GLOSSARY
The following terms have specialized meanings
within the horror or fantasy fields that may not be
readily apparent.
alternate history Although alternate history sto-
ries are usually science fiction, some writers
have recently begun to use settings that
resemble our own world as it might have
evolved if magic were real and if history had
taken a different course at some time in the
past. Examples are Strange Cargo, by Jeff
Barlough, set in a world where the Ice Age
never ended, and the Age of Unreason trilogy,
by J. Gregory Keyes.
Cthulhu Mythos The partly rationalized super-
natural backdrop of most of H. P. Lovecraft’s
best fiction. His basic premise was that the
Earth was once ruled by loathsome aliens with
near magical powers who were expelled to
another universe but still seek to return and
dominate humanity. A wide variety of authors
have expanded on Lovecraft’s original cre-
ation, including Brian Lumley, Fred Chappell,
and Colin Wilson.
dark fantasy A term usually applied to stories
that blend themes of fantasy and horror. The
supernatural adventures of Laurell Hamilton,
whose vampires are an accepted part of socie-
ty in her alternate universe, are an example of
dark fantasy. The term is sometimes expanded
to include much or all of supernatural fiction,
but it loses its utility when so applied.
high fantasy Fantasy novels set in another reali-
ty, possibly linked to ours, usually one where
magic works. Society normally consists of
nobles and warriors, kings and princes, castles
and quests. The works of Robert Jordan,
George R. R. Martin, and Terry Goodkind are
typical high fantasy.
multiverse The concept that ours is just one of
many universes, in some of which magic works,
and among which travel may be possible
through one means or another. The most
detailed of these is the overall background for
most of the individual fantasy series by
Michael Moorcock, most of whose heroes are
different manifestations of the same personali-
ty in different realities.
mythos A set of magical or supernatural rules
that are used as the backdrop for a series of sto-
ries and/or novels by one or more authors. The
best-known example is the Cthulhu mythos of
H. P. Lovecraft. Most shared world series writ-
ten by multiple authors employ some form of
common mythos.
quest fantasy A story whose main plot requires
that the protagonist accomplish one or more
tasks, usually to retrieve a valuable object or
rescue a prisoner. The most famous example is
the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien,
which varies the formula somewhat in that the
quest in this case is to rid the protagonist of an
object rather than to acquire it.
shape-changers Intelligent creatures who can
magically alter their form into other shapes.
Werewolves are shape-changers, but many oth-
ers have wider ranging abilities. In fantasy fic-
tion they are not necessarily inimical to
humans. The Cheysuli in Jennifer Roberson’s401