Orphan Island

A genre of speculative fiction, magical realism combines elements of fantasy and realism. However, magical realism is distinct from these other genres. Whereas fantasy novels take place (either fully or partially) in a separate, magical world (such as Narnia, Neverland, or Middle Earth), magical realism normally takes place in an alternative version of the “real” world but incorporates magical elements—for example, in a real city or country where supernatural or magical elements are at play that don’t exist in the real version of that city or country. Additionally, the protagonists and main characters in a work of magical realism are typically humans, as opposed to wizards, elves, fairies, or other mythological creatures. Examples of famous novels in the magical realism genre include One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967), The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (2007), Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (1989), The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (2013), The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (2000),