The Enduring Appeal of Cozy Fantasy

Travis Baldree is the author of the cozy fantasy novel Legends & Lattes, which has been adapted into Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel, out today from Ten Speed Graphic. Below, Travis discusses how the cozy fantasy subgenre has grown since Legends & Lattes was first published. Legend and Lattes, my first book, was conceived in the heart of COVID, when I yearned for the experience of enjoying a coffee in a café, connecting with other people, and feeling hope and optimism once again. It turned out that I was not the only one longing for some hopeful relief from a relentless news cycle and extended isolation. Cozy fantasy has existed for a long time (Terry Pratchett and The Hobbit spring to mind), and I think of it as a way of using the tools of fantasy as a lens to expand on everyday human concerns. Fantasy can be employed to remind us that the mundanities we all struggle with are important, actually. Genre fiction doesn’t have to be about slaying dragons or saving the realm. There’s plenty of room to examine the things we all care about, but are generally told are boring or unimportant. Will I be good enough? Am I stuck where I’m at? Does someone like me? How do I advo...