Fantasy is, although literary critics and academics like to overlook this, the most influential and successful genre of the 21st century. Some of the earliest books in our culture, including the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey, deal with monsters, wonders, fantastic journeys, and magic. Currently, the spectrum of fantasy ranges from globally received multi-volume series to the most sophisticated niche publications. This introduction places the genre in the context of European literature, narrates its history from its beginnings to the origins of modern fantasy in the 20th century, and dedicates its main chapters to the period since Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings', covering the fantasy boom of the 1970s and 1980s, the success of the 'Harry Potter' series, and current developments.