Examples of Fantasy Over Time

Fantasy is as old as storytelling itself. In its earliest days, the genre took the form of spoken tales transmitted across generations as an instrument for ancient cultures to explain the world around them. Fantasy has been continuously reinvented across time as humans adapt to changing realities and find new ways to remember their past. Yet its essence remains unchanged: Any examples of fantasy will always be grounded in imagination and magic.

To illustrate the evolution of imaginative fiction, let’s explore some examples of fantasy over the years.

Ancient Fantasy

The Epic of Gilgamesh (Anonymous)

The Mesopotamian masterpiece–dating back to around 2700-2600 BCE–follows King Gilgamesh of Uruk in his perilous quest for immortality after the tragic death of his beloved companion Enkidu. Along the way, he encounters monsters, demons, magical waters, and even a plant with the power to restore one’s youth. Gilgamesh himself is one-third man and two-thirds god.

The Ramayana (Valmiki)

Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu and prince of Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala, protagonizes the famous Indian epic from around the 5th century B.C.E. When he’s forced into 14 years of exile to the forest, his wife Sita is captured by the evil demon king Ravana; now, he and a tribe of monkeys must save her.

The Odyssey (Homer)

Homer’s Odyssey, composed in the 8th century B.C., tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he wanders home after the Trojan War. Unexpected creatures emerge, such as the cyclops Polyphemus, the beautiful yet dangerous sirens, and the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, as well as powerful gods like Poseidon and Athena. (P.S. Don’t miss Christopher Nolan’s adaptation, coming out on July 17th, 2026!)

Fantasy in the Middle Ages

The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights (Anonymous)

After discovering his wife's infidelity, King Shahryār begins marrying a new woman each night and executing her the next morning. When Scheherazade offers herself as his bride, she begins telling him a wonderful, fantastical story but leaves it unfinished by dawn, forcing him to spare her life another day. She repeats this for 1,001 nights until she finally wins her freedom.

Journey to the West (Wu Cheng'en)

Written during the Ming dynasty in the 16th century, Journey to the West follows a Buddhist monk, Xuanzang, traveling to India to get sacred religious texts. Along the way, he and his disciples face 81 magical tribulations, including encounters with demon kings, shape-shifting monsters, and scheming, flesh-hungry spirits.

The Divine Comedy (Dante Alighieri)

The renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri follows the soul’s journey to God through the horrors of Hell, the hope and purification of sin in Purgatory, and the glory of Heaven. The allegorical epic presents a supernatural geography and numerous fantastical creatures.

Modern Fantasy

The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Frodo Baggins and an eclectic band of allies cross Middle-earth towards the fires of Mount Doom to destroy the Dark Lord Sauron’s corrupted ring. This foundational example of modern fantasy features talking trees, immortal elves, dragons, peaceful (and hairy) hobbits, evil trolls, almighty wizards, glowing swords, and seeing stones. Here, you’ll find the ultimate fantasy tale.

The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

One of the bestselling books of all time by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist chronicles the quest of a young Andalusian shepherd who ventures through North Africa in search of a treasure he is destined to find. The pillar of this fantastical novel relies on the idea that when you want something, the universe conspires to help you achieve it.

Children of Blood and Bone (Tomi Adeyemi)

The 2018 YA fantasy novel, set in the fictional West African-inspired land of Orïsha, follows the story of Zélie Adebola, a “divîner” fighting to restore magic to the oppressive kingdom of Orïsha. Adeyemi uses classic fantastical elements as a metaphor for systemic racism and police brutality.

The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

A pilot stranded in the Sahara Desert encounters a young boy claiming to be a prince from another planet. In this magical, interstellar journey blending fable, philosophy, and fantasy, readers learn that the most important things in life are invisible to the human eye and can only be understood through the heart.

Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)

This list would not be complete without Harry Potter, a tale of magic, friendship, love, and realizing your full potential. Perhaps the most renowned example of fantasy literature, the saga follows Harry Potter’s magical life at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as his battle with evil Lord Voldemort.

Do you love writing fantasy? Teenagers around the world are invited to enter our Fantasy Competition before Monday, July 27th, for the chance to win $100, gifts from Blackwing, and recognition across our platforms. We're also running a Sci-Fi & Fantasy Camp from July 13 – 17 or August 3 – 7!

About the Author

Tula Jiménez Singer is the Marketing and Administrative Coordinator at Write the World. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Linguistics in 2025, where she focused on Cuban Spanish discourse and dialectology. Before Write the World, she worked in marketing and journalism at various organizations, including The Boston Globe and The Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub. She also served as President of Artistry Magazine, a university publication exploring global arts and culture. Writing is her greatest passion: she joined Write the World as a young writer in 2019 while living in Havana, Cuba, and continues to write stories about magical realism, Cubanism, culture, and identity.