ABSTRACT
The literary or compound term ‘high fantasy’ is enormously evocative, and like most evocative terms, it is pluralistic in meaning and, therefore, difficult to pin down with a neat or precise definition. ‘High’ can refer to style, subject matter, theme, or tone. It can also refer to the characters themselves—their elite or elevated social status or the moral or ethical philosophies which they espouse or exemplify. It can even refer to the affective level of the story itself. ‘Fantasy’, as a literary term, refers to narrative possibilities limited, at least initially, only by the author's own imagination and skill as a story-teller. When combined, high fantasy identifies a literary genre which includes some of the most universally praised books for young readers.
