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A dream existence is what fantasy writers possess. J.K Rowling does, and so did Terry Pratchett or Stephen King, or even Neil Gaiman. Fantasy writing has an undeniable glamour and charm in it. Several fantasy writers seem to command success and popular culture appeal. The primary idea behind fantasy writing which makes it glamorous is the fandom it attracts in terms of readership. Readers go to any extent in proving their loyalty even at questionable lengths to their beloved stories.
Fantasy fanatics often express their immense love for their favorite stories and characters by literally showing up in those avatars, by writing full-fledged fanfictions in adhered adoration, and even by fighting keyboard wars with fellow fans or haters. Even though such activities are usually beyond the comprehension of the rest of the world. Following are some of the factors that makes fantasy writing or even reading insanely alluring.
Fantasy thrives on the element of imagination and impossibility. No wonder to some, this is absurd or fundamentally ridiculous, but to each its own. If you’ll address this from a broader level, you will never understand why some dragons, kings, wands, wizards, magical realms, or even superheroes (without visible underwear of course) should appeal to anyone in the first place. But the reality differs, there is an evident explosion of fantasy and sci-fi genres across various mediums, no matter if it’s a novel, short stories, or TV shows and movies. As a fanatic who is more than happy to spend the majority of the day bingeing on wizards, time travelers, and superheroes trying to save the world, I am inclined to believe the latter.
Fantasy writing proffers a justifiable way to escape reality even for a shorter period. Everyone needs to escape their reality no matter how much they hate or love their life. In this regard, good old fantasy could be the best deal to hop on, the cheapest bet you’ll come across. Escapism in motion is fantasy writing, in general. However, it is the ideal portal through which we may briefly escape our terrible little existence.
It transports us to worlds where the most imminent threat is an alien invasion or where the villain must be defeated and does not remind us of the breakup we are trying to overcome; and where every problem may not have an easy solution, but it does have a magical one (something that makes little sense but works)
Don’t we all love magic, everyone wants a little magic in their lives, fortunate or unfortunate. This is the primary reason fairy tales in fantasy writing exists. Remember when we were kids, how much we wanted Santa Claus to be real! Stating that, now it all has come down to a primitive instinct. But sadly this is crushed by our onslaught of adulthood as we grow up.
Escapism is wonderful even for a shorter period. However, it has a short shelf life for obvious reasons. Even when functioning in a purely fictional universe, the finest fantasies in books, movies, or TV shows generally deal with genuine human tragedies, real human anguish, real human sacrifices, and real human ties, making them relatable to another level. We generally understand their feelings. Because while we may not have to sell our souls every day to save our loved ones, we all make sacrifices for those we care about. Every day, we deal with the emotional mess of human relationships and attempt to tread the fine line of balance. Watching our heroes do the same is surprisingly comfortable despite their superheroic talents.
All the good fantasies we come across, are generally based on humanity, right to the core. Our victory, our defeat, our survival, our courage, our fears, our strengths, our weaknesses, our deaths, or life itself. More or less, fantasy writing provides hope. We’ve been addicted to hope forever. There is nothing as perfect and this fiction (fantasy) makes us realize that we can be better off without being perfect or that we can still strive towards the betterment of mankind even with our flaws or weaknesses. No matter how weak you’re or how vulnerable the circumstances and odds are but you can still win or survive in the first place.
All protagonists and heroes make mistakes, no matter how well they’re equipped with all those gadgets or wands. But the common trait among all the fantasy, fictitious characters is that they always remain steadfast, overcoming every oppression coming their way but eventually coming out victorious. Through fantasy writing, we comprehend how to govern our life and that’s the virtue of humankind, our existence, in actuality. I don't know what the brightest and greatest possible endorsement of resilience, courage, and optimism in life is other than fantasy, of course. And if this doesn't explain why imagination necessitates its brand of agonizing love, I don't know what would.
