In the Dark about Fantasy Genres: How “The Eferian Day” is Labelled

3–5 minutes

“The Eferian Day” is Dark Fantasy mixed with Epic Fantasy.

Related: “The Eferian Day’s Inspirations” (website page).

Why?

When it comes to giving clear and concrete definitions of genres surrounding the themes and elements featured within a fictional work: The primary difficulty stems in the silliness of a generalized labelling system itself.

Labelling is a Silly Practice

Putting an entire living world into a singular specific label hinders the ability to expand the elements the work can feature. Since the label have a set of standard elements expected to be featured within the fictional world: the ability to go beyond the ‘set in stone’ list of expected elements makes it unnecessarily harder to bring new ideas forward. Because the label has a set standard of expected elements to be featured—example of this for the Fantasy genre are Elves, spellcasting, dragons, heroes with swords and a storyline where the ‘good guy’ always wins in the end no matter what—the ability to then expand on top of these expected ideas sets barriers of entry where the outcome always remain the same regardless of how one structure the creative altering one makes to it.

An example of what I mean by this is to imagine one takes the classic “normal person from humble village turn divine being hero saving the world by the end of the story” and use that as the foundation to then further the creative work by adding additional elements which is normally not seen within this type of storyline. By already having the expected set of elements most people are used to seeing in a Fantasy story like this: the adding of additional features then turns into sheer aesthetics. Since the adding of the new features will only altar the environment around the story. And, at best, will give some interesting altercations in events throughout the progression of the hero’s journey.

But, however, the actual story within itself will always be the same. Because if the creator altars the storyline to the point where the story itself shifts away from the “normal person from humble village turn divine being hero saving the world by the end”: then it is no longer able to fit under the label it was given from the start. So, the storyline will have the same beginning, the same middle and the same ending.

Labelling: Altering how we View the World

Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy and so on.

The list of genres a fictional work can be labelled within is large. And each label has a set standard of elements needed to be featured to gain the label. Just like how labelling affects the way we view the world around us: fictional works are also affected by the titles we put on them. This turns into the same vein as the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”, because we see the label before we have read the book. And since we know the label but not the book will we then judge the book by the label it has on it.

Labelling is necessary for the purposes of categorization and administration. Since we need methods of showcasing the content of the book in a structured way to be able to find the content we want to see. Whether it be stores, libraries or algorithms: we need a way to make it easier to find the content we are interested in. So, labelling then helps people finding the books they are interested in and want to read.

However, on the creator’s side, labelling creative work sets a perimeter of how the work will be viewed by the public. So, by having these labels: the work will then be judged on the standard of the label. And not on the quality of the book itself.

In Conclusion

Labels are necessary. Yet the ability to expand the creative work will always be hindered on the bases of the label having set standards of elements needed to be featured. It is then important to remember that the label is there to serve as a way for people to find the books they are interested in and want to read. And not as a way for people to “know” the content of the book without having read it.

Since it is the book, which is the important part, not the label.