For many decades the world has been treated to masterpieces of fantasy fiction through the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings trilogy, and J.K Rowling and her Harry Potter series. The amount of fanfare and overall critical acclaim these two writers have had is simply phenomenal. In recent years, we’ve been treated to some rather nice visual treats when Hollywood decided to turn the Lord of the Rings saga into a series of films. Fans of the book were indeed amazed when the wonderful characters were brought to life, and nearly unadulterated. This is a testament of how fantasy short stories and novels have been able to push the human imagination to limits it has never reached before.

Tolkien and Rowling are just a couple of the many other great authors who have contributed greatly to the success of the fantasy genre. Other prominent writers like Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey are known for catering to the more mature members of the masses with their writings. The approach and styles they use are nowhere near fairy tales, but are just as captivating, if not more. Their characters are also very appealing and have also acquired a cult fan base.

No matter how you look at it, fantasy will always be the most versatile of all the genres. It can be easily mixed with the other styles of writing,and can still give you results which are just as good, if not better. It’s also a pretty easy genre to work with because it lets you break the boundaries set by reality. Your imagination is the cog which operates the entire mechanical build up of the fantasy genre. It is the heart and soul of this genre which is truly a great literary art form.