Crafting Realistic Magic Systems for Your Stories

A "Writer of realistic magic" is someone who possesses the unique ability to intertwine the magical and the everyday, creating a world that is both enchanting and relatable. These writers masterfully craft stories that blend the extraordinary with the ordinary, making the magical elements seem just as real and tangible as the everyday experiences we encounter. What sets a "Writer of realistic magic" apart is their talent for seamlessly merging the realms of fantasy and reality. Rather than simply existing in an alternate universe, the magical elements in their stories coexist with the mundane, breathing life into the most ordinary of situations. This fusion of reality and fantasy allows readers to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves fully in the story world. The true brilliance of a "Writer of realistic magic" lies in their ability to make the impossible seem plausible.

The true brilliance of a "Writer of realistic magic" lies in their ability to make the impossible seem plausible. Instead of relying on grandiose displays of magic, these writers infuse the supernatural into the fabric of their narratives in subtle and nuanced ways. They create characters who possess magical abilities or encounter extraordinary creatures, yet these elements blend seamlessly into the overall narrative, never feeling forced or contrived.

100 Must Reads Of Magical Realism

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Leah Rachel von Essen

By day, Leah Rachel von Essen is the editor-in-chief of Chicago Booth Magazine at the University of Chicago. By night, she reviews genre-bending fiction for Booklist, and writes regularly as a senior contributor at Book Riot. Her blog While Reading and Walking has over 10,000 dedicated followers over several social media outlets, including Instagram. She writes passionately about books in translation, chronic illness and bias in healthcare, queer books, twisty SFF, and magical realism and folklore. She was one of a select few bookstagrammers named to NewCity’s Chicago Lit50 in 2022. She is an avid traveler, a passionate fan of women’s basketball and soccer, and a lifelong learner. Twitter: @reading_while

This list of the best magical realism books is sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio.

Listening to an audiobook can transport you to a galaxy far away, lead you to an ancient land full of magic, or help you time travel. From The World Lore: Monstrous Creatures and A Plague of Giants to William Shakespeare’s The Force Doth Awaken and The Bear and the Nightingale, the worlds created in science fiction and fantasy come to vivid life with audiobooks from Penguin Random House Audio.

There’s a tremendous amount of disagreement out there about what magical realism is, and in many ways, it’s easier to outline what it isn’t. Genres are tricky, fickle beasts, but some things magical realism is not include: urban fantasy, “the presence of magic in a realistic setting,” and fantasy or science fiction that happens to be very literary.

The conflicting definitions of magical realism emerge from the reality that what some scholars call “magical realism” is actually a mash-up of literatures that are difficult to categorize. Magical realism as a genre should be easily defined: a movement of Latin American authors, led by such greats as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, and Isabel Allende, that seems to mix myth and reality in order to battle back against the staunch realism of Western literature. It is inherently postcolonial.

Other cultures have had similar or influenced movements of magical realism. Authors such as Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich, Yaa Gyasi, and Arundhati Roy tell the stories of the oppressed through this mix of reality and non-reality. The Western canon is obsessed with realism, but that’s not how so many live their lives: to so many, fantastic things happen everyday, both horrible things and incredible things, and the magical realist tales they tell may seem fantastic but are, inherently, grounded in what happened.

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Mixed in the timeline with those novels are what came out of magical realism. In reality, these novels are usually surrealism or fabulism (for example, I would call Murakami’s novels surrealism), but many people call them magical realism books as well, so I usually refer to the phenomenon as the “magical realist mode” to differentiate it from the genre. As the postcolonial tales inflected postmodernism with a questioning of reality, authors all over began to push the boundaries in their novels. If the reader or main character asks, “Did that really just happen within the world of the novel?” and isn’t sure, it’s a moment of magical realism or surrealism.

In this list, I’ve included magical realism books out of all of those categories. Some of these books have just a single moment of surrealism and are by Western authors; others are surrealist or fabulist; others are classics of the magical realist genre itself, and their pages live and breathe magical realism. If you want to know why I’ve included a book in my list, or you know one that you’re sure I’ve missed, please feel free to reach out through the comments.

1. Eva Luna by Isabel Allende. Allende is magical realism royalty. Eva Luna the storyteller tells her tales as currency to those who are kind to her, telling the story of her life and introducing the reader and listener to a wealth of incredible characters.
2. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Allende draws significantly from Márquez to tell the tale of three generations of the Trueba family, which begins with patriarch Esteban and the ethereal Clara, and continues to Blanca’s forbidden love, and Clara’s granddaughter, Alba, a beautiful and ambitious girl who will lead her family into a revolutionary future.

What are your favorite magical realism books? Hit the comments with your recs! And, if you’re just getting started with magical realism books and want to know where to start, we got you covered.

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By grounding their storytelling in reality, these writers ensure that their readers can connect with the characters and events on a deep emotional level. The inclusion of magical elements serves to enhance the themes and messages explored in the story, rather than overshadowing them. Through their skillful storytelling, "Writers of realistic magic" invite readers to ponder profound questions about love, loss, and the human condition. It is the ability of these writers to strike a delicate balance between the mundane and the magical that makes their stories so captivating. By breathing life into the extraordinary within the ordinary, they create narratives that resonate with readers long after the final page has been turned. Whether through the subtle manipulation of reality or the introduction of fantastical characters, these writers have mastered the art of crafting stories that transport readers to realms where anything is possible..

Reviews for "The Intersection of Realism and Magic in Literature"

1. Emma - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to read "Writer of Realistic Magic" because I'm a fan of fantasy and magical realism. However, I ended up being disappointed. The story lacked depth and the characters felt one-dimensional. The concept of realistic magic had so much potential, but it wasn't explored enough. Overall, the book felt rushed and unfinished.

2. John - 3/5 stars - As someone who enjoys reading fantasy novels, I had high expectations for "Writer of Realistic Magic". Unfortunately, it fell short for me. The pacing was inconsistent and the plot felt disjointed. Additionally, the writing style was not engaging, making it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story. While there were some interesting ideas, they were not executed well enough to hold my attention throughout the entire book.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I found "Writer of Realistic Magic" to be quite underwhelming. The plot was predictable and lacked originality. The characters felt like cliché stereotypes, particularly the main protagonist. The dialogue was also forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to connect with any of the characters. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver anything memorable or unique.

Understanding the Rules of Realistic Magic in Fiction