hen talking about fantasy, you may have heard people refer to “low fantasy” and “high fantasy”. But what exactly is the difference between the two? If you are new to the genre, you may be wondering exactly what “low fantasy” even is. Here is a guide to help you understand low fantasy and some titles you can read to both educate and inspire you.
What Is Low Fantasy?
You may have already heard of “high fantasy”, which refers to a fantasy story that takes place in a fictional world separate from ours that has its own rules and physical laws. One of the most well-known examples of high fantasy is the Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien. It takes place in a world completely separate from our own full of fantastic creatures like hobbits and elves.
“Low fantasy”, conversely, refers to fantasy fiction where magical events intrude on what is an otherwise normal world. It is also commonly known as “intrusion fantasy”. Magic is not a typical part of life for most people in the world of such a story. Your main characters may discover this magic within the story, or perhaps practice it or associate with fantasy creatures in secret. Some genres that fall under the umbrella of low fantasy are urban fantasy, paranormal romance, historical fantasy, and superhero stories.
One example of low fantasy is the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. In them, Harry Potter lives in the mundane real world until he is whisked away to a magical school. While the books largely take place in a magical setting, that setting exists in secret within the world we know.
Of course, we can probably all agree that we have seen enough Harry Potter clones for one lifetime and we should strive to aim a bit higher. Below are some low fantasy titles that will help to inspire your writing. Some do include wizards, but you can still learn a lot from them about how magic can intrude on the real world. A bonus is that you can read several of them right here on Fictionate!
Sparks (Shadowed Souls, #1) by Kendall Fletcher
Twenty-year-old Isaac Riley was raised in a secret magical society but goes to a non-magical college. The last thing he would have ever expected was for a classmate to be struck by lightning in front of him and for her to turn out to be magic too. His whole world is turned upside down, being tied to the centuries-old history of his family and forcing him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew. Anna Kahale was a normal nineteen-year-old girl until she was struck by lightning. Strange occurrences begin to follow her and she has to rely on near stranger Isaac, who is kind but infuriatingly mysterious.
This is a low fantasy where, like Harry Potter, a magical secret society exists within the real world. It has great character development—essential to any good low fantasy story—and also serves as a wonderful example of LGBTQ fantasy. You can read the first four chapters of this novel for free on Fictionate and purchase access to the whole story for $2.99.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch—the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655—predicts that the world is going to end next Saturday. So the armies of Good and Evil are gathering, except for one fussy angel and one risky-living demon who have lived on Earth since its beginning and are not looking forward to the Rapture. And it turns out that, thanks to a little mix-up, the Antichrist is not who everyone thinks.
This is a hilarious book that shows just how much fun you can have writing low fantasy. It also doesn’t include any sort of wizarding school (though there are a few witches). Instead, it dominantly features angels and demons and the unlikely friendship that could form between them. I also highly recommend the series adapted from the book on Amazon Prime, with a new season coming out on July 28th.
A Journey To The Clouds, A Fantastical Prophecy - Book One by Fluffygalaxies
Fourteen-year-old Ally Green lives a fairly normal life until she begins receiving visions of a castle on clouds with mermaids and fairies. These start out as typical fantasies but then they take a dark turn. The Crew of Doom has turned the once peaceful kingdom into an evil empire and is holding the mermaids and fairies captive. Only Ally can save them, or so she thinks. She meets a boy named Connor who also has an important destiny that could help save the fantasy world and their own.
This is another story where the intrusion on the regular world is clear—Ally is living a normal life until she receives visions from a fantasy world. This book features adventure and a healthy dose of humor, both of which you should incorporate into your own story. You can read this book for free on Fictionate.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
After being stuck in prison for three years, Shadow can’t wait for the day when he will return to Eagle Point, Indiana and be reunited with his wife, Laura. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. On the way home, Shadow meets an eccentric man named Wednesday who offers him a job. As Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy, Shadow accompanies Wednesday on a strange, dark road trip where he meets a host of odd characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. He learns that underneath the surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing and that he is standing squarely in its path.
I know I already mentioned another Neil Gaiman title here, but with a slew of other low fantasy books under his belt (Neverwhere, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, to name a few), he is an author that it would do you a lot of good to familiarize yourself with. This novel uses the mythology of various cultures to create a fascinating and magical world that exists beneath the surface of our own. American Gods shows that research into mythology or some other bit of history can turn up some great low fantasy ideas.
Luci's New Hell by Bradan Wrights
When Jessica receives a devastating diagnosis and learns her time is running out, she makes a deal with the devil himself. When she realizes the true cost of the contract, she has to confront the consequences of her actions. She and her friends must race against a ticking clock to outsmart Lucifer and break the terms of their agreement. As they navigate an underworld of dark magic and danger, they discover that the stakes are higher than they could have ever imagined.
Like Good Omens, this low fantasy story focuses on angels and demons. There is a lot of lore concerning angels and demons and could be a good place to draw inspiration from. This is a suspenseful story that will keep you turning pages. You can read all six available chapters of this book for free on Fictionate.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Young Winnie Foster must decide if eternal life is a blessing or a curse when she encounters a spring on her family’s property whose waters grant immortality. The Tuck family has drunk from the spring and they tell Winnie of their experiences watching life go by and never aging. Winnie has to decide whether or not to keep the Tucks’ secret—and whether or not to join them on their endless journey.
For a lot of people, Tuck Everlasting is their go-to example of low fantasy. It takes place in the ordinary world and the spring is the only magical element in the story. While important, the magic is not the focus of the plot—instead, the characters and relationships between them take center stage. This novel succeeds in evoking strong emotion. I read it and Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson around the same time and look back on that time as my “month of crying”.
Armed with the knowledge of exactly what low fantasy is and books you can read to better understand the genre, you'll soon be ready to write a killer low fantasy story of your own.
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