What is fantasy for us today?
Fantasy is more than just an escape from everyday life - it is a mirror of our inner world. At a time when global crises, social tensions and digital sensory overload dominate our everyday lives, millions of readers are drawn to fictional worlds full of dragons, magic and ancient realms. But what are we really looking for there?
Fantasy is not just a genre of escapism. Rather, it opens up a space in which we can experience our deepest desires, fears and hopes - free from prejudice, far from reality, but full of meaning. It reflects our longings for control, justice and meaning as well as our repressed shadows.
This article sheds light on why fantasy is more than just entertainment for us humans: it has a psychological, cultural and moral impact. And through its trends, it reveals a lot about our time, our society - and about ourselves.
Psychological depth - a mirror of our desires and fears
Fantasy is a projection screen. It allows us to experience what is missing or hidden from us in real life: Omnipotence, immortality, magic - the feeling of being something special. These supernatural elements are not an end in themselves, but an expression of basic human needs: for meaning, for control over one's own destiny, for belonging.
At the same time, fantasy offers space to process fears. The fight against dark forces often symbolizes the inner struggle against loss, failure or isolation. Characters who fail and yet keep going reflect our own insecurities - and give us courage.
Fantasy that has shaped society - alongside Tolkien
- Stephen King - The dark tower
- George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire
- Stephen R. Donaldson - The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
- Ursula K. Le Guin - Earthsea cycle
- Joe Abercrombie - The first law-trilogy
- Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood-cycle
Fantasy thus creates a protected space for experience. Readers experience emotional processes within fiction that are often repressed in real life. This cathartic effect makes fantasy not only relevant, but essential - as a psychological space for reflection in a world that leaves little room for real feelings.
Social mirror - What fantasy reveals about us
Fantasy is not only a place of escape, but also a seismograph of social development. If you take a look at the current fantasy trends in 2025, you can clearly see where our cultural attention is focused. The ongoing boom in spice fantasy, "enemies to lovers" narrative patterns or romanticized power conflicts shows a shift towards surface appeal - often at the expense of depth.
This fixation on sexuality, conflict and wishful projection reveals a lot about the state of modern societies. Objectification is increasingly replacing substance, the narrative is becoming a stage for emotional compensation instead of moral debate. This does not mean that every romantic fantasy work is irrelevant - but the mass of what sells well allows conclusions to be drawn about collective needs.
A look outside the box reveals differences: In regions such as Brazil or parts of Africa, magical realism is still deeply rooted - there it is often about spirituality, cultural identity and rootedness. Such works arise from other realities of life and reflect a different understanding of values.
The social significance of fantasy therefore lies not only in entertainment, but also in reflecting what preoccupies - or represses - a culture. Anyone who analyzes which fantasy is consumed will recognize where a society is heading - or what it is missing.
Fantasy as a moral projection surface - values, virtues, orientation
Fantasy not only shapes our dreams, but also our understanding of values. In a world in which classic virtues are increasingly considered outdated, the genre offers the opportunity to renegotiate moral structures. Be it heroism, loyalty or the willingness to make sacrifices - fantasy can not only show such concepts, but also anchor them emotionally.
Especially in times when narcissistic behaviour patterns are normalized by the media and pop culture, there is a longing for stability and clarity. Figures with decency, honor or gentlemanly spirit can - consciously or unconsciously - act as a counterweight. They are reminiscent of a time when strength went hand in hand with responsibility, not self-aggrandizement.
Fiction is never neutral. Writers convey world views. Those who read absorb values. Fantasy therefore also has a literary responsibility - whether consciously intended or not. Stories shape morals. They shape our view of relationships, heroism and community.
It is therefore all the more important that authors and readers recognize how much influence a story can have on moral orientation. Fantasy can dream - but it can also guide. And therein lies its true power.
Philosophy of fantasy - truth in fiction
Fantasy removes the separation between reality and illusion - not to deceive, but to expose. Fiction often reveals a deeper truth than everyday life: truth as an emotional resonance chamber, not as objective fact. What happens in an invented world seems real - because it is based on inner truths.
Fiction allows us to explore topics that would immediately polarize in reality. In fantasy, systems can be questioned, role models can be broken and values can be reorganized - without moralizing. The fictional world is a neutral space for radical reflection.
There is no need for absolutism: fantasy lives between extremes - between dystopia and ideal. The best works do not show how the world should be, but how it could be - or why it is the way it is. This is what makes fantasy philosophically valuable: it doesn't force you to have an opinion, but invites you to gain knowledge.
Why we need more fantasy today than ever before
In the midst of global uncertainties, the call for orientation is loud. Fantasy offers this space - not through fixed answers, but through tangible questions. Fiction becomes a reaction space for collective crises, in which we as readers can play out emotional scenarios without being hurt in real life.
Especially in confusing times, back-projection occurs: readers transfer feelings, insights and experiences from fantasy back into their own lives. This can be liberating - but also dangerous. Because fantasy shapes us. If we constantly romanticize toxic relationship patterns, we lose awareness of healthy structures. When power is portrayed as sexy, we lose our sense of justice.
That's why we need a cultural reorientation. More substance, less form. More values, less allure. Fantasy can achieve this - if it dares to be uncomfortable again. If it remembers that it was once the place where visions were born - not just consumer desires.
Authors, publishers and readers bear responsibility. Not in the sense of censorship - but as an invitation to deal with this power more consciously.
Final thought - Fantasy is not a genre, but a condition
Fantasy is not an escape - it is an attitude. It is the inner fire that lets us dream, think and grow. What we make of it is up to us.
Anyone who truly understands fantasy recognizes in it not only dragons and magic, but also a way to encounter the world in a new way. Fantasy reveals what we are missing - and what we are looking for. It shows us how we feel, think and hope. And sometimes even how we fail.
In an age in which everything seems measurable and optimized, fantasy reminds us that not everything has to be explainable - but tangible. That depth is more important than speed. That values, meaning and humanity are not outdated, but are urgently needed.
Perhaps that is the real reason why we need fantasy: Because it allows us to finally feel something real again in a world full of noise. And because it shows us that change doesn't start with rules - but with imagination.
Read more exciting Fantasy News!
Höre Fantasy und Philosohpie: Warum wir Fantasy brauchen – Spiegel unserer Sehnsüchte auf Patreon! Unterstütze uns mit 5.99$ im monat!