The Seven Levels of Fantasy

Summary of the video

The speaker proposes a subjective ranking framework—“seven levels of fantasy”—to evaluate fantasy writing (and related sci-fi). As the levels rise, each one represents progressively stronger craftsmanship, clearer execution, deeper world-building, more distinctive style, and greater emotional/ideological impact. The speaker also encourages viewers to create their own version of this list.

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Artistic techniques, concepts, and creative processes shown (by level)

Level 1: “Con artists and AI slop”

• Low-effort content production driven by money-making or hype rather than craft.
• Lack of care for fundamentals, such as sentence structure and proper writing practice.
• Using new tech as a shortcut instead of treating storytelling as an art form.

Level 2: “Forgotten failures”

• Flat execution: minimal or derivative world-building and themes.
• Readable but forgettable: books that don’t leave a meaningful imprint on fans or genre.
• Derivative storytelling, including retelling well-known narratives with small twists.
• Coherence problems: original ideas clash with tone or theme and break down by the climax.
• Sometimes mocked in review culture (ranted about, but not genuinely cherished).

Level 3: “People who tell you stories”

• Good premise, weak execution:
  • Authors have an idea but lack storytelling technique to deliver it effectively.
• Trend-chasing or “inspired by” plagiarism-lite:
  • Borrowing from a successful author with only minor changes.
• Character inconsistency and lack of “alive” nuance:
  • Characters feel cardboard-like, which also weakens the world.
• Mid-tier / guilty pleasure quality:
  • Imperfect writing with occasional lines or quirks that still hook readers.

Level 4: “True storytellers”

• Craft-focused revision and preparation:
  • Authors intentionally consider characterization, structure, and world-building while writing.
• Fewer technical issues:
  • Less grammar/punctuation/misspelling and smoother execution than levels 1–3.
• Accessible “brain candy” that’s still well done:
  • Not overly challenging; reliably entertaining with consistent character voices.
• Common tradeoff:
  • Inconsistency across a series or formula can prevent reaching level 5.

Level 5: “Writers”

• Distinctive style and “true spice”:
  • Trend-setting prose and imaginative innovation.
• Layered meaning:
  • Themes are woven throughout so rereads reveal additional thematic threads.
• Emotional manipulation as craft:
  • Writing engineered to affect the reader like an instrument (even to the point of tears).
• High-level pros:
  • Extreme attention to word choice and paragraph-level effects, including time spent polishing.
• One major limiter:
  • Even great authors may have a fundamental flaw (e.g., ethical/personal style concerns or other factors that prevent “legendary” status).

“Legendary” territory (effective Level 6/near-6, then distinguished Level 7)

• Meta-level artistry and reader challenge:
  • Communicates via patterns, subtle purpose, and sometimes discomfort.
• Obsession with research / real-world analogues:
  • Worlds feel grounded through historical and cultural parallels.
• Art-first creation:
  • Driven by vision and obsession rather than marketability.
• “World inhabitors”:
  • Authors don’t just construct settings—they help readers live inside a coherent vision.

Level 7: “The unfinished curse” (the greatest of all time)

• “Finish what you started” completion discipline:
  • Authors with huge epic ambitions who still follow through successfully.
• Life-altering artistic impact:
  • Consistent “before-and-after” effects on readers (lasting until death, per the speaker).
• Revolutionary concept + technical mastery:
  • Not only brilliant execution, but expansion of what fantasy/sci-fi can be.
• Emotional and ideological permanence:
  • Inspired generations of writers long after publication.

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Advice / steps / materials provided

• Make your own version of the “levels” framework (a viewer challenge).
• Focus on intention and craft:
  • If someone writes, their intent should be to craft a story people can enjoy—doing so is implied to outperform level-1 “shortcut” approaches.
• For top-tier work, maintain completion and follow-through:
  • Especially emphasized for level 7 (“finish what you started”).

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Creators / contributors mentioned (featured in examples)

• L. Ron Hubbard (Mission Earth)
• J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings)
• George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)
• Pat Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle)
• Brandon Sanderson (mentioned as a great writer; specifically “SanderLanch”)
• N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth)
• Terry Pratchett (Discworld)
• Mary Shelley (Frankenstein)
• Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
• Robin Hobb (Far Seer)
• Tad Williams (Memory, Sorrow, Thorn)
• Joe Abercrombie (First Law series)
• William Gibson (Neuromancer)

(Frank Herbert and George Orwell are referenced only by implication/omission in the provided text. The speaker’s own channel/creator is also mentioned, but no name is given in the subtitles.)