Comic fantasy - Definition and Overview

Comic fantasy is a subgenre of Fantasy that is primarily humorous in intent and tone. Usually set in imaginary worlds, comic fantasy often includes puns on and parodies of other works of fantasy. It is sometimes known as Low Fantasy in contrast to High Fantasy which is primarily serious in intent and tone.

The subgenre rose in the latter half of the twentieth century, with L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt's Complete Enchanter stories being early exemplars. In more modern times, Piers Anthony's Xanth books, Robert Asprin's "Myth Adventures" of Skeeve and Aahz books, and Terry Pratchett's Discworld provide good examples. A rare example on radio is the BBC's Hordes of the Things.