Having Fun with Epic Fantasy: Making the Grand Tour

A few weeks back I posted on why epic fantasy keeps “speaking” to us, by which what I really meant is that despite its critics, people keep writing and reading in the genre. I discussed epic’s mythic roots and how it allows readers to step outside the everyday and focus on a wider world—but in a way that lets us have some fun as well.

Since then, I’ve found myself coming back to the fun and reflecting on some of the elements of classic epic fantasy that I most enjoy. So much so that I though...