Why we love to hate ‘romantasy’.
Disclosure – as a girl whose fantasy reading consists mainly of Twilight and not much else, I can speak only from my limited experience, yet from the small snippet of fantasy I have consumed, it’s clear how fantasy’s shift away from adventure and towards romance in the 21st century has reshaped both the stories themselves and the hate they receive from the general public.
Widely regarded as the pioneer of modern fantasy, J.R. Tolkien shifted the landscape of the genre and redefined it as his own. With vast world-building and rich character development, it brought the genre into mainstream culture. In many, if not all, fantasy novels after Tolkien’s, his influence is apparent. Despite the series being a cultural landmark in the genre, its success has revolved around its catering to the male audience. Female characters remained on the sidelines, in support roles as muses or romantic interests for the main characters. Arwen’s storyline is brief in the books, ending with her sacrificing her immortality to be with her love interest, Aragorn. This is a poignant example of femininity in fantasy being aestheticised rather than explored. The series continues to be described as the best modern depiction of fantasy, but could the lack of backlash be due to the predominantly male fanbase and storyline?
I noticed this kind of judgement during a shift at the charity shop I work at. A young, burly man of about thirty came in to donate a large bag of books, filled to the brim with ‘romantasy’ (romance-fantasy) and chick-lit. He joked with a tone of insistence as he pulled out The Devil Wears Prada and Fourth Wing that the books were not his, but his wife’s. I thanked him for his donation, and he scurried out of the shop quickly with no further conversation. It is common for people to come in to donate on behalf of others, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he was so concerned about how a charity shop worker would perceive him.
As the 2000s rolled around, the genre took a sharp turn towards romance-led narratives, with the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer being a frontrunner in this shift. The main character, Bella Swan, a 17-year-old high school girl, falls for an over-100-year-old vampire who insists on waiting until marriage. Thus, filling the story with scenes of awkward sexual tension. Edward states in the first book that Bella’s outfit, consisting of a long khaki skirt and blue blouse, is “utterly indecent”. It’s hard to imagine how such a modest outfit could be so tempting to Edward; whether it is sexual or morbid desire, this tension taps into the interests of teenage girls, giving them a safe space to explore their fantasies without judgement. Twilight has faced heavy scrutiny from literary critics and has been seen as ‘low-brow’, but it is clear that this is not based on the storylines, but rather, who they appeal to.
The cultural phenomenon of Twilight was bound by deep-rooted gender bias. With the main fanbase being teenage girls asking, “Are you team Edward or team Jacob?” It quickly became looked down upon or laughed at, with people dismissing the deep storyline of vampire coven alliances, moral dilemmas, and fantasy conventions, viewing the genre as an embarrassment. The actor playing Edward in the movie series, Robert Pattinson, said in an interview that it was “like a book that wasn’t supposed to be published.” This shows the harsh reality of the outcome of women consuming and loving media, specifically teenage girls. Instead of being appreciated for what it is, as cringeworthy as it may be at times, it is reduced to a cultural embarrassment due to its association with femininity.
Not all of this hostility comes from other fantasy readers however, with much of it coming from outside the genre entirely. Readers of more “serious” literary fiction often
treat fantasy as something for those who are not so academically inclined. Viewing romance or fantasy as childish and immature due to their hardcore fanbases of devoted teenagers, or how the books appear online.This tends not to be rooted in general dislike of the genre, with “serious” readers rarely reading fantasy, only making judgements on how the books appear on social media. With excerpts of them being posted out of context, usually sexual scenes which can be jarring for those who have not read and appreciated the rest of the book. The Twilight fanbase is a prime example of this, with many posts on social media showing the ‘cringeworthy’ parts of either the books or the movies. This has led to many people feeling ashamed to admit that they like certain series or books in fear of being labelled ‘cringe’. The use of tiktok has also fuelled a ‘romantasy’ renaissance amongst readers, with its popularity skyrocketing. Being featured at the front of almost every bookstore on a ‘booktok’ stand. It is easy to look down upon what is viewed as popular, with many not wanting to be perceived by others as someone who follows trends. The superiority complexes that many readers have is not coming from genuine dislike of the genre itself, but rather the distorted reality being portrayed by social media.
From these two examples of popular fantasy series, it is clear that literary snobbery often reflects the prejudices of readers and their critics rather than the books themselves. Although Meyer and Tolkien’s works both contain rich world building and deep storylines, they have received vastly different opinions from the public. While Twilight is often dismissed as cringey, it has gained a huge fanbase of avid readers, showing that what is important in a book is not universal acclaim but rather how the genre and story resonate with its intended audience.
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