Future Fantasy authors, such as Renee Ziel, look up to the fantasy literary giants who created excellent examples of high fantasy that managed to inspire the new generation of fantasy writers.

“It’s great to see certain things represented and it’s great to see a fantasy that isn’t one dimensional,” said Ziel, who has been a reoccurring fan of high fantasy for years. “And fantasy is able to educate through creativity. And I think that is our duty are writers. I think that is why fantasy means a lot.”

Ziel explained that the reason why fantasy meant so much to her was that it had the ability to be creative while also having the ability to teach a lesson.  She explained that when you take away the dragons and knights, you uncover that the fantasy story is talking about the real-world problems that seem to plague humanity.

She said it is her goal to help inspire and teach through her writing. She wants to give people a chance to escape reality while still letting them walk away learning something.

“Fantasy provides a great way to talk about a sensitive topic without pointing the figure at someone in reality,” Ziel said. She believes that a writer, it is her job to create stories that will help readers deal with personal issues while not shoving those lessons down their throats.

She explained that there is an art form when it comes to writing fiction stories. She said that there is even more care that needs to go into a fantasy story. Ziel believes that a writer should not only be honest with themselves but with the reader as well. It is her job to make sure they feel a connection to continue on the journey she is writing for them.

 But it is not just the future fantasy writers that idolize the first generation of fantasy authors. The fantasy community has been inspiring people for years.  This is mainly because the fantasy culture is so accepting of others. It strives to make sure that everyone feels valid.

“The fantasy community does tend to be more progressive and open and I think that’s interesting because fantasy, in general, is almost inherently dealing with race and with really sensitive topics,” Ziel said.

She explained how fantasy writers to a lot of research to make sure that they understand the issues that they want to address before writing them down. Her biggest issue is when a writer makes a token POC or LGBTQ+ character and uses sterotypes to portray them as a way to get more diverse readers.

She has noticed that tends not to happen in the fantasy genre as much. Ziel commented that most authors she reads take care in not presenting those types of stereotypes in their work. She believes this is another detail that elevates the fantasy genre to a higher standard.

“They have to become experts in those subjects so they know how to fix those issues in their own stories” – Ziel

She noted how the fantasy genre, though slightly late in finally banning J. K. Rowling from the community, did a great job in trying to fix the damage that she caused to their audience. She explained that is why she loved this community so much. Ziel stated that she believed the reason why the fantasy culture was so accepting was because fantasy deals with the harsh realities of the world.

“I think fantasy is a really good vessel for explaining modern-day issues that plague us,” said Ziel. “Essentially, each fantasy writer has to create issues in their books, whether it be political, racism, sexism, mental issues, or other stuff. They have to become experts in those subjects so they know how to fix those issues in their own stories.”

The fantasy genre has always been considered a safe place for people from diverse backgrounds. This is because it is the largest genre that caters to people from all walks of life.

In all honesty, we have fantasy writers to thank for writing life into these beloved worlds. Tolkien is usually the first one to come to mind. His The Hobbit and later The Lord of the Rings Series were the first representations of high fantasy. However, his is not the first fantasy author who wrote stories catered towards adults.

So, who do we thank? Where did fantasy come from? Surely it didn’t just pop up after J.R.R Tolkien, C.S Lewis, or Michael Ende published their first masterpieces.

That is a bit tricky. If you look at the fantasy genre through the eyes of pure fairy tales with goblins and elves, then the genre started back with the first oral tales of early civilizations before those tales were written down. In fact, one of the first mentions of fantasy was in an Indian myth dating all the way back to 1500 BC.

But, let’s get a bit more accurate.  Many believe that the genre actually started in 1872 in England with the publication of The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris. However, others argue that The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald which was published in 1872 is the first notable fantasy book. But really his novel, Phantastes which was published in 1858 was seen as the first plainly fictitious fantasy aimed towards adults.

It was William Morris with his novel The Well at the World’s End which was published in 1858, that showcased the popular world-building that the fantasy genre is known for today.

Of course, we can’t forget about J. R. R. Tolkien who wrote the first high or epic fantasy titled The Hobbit. Hence why he is credited as the father of the fantasy genre. But really, his series helped to make fantasy mainstream. He paved the way for C.S Lewis, and Ursula K. Le Guin and future generation authors who have helped to elevate fantasy even more into the mainstream such as George R. R Martin, Sarah J. Mass, Neil Gaiman, and many others who would help to inspire the next generation.

  One author to thank would be Terry Brooks who inspired many people, myself included, with his work, The Shannara Chronicles.

“No where challenges greater than fantasy because everything has to be created from scratch,” said Brooks, a famous published author who has spent the past 35 years writing high fantasy. “If you’re working an epic fantasy in an imaginary world, it has to be spelled out. And it all has to be laid out on the page, and it has to be done so in a way that the writer will connect with the reader so that the reader will feel a part of this imaginary world.”

One other name we should talk about would be Andrezej Sapowski who wrote the Witcher series. He is also Renee Ziel’s favorite author that inspired her to dive into the fantasy world. His writing inspired her to want to became the next fantasy writer, and write stories for the next generation.

With the strong fantasy writers from the past and the new generation of writers, this genre will continue to entertain and inspire audiences for generations to come.