Hard fantasy

In this sense, the term is analogous to hard science fiction, from which it draws its name, in that both build their respective worlds in a rigorous and logical manner.

[5] Examples of works described as hard fantasy in this sense include: Stableford stated that the term "is used in several different ways", and was originally used by historical fantasy writers in the late 1980s to describe works that were "scrupulously faithful to historical and anthropological data" outside having some magical or mythic plot elements.

[1] Michael Swanwick's essay "In the Tradition", subtitled "A Cruise through the Hard Fantasy Archipelago..." uses the term to discuss the possibility of major fantasy works providing a structure for the genre, as hard science fiction does for science fiction in general, and concludes that it is impossible.

Hard fantasy, on the other hand, obeys and extrapolates from rules; Savater cites the works of Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Olaf Stapledon, and Rendezvous with Rama as examples.

Dozois' examples included The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick, Metropolitan by Walter John Williams, and "The Giving Mouth" by Ian R.