asy ▁and , ▁to ▁a ▁less er ▁extent , ▁of ▁sword ▁and ▁sor c ery ▁— ▁which ▁contains ▁more ▁urban ▁settings ▁— ▁than ▁of ▁fant asy ▁in ▁general ; ▁the ▁pre ponder ance ▁of ▁ep ic ▁fant asy ▁in ▁the ▁genre ▁has ▁made ▁them ▁fant asy ▁common p laces . ▁They ▁are ▁less ▁typical ▁of ▁contemporary ▁fant asy , ▁especially ▁urban ▁fant asy . ▁ ▁An cient ▁world ▁A ▁less ▁common ▁insp iration ▁is ▁the ▁ancient ▁world . ▁A ▁famous ▁example ▁is ▁the ▁Hy bor ian ▁Age ▁( the ▁fict ional ▁world ▁of ▁Con an ▁the ▁Bar bar ian ), ▁which ▁features ▁analog ues ▁of ▁An cient ▁Egypt , ▁Mes op ot am ia , ▁and ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁among ▁others . ▁Three ▁notable ▁recent ▁series ▁with ▁such ▁settings ▁are : ▁Bart ima eus ▁by ▁Jonathan ▁Str oud , ▁Per cy ▁Jackson ▁& ▁the ▁Olymp ians ▁and ▁The ▁Hero es ▁of ▁Olymp us ▁by ▁Rick ▁Ri ord an . ▁ ▁R aces ▁and ▁species ▁Many ▁fant asy ▁stories ▁and ▁world s ▁refer ▁to ▁their ▁main ▁sap ient ▁hum ano id ▁species ▁as ▁races , ▁rather ▁than ▁species . ▁J . ▁R . ▁R . ▁Tol k ien ▁popular ized ▁the ▁usage ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁in ▁this ▁context , ▁in ▁The ▁Lord ▁of ▁The ▁R ings , ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁races ▁in ▁the ▁Dun ge ons ▁& ▁Drag ons ▁role - play ing ▁games ▁further ▁spread ▁the ▁label . ▁Many ▁fant asy ▁and ▁science ▁fiction ▁settings ▁use ▁the ▁terms ▁race ▁and ▁species