The Most Popular Fantasy Subgenres + 4 Up-And-Comers
S.R. Beaston
Crafty with words, wit, and wisdom, just add caffeine to make it more interesting.
The fantasy genre is like the Wood Between The Worlds, and this blog post is your uncle using magical rings to guinea pig you into interdimensional travel. (We’re talking fantasy subgenres.)
In 2023, what are the most popular fantasy subgenres for the everyday reader? What trends can writers capitalize on?
Epic Fantasy
Epic fantasy (not to be confused with high fantasy), is the grand-daddy of fantasy. Epic fantasy takes place in a world greater than our own, with concepts greater than the characters within. Wheel of Time is a great example. It’s not about ‘The Hero's Journey’ compared to the looming problems of the world or universe at large.
Epic fantasy trends include multiple beefy books with many character perspectives. Family feuds and fighting kingdoms are hot in the epic fantasy subgenre, with generational timelines rising in popularity.
High Fantasy
Though closely related to epic fantasy, high fantasy has a few key differences. High fantasy takes place in a world that we do not know, but often hugs close to a select few or even one character the entire time. THIS is ‘The Hero’s Journey’.
The trends of 2023 for high fantasy have also been an interesting shift. Like epic fantasy, it’s all series. ‘The chosen one’ is a popular trope among this subgenre, but we’re also seeing a bloom in ‘cozy’ high fantasy. These cozy books still follow a main character closely, but alleviates a lot of the stress and tension we usually get with the adventures they have. Not to say there is no tension, but it’s lighter tension–a nice change while keeping the core of what makes high fantasy ‘high’ fantasy.
There is also a popular trend of women MC’s now. It feels more authentic, rather than a quota fill, which has been a nice change in the past ten years.
Contemporary Fantasy
Contemporary fantasy is the umbrella subgenre for both urban and modern fantasy, where fantastical elements are in our real world.
This has been popular since the 80s thanks to household names like Stephen King and Anne Rice.
When I was a child, I read my first ‘suburban’ fantasy, Tithe, and it was everything I had been looking for in a book. Since then, the themes and narratives have gotten stronger, leaning into real-life events and locations.
Once again, we see a rise in female protagonists and favorite tropes, stronger here than in high or epic fantasy. Secret worlds, enemies-to-lovers, typical romances and love triangles dominate this space.
These subgenres used to swell the YA fantasy space, but have moved more toward Adult in recent years.
Dark Fantasy
Dark fantasy takes cue from the mystery and thriller genres, tying in a little horror. This makes for a great subgenre that has gotten more popular over time.
Dark fantasy has the ability to slip into any other subgenre, moving from classic fantasy to modern. As one of the more experimental subgenres, you never know what you might get, which is a big draw to these books.
Dark academia has soared the last few years, putting the reader in a familiar, normal setting before completely flipping it on its head. There’s an undeniable interest in reading about places you should be safest—like a school—and making it the most deadly.
Fantasy Romance
One of the favorites of the indie author, fantasy romance, has climbed the popularity ladder quickly. What once was an underdog is now the top dog, appealing to a core female audience, but spiking interest to any individual as it finds its home among the bigger subgenres.
There are… a lot of spicy books. Spicy romance has also become more popular in recent years, making fantasy a perfect way to explore the more…niche tastes.
Here is where we also see a lot of formulaic books. Trends are copy-pasted, rather than adapted and changed, but it’s also understandable that romance as a main theme in fantasy means people may not be reading it for the in-depth world building.
Within a couple of years, I hope to see a more harmonious balance between the two, and with the trajectory of this subgenre, I wouldn’t be surprised to see its popularity rise.
Upcoming subgenres
Based on observing trends and up-and-coming books, here’s my assumption of fantasy subgenres that are likely to become widely popular in the coming years.
- Steampunk fantasy - a combination of Victorian industrial cogs and magic. This lends to a more technical, but still fantastical setting. We see sprinkles of this everywhere in media, and several books have been published to carve a path for this subgenre.
- Science fantasy - a combination of, you guessed it, science fiction and fantasy.
- Historical fantasy - There are so many subgenres that can fit into this one that there is no way historical fantasy won’t be more popular in the coming years.
- D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) fantasy - Much like the Star Wars extended universe, this ‘subgenre’ has been around for years. You’ve probably seen the likes of Drizzt Do'urden in the fantasy section. He’s a well known D&D character. Since the popularity of D&D has resurfaced, so has the market for books based on one of the best TTRPGs.
Honorable Mentions
These subgenres are popular, but more-so to those who are already steeped in the fantasy genre, making them more niche for readers overall (at least for now.)
Sword and Sorcery
This subgenre has been a fan favorite since Conan the Barbarian. It holds hands with heroic fantasy, characterized specifically by a sword-wielding protagonist who seeks excitement and never turns away from a violent battle.
Gaslamp Fantasy
Gaslamp fantasy hides under the umbrella of historical fantasy and is defined by the time frame in which the fantasy takes place, set anywhere from the Edwardian to the Victorian eras, with hints of magic. Historically, readers will fixate on a certain timeframe for a while, so it’s only a matter of time before this niche subgenre is seen.
Comedic Fantasy
Terry Prachet set the bar for comedic fantasy with Discworld, and this subgenre has been a love of many fantasy readers ever since. Even now, such funny works like Oscar from Elsewhere, The Charming Man and Darkwood have been written to fill the comedic fantasy void, but also made them more accessible.
Grimdark
Grimdark fantasy is in honorable mentions because it can be a little too real for even the most die-hard fantasy fan. Fantasy has the fantastic ability to tackle real problems and mold them to something more digestible, like fairytales, but grimdark does the opposite. Grimdark enhances the worst of the worst. Characters are not always good, and they don’t always survive.
Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and so much worse.
If you are a writer, you know well that trends die and popularity wanes. By the time you are done writing your book, sometimes the hype train has pulled into a new station. However, the books that stand the test of time are the ones written with a passion for the genre and subgenres you choose, utilizing them to best share the message you want to share.
If you are a reader, don’t be afraid to read just a little out of your comfort zone! Subgenres often share a home, so you may be surprised what you will fall in love with.