I have read fantasy literature my whole life, and I would hate to read anything else. From kingdoms led by dragons to magical warrior cats, I have had my fill of fantasy. Fantasy brings wonder and escapism to people young and old. The most notable ones would be Disney movies. Unfortunately, the representation of diverse groups of people has not always been the best, especially in literature. Many pieces of fantasy literature lack representation of non-white people partly because white people make up 75.58% of authors, based on recent author demographics statistics. Another is the fact that most fantasy literature is featured in or inspired by medieval Europe. This can be seen in more popular fantasy literature like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Hobbit. Rarely are there any popular fantasy books that are set in or based on another country or culture. Growing up, I never really questioned it until now. 

The fantasy genre was recorded to have been introduced by a Scottish author named George Macdonald. He authored the novel The Princess and the Goblin as well as Phantastes which is said to be the first adult fantasy book ever written. He was also one of the first to author a critical essay about the fantasy genre called The Fantastic Imagination. You could also guess that he was, yes, a white guy. George Macdonald inspired other early famous fantasy authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis who were also, in fact, white men. 

Before Macdonald, the Brothers Grimm, who emerged in Germany, wrote Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and others. However, this genre was folklore which is different from fantasy. Folklore is comprised of hundreds of retellings of stories where changes and historical events change how people tell the stories. Fantasy, however, is completely imaginative and could stem from any source of inspiration. Besides the Brothers Grimm, there was also Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author, who wrote works such as The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, and The Snow Queen. You may also know Shakespeare, an English poet, who wrote plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest. The Eurocentric origins of fantasy did not only affect the appearances of the cultures within it but also gender roles. Older fantasy writers were not only white but also men. The way women are written in older fantasy works conveys the European view of how women “should” be. Though newer fantasy attempts to write unique female characters, it usually ends up as an overdone stereotype. 

It is possible that the authors are not the only reason that fantasy is so Eurocentric. Back then, many simple things were seen as taboo. This is why Shakespeare got away with so much since people thought he only authored silly stories that were meant to entertain and not send a message. Since fantasy has always been Eurocentric, people might only view other fantasy works through a Eurocentric point of view, seeing other works as boring or unlikeable simply because it is different than the standard European fantasy with kings, dragons, and knights. If readers choose to search for non-Eurocentric books and diversify their reading, there are more likely to be non-Eurocentric books on mainstream bookshelves. 

If I asked someone about a popular fantasy book, most would name the most popular which just happened to be the most Eurocentric. While there are fantasy books that represent other races, the exploration of non-Western cultures is less common in mainstream literature. Because of this, I personally cannot think of any well-known fantasy books that I have read that openly use another mythology or take place in a non-Western country. Although, it is more prominent in animated series like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire.  

The reason for this may be because of how much easier it is to represent things visually than through text. Avatar: The Last Airbender is obviously inspired by Chinese, Tibetan, and Indian cultures through the way they dress and write even though they speak English. In Kizazi Moto, it is shown that it is set in Africa and takes from African mythologies through the languages they speak and references that are made. The discrepancy between visual and written mediums plays a significant role in this phenomenon. With their visual storytelling capabilities, animated series can more easily convey cultural influences through visuals, clothing, and art. In contrast, conveying the same cultural depth in writing may require a more refined approach, making it important for authors to provide more information or rely on readers’ pre-existing knowledge of diverse cultures. So, the abundance of white characters and influences in fantasy literature may be because of a fear of not being able to represent another culture effectively or plain laziness. As a writer myself, I can understand the struggle of attempting to write about a character of a different race or culture that is not your own. 

Despite all of this, efforts have been made to reflect distinct cultures in contemporary fantasy books. Because of how common Eurocentricity is in fantasy writing, authors are trying harder and harder to diversify their writing and even embrace their own cultures. Many non-mainstream authors are increasingly choosing settings inspired by non-Western cultures and mythologies and writing non-white characters. These authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, Cindy Pon, Nnedi Okorafor, and many more. This shift allows readers to explore diverse traditions, whether drawing inspiration from African, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous cultures. If this trend remains, the works of non-white others who seek to diversify fantasy may finally become more mainstream, and these kinds of books will become better available to audiences who only shop at local bookstores. 

To conclude, Eurocentric fantasy may have made up most of many people’s childhoods and that may be what they are used to. Even so, I believe we can bring on a new wave of fantasy. In the same way, Disney is currently trying to diversify their animation, we can diversify our writing and what we read. Fantasy is not a genre that should belong to one culture alone but should be open to all to create within and for all to experience. 

Bibliography 

Dickinson, Kelly. “Is This Just Fantasy?: It’s a White, White World–and That’s Got to Change.” The Hub. 15 Dec. 2014. www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/12/15/is-this-just-fantasy-its-a-white-white-world-and-thats-got-to-change/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024. 

Quinn, Kora. “Eurocentricity and Race in Modern Fantasy.” Illumination Journal. 11 Oct. 2020. uwilluminationjournal.com/fall-2020/eurocentricity-and-race-in-modern-fantasy. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024 

Duke, Shaun. “The Unbearable Weight of Fantasy, Tolkien, and Race (Or, Eh, Black Elves Are Fine).” Dr. Shaun Duke, Professional Nerd. 16 Feb. 2022. shaunduke.net/2022/02/theunbearableweightoffantasy/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024. 

Anthony, A. Z. “Write of Way #8 – Writing beyond Eurocentric Fantasy.” Fantasy-Hive, 3 May. 2018, fantasy-hive.co.uk/2018/05/write-of-way-8-writing-beyond-eurocentric-fiction/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024. 

Ethan. “Examined Worlds: The Depth of Eurocentrism.” Examined Worlds, 26 Apr. 2015, examinedworlds.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-depth-of-eurocentrism.html. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024. 

Pagan, Amanda. “Hallmarks of Fantasy: A Brief History of the Genre.” The New York Public Library, 18 May 2020, www.nypl.org/blog/2020/05/18/hallmarks-fantasy-brief-history-fantasy. Accessed 28 Jan. 2024. 

Reflection 

I am happy with the topic I chose for my essay. It is a topic I have always wanted to discuss but never really knew where to start. I was able to find interesting sources discussing this issue and learned a lot more about fantasy along the way. It was difficult to figure out the answers to different guiding questions, but I was able to manage. Overall, writing this essay was a fun experience and I cannot wait to explore other topics surrounding it.