Why write Fantasy?

Fantasy as a genre appeals to me as a way to look at contemporary issues without confronting my own biases. Contrasted to science fiction as a genre, fantasy uses supernatural elements and creatures in a story that have nothing to do with our contemporary world. Where science fiction deals with the plausible, fantasy does not. I love writing about mythical creatures and magic trying to push the boundaries of what is possible.

I also enjoy the world-building aspects of fantasy as a genre. It is very satisfying to create a world with a unique history. World building requires imagining a world with its own cultural, political, economic, social, and military backgrounds.

For me it’s not enough to create a world with its own logic. I really want to examine difficult issues rooted in the human experience. The reader and the writer must believe in the story and feel that the story is true to its own logic. All of the above sounds serious, but another reason to write fantasy is to have fun reading about fantastic new characters in their wondrous settings.