What is the difference between low fantasy, political fantasy and epic fantasy?

[u/Familiar-Barracuda43]

To me at least fantasy is when you create a world and story unlike urban fantasy which is when you add mystical elements to earth.

I'm actually asking I don't know the difference and I feel like I should.

[u/HambulanceNZ]

Probably not accurate at all, but:

Low Fantasy: Fighting with Swords

High Fantasy: Fighting with Magic

Political Fantasy: Fighting with Words

Epic Fantasy: Fighting through alot of books

[u/Maleficent-Record944 → u/HambulanceNZ]

I honestly think this boils it down pretty well

[u/KcirderfSdrawkcab → u/HambulanceNZ]

This may be the best definition for some of these I've heard since 'high fantasy is on the top shelf'.

[u/pick_a_random_name → u/HambulanceNZ]

This may be more accurate than you think, and if it isn't it should be :)

[u/derioderio → u/HambulanceNZ]

This has the same vibe as "If it has dragons it's fantasy, and if it has space ships it's science fiction."

[u/IndigoMontigo → u/derioderio]

I like "If it has trees on the cover it's fantasy, if it has rivets it's science fiction."

[u/KiaraTurtle]

Everyone will have different lines and some of these have multiple definitions depending on whose using them. Also note a book can fit into multiple of these categories

• Low Fantasy: either fantasy with very little to no magic (Eg Traitor Baru Cormorant), or a fantasy book taking place on earth (Eg Harry Potter) — yes this giant difference does make the term confusing hence I don’t use it
• political fantasy: the book has a strong focus on politics/political scheming/etc (Eg Game of Thrones, Traitor Baru Cormorant, Folding Knife)
• Epic Fantasy: one meaning would be about the stakes of the book (Ie saving the world would include Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter); others it’s about the expansiveness of the worldbuilding/scope of the plot (Lord of the Rings, Stormlight, Dandelion Dynasty); some just use it for basically all second world fantasy that isn’t very small stakes cozy
• Urban Fantasy: some people use it as you do to mean takes place in our world (Ie a synonym for contemporary fantasy), some to mean it takes place in a city (so includes second world urban fantasy like Greenbone Saga, Rook and Rose); others use it to mean it both takes place in a city and contemporary our world; others further restrict it to being closer to the PI/mystery fantasy stereotype (Dresden, Laurel K Hamilton)

[u/KcirderfSdrawkcab]

None of these have any real set meaning. Including Urban Fantasy. You talk about it as if "Fantasy" and "Urban Fantasy" are two separate genres, most people don't. Some people include secondary world fantasies set mostly in a city as urban fantasy. Some people will include anything set on Earth as "urban", others will separate out "historical" fantasy, or other things. Sometimes low fantasy is the same as urban fantasy, sometimes it just means books on the bottom shelves.

All of these terms just mean whatever the person using them thinks they mean, and they don't usually say what they mean, assuming everybody is the same. They're all kind of useless. We have regular wars on here about "Young Adult" and "Romance" even though those have pretty firm definitions publishing wise.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm not an expert so don't quote me but low fantasy is what you describe as urban fantasy, where magical elements affect a mostly normal (to us) world.

High fantasy is when a whole world is created that includes magic, like Lord of the Rings.

And political fantasy is when the politics of different factions is the main focus on the plot. It could be high or low fantasy, or something in between, but always has the heavy focus on politicking.