Magical Realism

The Magical Realism Collection highlights narratives that present magical or supernatural elements in a realistic way. Often challenging literary conventions, these selections situate elements of fantasy, such as time travel or the ability to communicate with animals, in otherwise believable settings. This Collection features titles from authors who frequently employ magical realism in their narratives, such as Gabriel García Márquez and Haruki Murakami.

We Are the Ants

by Shaun David Hutchinson

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Friendship, Death

Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ+, Mental Illness, Bullying, Trauma & Abuse, Depression & Suicide, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult science fiction novel that follows the coming-of-age story of Henry, a teenager whose life is in shambles. Hutchinson uses the first-person point-of-view of his protagonist to explore themes of family, grief, universal unknowns, and the development of identity. Published in 2016, Hutchinson’s novel questions the value of human life while incorporating science fiction elements to portray the smallness of human existence in the... Read We Are the Ants Summary

Weyward

by Emilia Hart

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Self Discovery, Love, Fear, Power & Greed, Equality, Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse

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What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

by Helen Oyeyemi

Publication year 2016

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+

What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours (2015) is a collection of nine short stories written by Helen Oyeyemi. The stories feature some recurring characters, and all contain a literal or metaphorical key. Oyeyemi is a popular British author whose works include Mr. Fox (2011) and Boy, Snow, Bird (2014). She does not consider her works to be “magical realism,” but that is the genre where they are most often placed, as they tend to... Read What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours Summary

What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky

by Lesley Nneka Arimah

Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Mothers, Equality

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction

Lesley Nneka Arimah is a Nigerian writer who has lived in the United Kingdom and the United States. What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky is her debut collection of short stories, many of which have received literary awards, such as the O. Henry Prize and two awards for African writers: the Caine Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. At the heart of her stories, both realistic and speculative, are relationships... Read What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky Summary

Whatshisface

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Art

Tags Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Magical Realism

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When the Elephants Dance

by Tess Uriza Holthe

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags World War II, Military & War, Asian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

When the Elephants Dance is Filipino-American writer Tess Uriza Holthe’s first novel. Published in 2002, it is based on Holthe’s father’s experiences growing up in the Philippines during World War II. The novel centers around a group of friends and neighbors seeking shelter in a cellar and sharing traditional moralistic Filipino legends that illustrate their resilience and the importance of stories for survival. The title is taken from a saying offered by one of the... Read When the Elephants Dance Summary

White Is for Witching

by Helen Oyeyemi

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Hate & Anger, Memory, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, LGBTQ+, Magical Realism, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Mental Illness, European History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

White Is for Witching, published in 2009, is Helen Oyeyemi’s third novel, for which she received the Somerset Maugham Award. A finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, White Is for Witching explores both traditional horror and the horrors of racism. Oyeyemi’s novels often center the experience of historically marginalized groups, which perhaps reflects her own background as a Nigerian-born English citizen who attended Cambridge University. White Is for Witching frames histories of racism as supernatural... Read White Is for Witching Summary

Who Fears Death

by Nnedi Okorafor

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Magical Realism

Who Fears Death, published in 2010 and written by Nnedi Okorafor, is a post-apocalyptic science fantasy novel set in a future version of Sudan. In this future, the light-skinned Nuru have enslaved the dark-skinned Okeke; the novel follows Onyesonwu (Onye), the daughter of an Okeke woman raped by a Nuru man. Onye soon discovers that her biological father is a powerful sorcerer, and that she, too, has inherited great magical powers from both her father... Read Who Fears Death Summary

Wishtree

by Katherine Applegate

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Children`s Literature, Animals, Science & Nature, Magical Realism, Fantasy

Wishtree (2017) is a work of young adult fiction by Katherine Applegate. Directly addressing the bigotry and Islamophobia of the Trump era, the novel tackles the polarized American political climate by praising the value of diversity, tolerance, and compassion. Plot SummaryThis book’s narrator is a 216-year-old northern oak tree named Red. Red is a dioecious tree who has both male and female characteristics, so refers to themself with the pronoun “they.” The story takes place... Read Wishtree Summary

Woman of Light

by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Race, Death, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Social Class, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Magical Realism, World History

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You've Reached Sam

by Dustin Thao

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Love, Hope, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Loneliness, Regret, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Friendship, Appearance & Reality, Music, Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Romance, Magical Realism, Dramatic Literature, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

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Zorro

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Animals, Conflict, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Latin American Literature, Social Class, World History, Magical Realism, Romance, Classic Fiction

Zorro, first published in 2005, is a historical fiction novel by the Chilean writer Isabel Allende. Taking the form of a biography or bildungsroman, Zorro is the first work to chronicle the origins of Zorro, a fictional character created by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley in 1919.Set against the backdrop of Spanish colonialism at the turn of the 19th century, the novel details the events that led the protagonist, Diego de la Vega, to become... Read Zorro Summary