At FaRoFeb, our aim is to celebrate Fantasy Romance in all its variety. But what exactly are the subgenres of Fantasy Romance? In this brand new series of blog posts, we explore the many different categories that fall under the FaRoFeb umbrella.
Today we welcome A.J. Lancaster, author of Fantasy of Manners romance, to tell us more about her love for this relatively unknown genre!
What is fantasy of manners?
Love period dramas and magic? Welcome to the fantasy-of-manners subgenre!
Fantasy of manners is a subgenre of fantasy where the societal setting lends itself to intimate, complicated social interactions and (you guessed it) manners. Think ballrooms and manor houses rather than battlefields. The name draws from ‘comedy of manners’, and while fantasy of manners books aren’t always humorous, they often do have a whimsical, tongue-in-cheek tone.
The Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian periods are a natural fit for many fantasy-of-manners books, but there are also books in this subgenre set in secondary worlds and non-Earth time periods. There’s a lot of overlap with gaslamp fantasy. To home in on the difference between the two: Gaslamp fantasy describes the world’s technology level, and fantasy of manners describes the nature of the society and focus of the story’s conflicts.
Fantasy of manners books don’t have to include romance, but they very often do, since the intimate focus of this subgenre naturally lends itself to exploring relationships.
Why I love fantasy of manners
- Aesthetics. Ballgowns! Manor houses! Carriages! Men in cravats! Also, large quantities of tea and biscuits.
- Magic meets manners. Juxtaposing the wildness of magic with a rigid society creates interesting conflicts and is just plain fun.
- Melodrama. All those rules and societal expectations mean massive potential for delicious, and frequently amusing, interpersonal drama over small stakes.
- Heightened sexual tension. In a society where there are rigid hang-ups around sex, the impact of every small touch is magnified.
- Intimate, conversational focus. This subgenre favours conversation and intrigue over epic battles and combat sequences, which means characters’ emotions and cleverness take centre stage. I love a warrior lead as much as the next person, but I enjoy that this subgenre focuses on strengths other than the physical.
- Domesticity. Fantasy of manners is often grounded in cosy everyday details: repairing a torn seam, fixing up an old house, visiting friends, writing letters, choosing the right outfit. Family, found or otherwise, is often a big theme. There’s something comforting about this type of worldbuilding, the literary equivalent of a cup of tea in front of a warm fire.
Favorite fantasy of manners books
If you’d like to explore the world of fantasy of manners romance further, here are a few of my favorites:
Sorcerer to the Crown
by Zen Cho
Sorcery & Cecilia
by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Tea & Sympathetic Magic
by Tansy Rayner Roberts
About A.J. Lancaster
Growing up in rural New Zealand, AJ Lancaster escaped chores by hiding up trees reading books. AJ wrote in the same way as breathing—constantly and without thinking much of it—so it took many years and accumulating a pile of manuscripts to connect this activity to ‘being a writer’. Along the way, AJ collected a degree in science, worked in environmental planning, and became an editor.
Now ensconced in the windy coastal city of Wellington / Te Whanganui-a-Tara with two cats and a wide variety of houseplants, AJ writes and indie publishes romantic, whimsical fantasy books. Visit her at www.ajlancaster.com.