What do you think of when you hear the phrase "fantasy novel"? Does it bring to mind vast kingdoms beneath an autumn sun? Lands where elves, dwarves, and other elder races live side by side with men? Does it make you think of dragons? Are there wizards in the story, or artifacts and weapons imbued with power from some bygone age?
How about a trio of women in a New England town whose attempts at witchcraft summon the devil into their midst? How about a story of multiple-generation family with a loose relationship to time? Or a home perched over an alchemical laboratory where things are endlessly created and destroyed? Chances are names like Updike, Borges, and Márquez don't pop into your head as fantasy authors.
When you think about fantasy movies, are you still picturing elves and dwarves and dragons, or does your idea of fantasy expand to include fields in Iowa where venerated figures emerge from the corn and small depression-era towns where a hero steps out from a movie screen?
Chances are those weren't your first thoughts, because when we think about fantasy the thing that first springs to mind is epic fantasy. We think of stories where the fate of the world swings in the balance and everyone, from massive armies to small bands of friends, is engaged in a struggle to define the course of events that have spun out over centuries. And honestly, if you browse the shelves of your local bookstore and look for the word "fantasy" stamped on the spine of a colorful paperback, odds are that it will meet those expectations. But that's not because these books are the only ones to contain fantastical characters, creatures, and events. It's because fantasy is a marketing category.
What shows up on the fantasy shelves varies from year to year. A decade ago, vampires hung around the horror shelves. Now that they've become mostly romantic figures, they have brought their fangs to the fantasy shelves, while fantasy with a more urban or personal setting has mostly taken a trip over to the general fiction stacks. Meanwhile other fantasy leaks into other areas of the bookstore from the young adult section to the designated best-seller aisle. Some of these books may come tumbling home when seasons and fashions change (though honestly I'd be just as happy if Atlas Shrugged and the oeuvre of Karl Rove stayed out).
In the meantime, there are a lot of fantastic books to be found inside and outside the fantasy aisle, some of them with big stories, some of them with smaller stories, and some of them just plain fun stories.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
This book certainly needs no help from me, but I couldn't resist sticking it at the top of this week's list. Anyone who thinks that fantasy novel means simple, or childish, or expects black and white divisions with a certain outcome... Prepare to throw those ideas away. This is the first book of a massive (and maddeningly unfinished) series that contains more characters, more intrigue, more nobility, betrayal, and madness than any other. As the story opens, an usurper king is about to discover that the killing of one king doesn't end unrest - it only proves that kings can die. As schemes and counter schemes break out everywhere no one can be trusted and honesty may prove fatal. Meanwhile, far in the north something stirs on the ice and winter is coming. I have no problem saying that this is the best, most intricately plotted, most powerful fantasy I've ever read. No elves, no dwarves, but oh god, there are dragons on the way. And something worse.
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
There are (no big shocker, given the title) dragons in this book as well, lots of dragons. Here's a book that's pure fun. In the age of Napoleon, a British sea captain captures a most precious cargo on its way to France -- a dragon's egg. When the creature hatches, it grows into a massive flying mount, and into one of the most interesting characters in all of fantasy. Temeraire the dragon is utterly loyal, utterly fearless, and utterly honest. The perfect character not just to fight the forces closing on England, but also to comment on the silliness and unfairness of British class structures and social standards. Mixing history, action, and marvelous story telling, this is a dragon ride anyone will enjoy.
The War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
There are some books that never become all that widely known, never get that best seller status, but which are so deeply admired by authors and readers that they kick off sparks in all directions. Some books reshape traditions, tell the old stories in a new way. Some books make those old tales relevant again in by bringing them up to date and bringing in fresh characters and modern settings. This book achieves all that, and does it well. After this book a hundred others would try to merge modern day with the tales of faerie -- mingle rock and roll with the unseelie court. None of them do it as well. If you've read bad urban fantasy, wash it out of your mind and start over with this book.
Sorry if there's an unusual number of typos and thinkos in this evening's post. Not only am I chock full o' painkillers (inflammation of the hip joint, and it sucks getting old), but I decided to write this post on my very own magical fantasy device that showed up today. Though actually, this little thing looks a lot more sci fi than fantasy. Now I think i'm going to push that "publish" button, toss this thing on the table, and say "make it so."