faith, identity, and morality without being limited by realism. It creates space to examine these themes from new angles, stripped of the constraints of our world, yet deeply reflective of it. Sometimes, placing these questions in a fantastical setting allows them to be explored more clearly, not less.
As for escapism, I find that argument too narrow. Every genre offers escape in some form. All stories ask us to step outside our immediate reality. Fantasy is not just about leaving the world behind. It is about imagining how the world could be different, and what those differences might reveal about who we are.
Works like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia stand as lasting proof that fantasy can be both imaginative and literary. These stories have endured not because they offer escape alone, but because they speak to something timeless. They invite readers to wonder, to question, and to return again and again.
Fantasy is not an escape from reality. It is an expansion of it. And for that reason alone, fantasy as literature deserves to be taken seriously.
What is your response to this prompt?
Have you ever come across an argument about fantasy isn’t take seriously?
What is your most favorite fantasy that will support this discussion?
Just in case you missed,,,
- The Holiday Fakers (Hideaway Harbor #2) by Evie Alexander – fun and cozy holiday romance
- Fantasy as Literature- Why I Will Always Take Fantasy Seriously
- 2025 in Reading Blog and Life – A quietly fulfilling year
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Books Teacup and Reviews
Hi, I'm Yesha, an Indian book blogger. Avid and eclectic reader who loves to read with a cup of tea. Not born reader but I don't think I’m going to stop reading books in this life. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
13 Comments
Carla
You have made some very interesting and honest points, Yesha. I don’t read a lot of fantasy, but have enjoyed the ones I have read. I think the detractors are people who don’t enjoy fantasy, so put it down. (some people are only happy dissing other people’s comments, likes etc.) As far as I’m concerned, if people enjoy reading it, it’s literature.
Books Teacup and Reviews
So well said Carla. Thank you.
Susy's Cozy World
This is such a beautiful post _
And, obviously, I agree with you on everything.
I don’t think anyone has ever said to my face that fantasy wasn’t a serious reading genre, but I had a lot of people who told me that it was too much work. And I never question that, I always agreed with them that if it felt too much, it was too much and that was it. My first reason for reading is because I enjoy it and if you have to work for it, it doesn’t feel like fun anymore. So I understand that part. (I also love fantasy because it helps me understand the world around me, but that’s a whole other story). Back to the “too much work part”. I never disagree with them because I understand this concept pretty clearly. If a book feel like a lot of work for me, I usually don’t read them.
But… the thing that make me smile a lot is that sometimes the same people who say that keeping track of all the different names and places and new things is hard, then tell me that they prefer to read something else, like for example russian literature. And this to me make no sense at all. Because for an Italian (especially for an Italian who doesn’t know any Russian) reading a book by a Russian author is exactly the same as reading a fantasy book, as far as keeping track of the name goes. Or, to be more honest, it’s even more difficult than keeping track of fantasy characters. So yeah, it alwasy entertain me to no end, but that’s it!
Books Teacup and Reviews
I agree, people should read something that they enjoy. One doesn’t have to put a lot of efforts into it, but that’s is, of course, subjective. Just because one doesn’t enjoy something because of efforts it takes doesn’t have to dismiss the genre. It’s not for you then it’s not for you, period. I’m kind of person who feels you have to come across a right book to love the genre.
Jo
I’m not sure if I’ve come across the view that fantasy isn’t serious literature stated explicitly, but I’ve definitely heard that opinion for science fiction, which actually isn’t so different in my mind. But I’m with you 100% – fantasy (and indeed any genre fiction) can tackle the big ideas just as much as so-called literary fiction.
Like you, fantasy was one of the first genres I fell in love with. David Eddings’ Belgariad and Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series bridged the gap between young adult and adult fiction for me, and I’ve never looked back. It’s a genre that I love and one that I still read today. That is partly for the escapism (although I agree with you that all fiction allows us to escape our own lives for a short time) but also the sheer creativity that goes into constructing such novels.
And as you say, these novels tackle BIG themes, often in a way that makes them more approachable because the environment is a step removed from our own.
Great post, Yesha.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Jo. I also haven’t come across criticism, somehow I never see those twitter debate and only come to know about it through other bloggers. I sure had to google around to see why would people think this isn’t serious subject to actually have response of my own. “sheer creativity that goes into constructing” that is definitely awe-inspiring and that alone is enough for me to love this genre.
Krysta
Such a beautiful response! I so agree with you when you write, “It refreshes my mind, inspires my imagination, and continually reminds me why I fell in love with stories in the first place.” There’s something about fantasy that is just really special! While I also enjoy realistic stories, fantasy, I think, allows our imaginations to go in different directions and think about things in different ways. It really is a demanding genre and shouldn’t be dismissed just because some readers can’t see any resemblance to real life. But it does resemble real life! People are still people, whether their worlds have dragons or not!
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you. Love the way you said, “people are people” and I agree human nature remains the same no matter the world and the best part of fantasy is it gives space to explore it in a creative way.
Sumedha
great post! i especially agree with you on how fantasy has space to explore themes without being bounded by realism, which actually allows for more depth without worrying about historical accuracy.
Books Teacup and Reviews
Thank you, Sumedha. Yes, get space for world, characters and themes and plenty layers and all kind of emotions in one genre.
Briana | Pages Unbound
It’s an interesting idea that some people might write off fantasy because they actually don’t understand it! You definitely see criticisms all the time like, “There are too many made-up names. I don’t know what’s happening.” When there are a million people who read the same book and had no problem following what was happening. So are some people just defensive and claiming the genre is garbage because they struggle with it? Definitely something to consider!
Books Teacup and Reviews
Fantasy asks from readers attention and engagement. while I won’t dismiss anyone saying it was confusing or difficult to follow, but dismissing the genre for that reason isn’t right. Maybe it’s similar to people who ask “why read a book when you can watch a movie”?
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