---
title: "Fantasy — AP Lit Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Fantasy is a genre built on magic, mythical creatures, and invented worlds with their own rules. In AP Lit, it's a setting-analysis goldmine for LO 1.3.A."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-lit/key-terms/fantasy"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP English Literature"
---

# Fantasy — AP Lit Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

Fantasy is a genre of literature that features imaginative elements such as magic, mythical creatures, and supernatural phenomena. It often takes place in fictional worlds with their own set of rules and possibilities.

## Related Study Guides

- [1.3 Understanding how a story’s structure affects interpretations](/ap-lit/unit-1/story-structure-short-fiction/study-guide/68sZtbZ6KjpBckBQRf6V)

## Review

### Related Terms

- Magic: Magic is a common element in fantasy literature, involving supernatural powers or forces that defy the laws of nature.
- World-building: World-building refers to the process of creating a detailed and immersive fictional world in which the events of a fantasy story take place.
- Epic: An epic is a long narrative poem or story that often features heroic quests, battles, and mythical beings. It is a subgenre within fantasy literature.