Problems of definition and classification of fantasy: Western European and Slavonic perspectives

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of definition and classification of literary works marked as fantasy. Being quite a modern genre, fantasy, on the one hand, has become quite a popular literature among groups of people of different ages and occupations that leads to the rising attention of theorists of literature and literary critics. But, on the other hand, this literary genre is still not studied and described well enough. Therefore, literary studies do not have conventional definition or classification of the genre. Examining famous fantasy works by J. Tolkien (“The Lord of the Rings”), J. Martin (“The Song of Ice and Flame”) and M. and S. Dyachenko (“Wanderers”), we managed to accentuate typical featured of the genre and define it. Comparing Western European and Slavonic fantasy, we came to a conclusion that this genre combines such necessary features as mythological basis, adventure intrigue, the division of the heroes into possessing superpowers and not possessing such ones, the presence of magical artefacts, opposition to the evil on a global scale. Speaking about classification of the genre we can point out two subgroups such as leaning towards the mythological basis and folklore and leaning towards the historical basis.