Notes from RWA National Conference Panel - July 16, 2009
"Hot Vampires, Demonslayers, and Enchantresses: the Many Flavors of Fantasy"
Examples of Fantasy Sub-genres

Note:  This is a selection rather than a comprehensive list.

Traditional Fantasy (also called Epic Fantasy or High Fantasy)

FILM:  Lord of the Rings, Excalibur, Merlin

BOOKS: 
  • J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings
  • Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, Liveship Trilogy, etc.
  • George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series
  • Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave, etc.
  • Diana Pharoah Francis's Crosspointe Chronicles, Path series
  • the works of Melanie Rawn, Carol Berg, David B. Coe, Lynn Flewelling, etc.

Historical Fantasy

BOOKS:
  • Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles
  • George R.R. Martin's Fevre Dream
  • Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series
  • Sarah Hoyt's Magical British Empire series
  • Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
  • Tim Powers's The Stress of Her Regard

Urban Fantasy

FILM:  Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood

BOOKS:
  • Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series
  • Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse series)
  • Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series
  • Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson series
  • Adrian Phoenix's Dante series

Paranormal Romance

FILM:  Ghost, Twilight series, The Lake House, Kate and Leopold

BOOKS: 
  • Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series
  • Christine Feehan's Carpathian series
  • Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series
  • J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series


Romantic Fantasy

FILM:  Ladyhawke

BOOKS:
  • Catherine Asaro's Lost Continent series
  • Pati Nagle's Ælven series
  • Tamora Pierce's The Immortals quartet
  • Sharon Shinn's Samaria, Twelve Houses series


Fantasy Romance

BOOKS:
  • Mary Jo Putney's Guardian series