Delving Into A Fantasy of Manners

Parasols, dragons and zombies, oh my!

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What do you get if you cross Jane Austen, Bridgerton, and love spells?

A fantasy of manners, sometimes known as “mannerpunk”.

When I first experienced this fantasy sub-genre, the Bridgertons hadn’t yet been introduced to Netflix. I thought it was quaint and returned to the Lord of the Rings. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve turned back toward what I now see as a nuanced and interesting subgenre.  With age, comes wisdom I suppose.

But what is a fantasy of manners, exactly?

Back in 2004, author Ellen Kushner claimed she invented the term when she suggested it to Don Keller while he was writing an article about her book Swordspoint. 

Esteemed author Jo Walton has said that for a work to be considered a Fantasy of Manners it must:

• Be a fantasy tale

• It can be described as "like Jane Austen with magic”

• Manners are used as weapons

• The events within the story are small. They matter to the characters, or to society in general, but don’t change the course of the world

• Must have highly regimented social settings, and some degree of wit and snark. 

Other folks within the literary world have gone further and said that FoM must also include a romance, and should revolve around courtship and marriage. The presence of novels within the subgenre that do not center around these things demonstrates that exceptions have successfully been made. But instead of epic quests across entire continents to acquire (or destroy) an object of power, it’s commonly agreed that FoM plots should be character-driven. 

Many Fantasy of Manners tales are set within the Regency and Edwardian periods when society and social stratification were all-important to people “of the right sort”. There are some stories that go beyond these time periods, but what is most important is the social etiquette. Formal, social behaviors are not as rigid today as they were in the Regency and Edwardian periods, (a fact which many believe has contributed to the downfall of society, but that’s another essay for another time). 

But once upon a time (see what I did there?), how one behaved and conducted themselves in the company of others was all-important. It went beyond knowing which fork to use with each course at dinner. Beyond dressing properly for dinner or a walk in the woods. Proper social behavior meant one knew how to demonstrate respect to another, and how to deliver a cutting insult with manners and a smile. It meant one understood how things were done, and not done. It meant finding the “right” person within one’s own class to spend the rest of your life with. Although often matches were made more for optics, power, or money than love.

In recent times, the Fantasy of Manners sub-genre has expanded to include LGBTQIA+ characters. Personally, I and many others see this as a good thing. After all, same-gender attraction is far from new and opens the door wide for new conflicts, plots, and character interactions. Authors such as Heather Rose Jones, Stephanie Burgis, Freya Marske, C.M. Waggoner, Cat Sebastian, C.L Polk, and Sasha Lamb have created a sub-sub-genre that is being happily devoured by the LGBTQIA+ public because readers like to see themselves represented, and we all want to believe in magic. Otherwise, we wouldn’t read fantasy.

An English Regency-era novelist of distinction, Georgette Heyer, has been named as an influence by many FoM authors. She lived from August 16, 1902, to July 4th, 1974, and was quite prolific with 56 novels (most set before 1800) and 2 essays to her credit. According to the literary critic Kay Mussell, Heyer’s books revolved around a "structured social ritual – the marriage market represented by the London season" where "all are in danger of ostracism for inappropriate behavior". The thing that set Heyer apart was her attention to detail and accuracy. At the time of her death, she reportedly owned over 1100 historical reference works. Many of her books concerned members of the wealthy, upper class and featured settings important to the story. While she did claim to be influenced by Jane Austen, Heyer wrote more detailed descriptions than Austen. She was also far more prolific, as previously mentioned. 

But Austen has influenced countless other authors beyond Heyer. Echoes of Austen are found throughout modern literature, but most definitely in the Fantasy of Manners sub-genre, often described as “Jane Austen, but with magic”. Because she lived in a time when rules of acceptability governed society, she wrote what she knew and saw around her. Her works are full of complex characters who struggle to deal with themes such as love and marriage that resonate even today. Her lead female characters are often as independent as they can be, strong-willed, and headstrong. Their quest for freedom, power, and agency is relatable and continues to draw in readers.

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FoM Recommendations

The Goblin Emperor (Locus Award winner) by Katherine Addison

(blurb from Ancillary Review of Books)

“It tells the story of Maia, a mixed-race noble so far down the line of inheritance that he is stowed in a far corner of the kingdom and ignored—until disaster strikes, and he must ascend the throne. Thrust into the spotlight, he must contend with racism and prejudice from his court, investigate the death of his predecessor, and learn the tactics of rulership, all while maintaining his sanity and his moral compass.”

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Competing wizards Mr. Norell and Jonathan Strange have re-invigorated English magic, a discipline once thought entirely dead. However, they have dramatically different personalities and approaches. Mr. Norell is sober, even severe, and Strange is expressive and charismatic; nonetheless, they become teacher and student, and friends of a sort. That friendship proves critical when their magical exploits and relations with Faerie begin to have ripple effects, drawing people around them into a fae kind of madness that threatens the stability of reality.

Shades of Milk & Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

This is straight-up Jane Austen with magic, where ladies of quality are judged by their skills at glamour. But while Jane is talented with magic, her sister has gotten the lion’s share of the beauty, and she’s the one who gets all the attention. Now 28, Jane has resigned herself to spinsterhood…until she has to set aside thoughts of marriage entirely to defend her family’s honor, and in so doing, stumbles into her own romance.

Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

A family in mourning for a dead patriarch, a son who will happily sue to get the inheritance he believes is rightfully his, another son who bears his father’s deathbed confession like an endless weight, a daughter involved in the abolition movement, a daughter who just wants to fall in love, and a daughter ready to sacrifice everything out of duty for her husband. It’s the stuff of pure Regency drama…except everyone involved is a dragon. (I need to read this one!)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Graeme-Smith

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

(How can an opening line like that not get your attention?)

A mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield.

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This exploration of mine underscores the fantasy of manners' unique position within speculative fiction, offering not just escapism but also a mirror to our own societal structures and personal relationships. The subgenre's blend of wit, sophistication, and social commentary provides fertile ground for examining the human condition in a fantastical context. Perfect for those seeking an escape, or a genre to examine with an academic lens.

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Have you read any works that might be described as “fantasy of manners”? What did you read? What did you think about it?

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Thanks for spending time with me today,

Carolyn