Do fantasy books have a underlying meaning?

Answer 1

Fantasy Books often contain underlying meanings, messages or issues. Depends on what the author wants to explore or get across.

For example, the Tamir Trilogy by Lynn Flewelling explores gender identity by having a girl raised as a boy, and totally unaware of this fact until puberty. Then she explores what it would be like to be aware of it mentally but not physically, then in third book, how one might deal with a complete gender change physically.

There are other examples. Robin Hobb in the Tawny Man series explores the price of being different and in the Hythrun Chronicles, religious intolerance leads to a corrupt form of government based completely on lies. The Black Magician Trilogy touches on the injustice of prejudice against same sex relationships.

This list is long and varied and sometimes the meanings can be very complex like in the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson or very simple like the rewards of love, loyalty and honor.