Introduction

This week’s discussion turns from the darker sub-genres of fantasy to one that hails back to legends. Arthurian fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy that is quite common. People love a good spin on the story of King Arthur, and given the fact that the original legend is bigger than life with many fantastical elements to it (I mean, Merlin exists, right?), it’s hardly surprising that Arthurian fantasies can be found in almost any bookstore if one looks. So let’s dive into this interesting sub-genre to get a good grasp on writing it and what we’re really looking at if we’re reading it.

Defining Arthurian Fantasy

First of all, we’ll start with the definition. This time around, it’s pretty easy. Arthurian fantasy is, simply put, any fantasy that involves some element of King Arthur’s legend and a lot of fantasy. The main appeal here, naturally, is the creativity in the ways Arthur’s legend gets incorporated into the fantasy world. The ways this happens are as varied as the stories themselves. So, there you have it. The definition of Arthurian fantasy.

Writing Arthurian Fantasy

Of course, this is the area that all you writers are actually interested in. We know what Arthurian fantasy is, but how on earth does one go about writing it? Given the myriad ways to incorporate the King Arthur legend into a story, what is really concrete about the genre that authors and writers can use to help themselves really write a true Arthurian fantasy.

Let’s take a look at the common elements and discuss what ingredients you need to write this sub-genre. That should help to clarify the issue, even if the plots and characters may vary.

Plot Complexity

Let’s be honest. While character-driven fiction is increasingly becoming the norm in writing, we all know that character-driven fiction is nothing worth reading if there’s no plot. Granted, you can prop up some really bad plot lines with character-driven fiction, but if the plot is really bad, good characters won’t help at all. In Arthurian fantasy, the plot is especially important. Most of these books, true to the legend itself, have a lot of complexity in their plot. Backstabbing? You got it. Vying for the throne? Check. Evil cousins or half-siblings? Yup. You get the idea. If drama and intrigue can be fit in, they are. All of the betrayals, double-crossing liars, and just straight up enemies lends a great deal of complexity to the plots of Arthurian fantasies. Also worth noting is that most Arthurian fantasies contain a lot of complex layers through use of prophecies and the appearance of quests characters must complete. Politics, betrayal, and intrigue aren’t the only areas where things are complex. So, if you want to write Arthurian fantasy, you’re going to have to write complex plot lines of some sort. It’s just expected.

Magic

This is the one most people wonder about when it comes to fantasy. Magic is one of those borderline situations for Arthurian fantasy. Some of them are really high in magic use while others just aren’t. It all depends on the plot and the focus of the story. So this one leaves you with a lot of wiggle room. You can pretty much write it how you want it.

Themes

So, this is one that you don’t necessarily see in every sub-genre of fantasy, but in Arthurian fantasy, you may see it more often. For Arthurian fantasy, the themes usually have to do with power, family structure, and moral codes or honor. While these things don’t seem like huge themes or major areas of social implication, they can be used to expand into a commentary on social implications or grander ideas throughout the story. It all depends on the writer and how they choose to do things. But most of them do, at least, focus on moral codes and honorable conduct since that was a big focus in the legend of King Arthur.

Conclusion

Arthurian fantasy is a really nice sub-genre to work with because most people, even if they don’t usually enjoy fantasy, will find something in the sub-genre that they do enjoy just because most people enjoy the legend of Arthur. It doesn’t mean your story will be all things to all people, but it does mean that your chosen sub-genre has a higher chance of appealing to readers who might not otherwise read fantasy. That’s a very nice perk since fantasy, though it is a huge genre, is not everyone’s cup of tea, particularly if they’re happier with scientific explanations and technology than they are with magic and mystical reasoning. Nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that hardcore fantasy may not appeal to as many as Arthurian fantasy does.

Sunday Sub-Genres: Arthurian Fantasy