Why are "fantasy" books so popular with people of all ages?

What is your attitude to fantasy?

 

i think that fantasy is a popular choice among all ages because when you sit down with that kind of book everything else goes away. You are suddenly traveling aside that brave warrior to fight a fire-breathing dragon and such. Its just another way to escape reality really. I know Fantasy books are my favorite

 

one reason is that child in us never dies, and another is escapism from real world, world in which we are often unhappy.

attitude? hm... positive. i used to read and watch a lot of fantasy for second reason, now i have some projects and actions in life to make my dreams true so i read less fantasy and mostly for first reason

 

Im a HUGE fan of fantasy myself. I think alot of people like fantasy because you can enter a different world when you read it. Like Harry Potter, LOTR, anything by Holly Black, ect...
~Faery

 

It's nice and all, for the reasons the others have mentioned.

Never got into it personally, just doesn't appeal. Tried a few things, but they usually bored me.
Guess I also have a very low threshold for suspension of disbelief. Or things that come in trilogies or series (as most fantasy seems to)
I really don't have the time for the those. Well could, but once I finish a book I'd rather move on to something else entirely, rather than plough through more and have to keep remembering things that happened ten chapters ago.

I'm a writer myself, and would never consider writing fantasy. Just do not have the time or inclination to make everything up, and strike the right balance between imaginative and credible.
Fair play to those who can make it work though.

 

im not into that genre AT ALL.....

and im rare i guess but oh well, *shrugs*....

 

I love fantasy. If I want to read about the real world, I'll pick up a newspaper I like the dreaming, all the different things that can be done in fantasy & SF that can't in real life. I'm not unhappy with the real world as many people -here and off the board- often suggest as a reason for enjoying fantasy, but still imagining all the things that could/should/might have existed is just plain *fun*! Even if you aren't unhappy with real life. Sometimes it is a bit hard to believe as Sage-Phoenix says, but there are many good writers who can make their world 'work', as well.

Ann-Akim, if I may ask since you started this thread but didn't elaborate beyond the unhappy smileys, why don't you like it?

 

Well, i don't understand fantasy, but i read it, because im a write/journalist
I know Fantasy books attract people, and i just want to know why,
And i respect them anyway

 

Because, deep down, we all want to find a forest where the back of the wardrobe should be......

 

I think all people love fantasy novels because there is an innate magical nature in everyone...
There's a part somewhere in every human that wants to believe in magic and fantasy...that wants to escape this banal, mundane world and go to a place of fantasy and wonder. Novels like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings make that place a little closer...

 

I like it because I never really stopped believing in magic (and yes, I mean that literally) and reading fantasy makes it feel less childish.

 

hehe, enough said for me

 

I agree with all of these previous posts and would like to reiterate what they have said and maybe make it a little clearer to the people who don't understand.

When we were younger we had less cares in life and less responsibility. Also when we were younger we were more impressionable to what we believed to be true (i.e. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc...) And as we get older we of course realize that we do have more responsibility and with that comes stress. So as we are stressed we subconsciously return to a time when there was less stress and less responsibility, when we were younger. And as we grow older the only ways to return to our childhood is through cartoons or the fantasy novels. Unfortunately, as we grow people are too "busy" to spend 30 minutes to watch a cartoon so they choose a novel which they can start and stop at anytime.

 

its an escape from reality.

 

Too many writers with too little imagination.

The genre is flooded with mediocre writers.

With phantasy it's way too easy and convenient to avoid real human situations and imaginative human solutions.

Too easy to develop and solve plot dilemmas with phantasy.

How can one even relate to phantasy characters when we have so little in common with them and their super-powers.

BTW, I can't put my finger on it, but there's something in the tone of your posts that feels easy to connect to.

 

Fantasy books are popular because they are an escape from reality.
C'mon, wouldn't we all love to be wealthy as hell with whatever we wanted, or live on a tropical island with hunks or hot chicks everywhere? Maybe ever complete solitude and isolation.

 

i think that the common denominator amongst people is that we all live in a similar reality. this reality is mainly based on deductive logic, analytical reasoning, and visual stimuli. So everybodies "fantasy world", being the opposite of our oh so similar realities, is also similar! Hence people of all ages enjoy fantasy

 

I love books and I love reading, but if I have to be honest, this goes for *any* genre. I read fantasy, SF, non-fic history, historic novels, mysteries, thrillers, and lots of other stuff, however there are more writers that don't interest me than that do. Especially since I learned more about writing styles, plot holes, cliche's, etc. It's a good thing there are so many books out there to chose from. I read a book in about two days and I have a pile of about 100 books laying around I still have to read, but if you gave me a random book from a random writer, I'd give it at least a 50-50 chance I wouldn't make it past page 10.

 

My favourite book ever is the folk of the far away tree - i've had thesame copy since i was 7 and still read it now lol

eventhough its a bit warn

 

Escapism, I beleive, is common in all genres. I think the appeal of fantasy specifically, comes down to the epic struggle between good and evil. No matter how many twists or anti-heros or whatever else you toss into the mix, good vs evil seems to be the fundiment of most fantasy.

In fact, I've got a friend who will no longer read 'high fantasy' because she's so sick of the same story being told over and over again ( Her opinion, not mine. Although I can see where she's coming from )