Authors who contrast reality with magical elements often make effective social critiques.

“A story is not something of this world. A real story requires a kind of magical baptism to link the world on this side with the world on the other side.”—Haruki Murakami

Magical realism is a style of literature depicting the real world as holding an undercurrent of magic or fantasy. The genre of “magic realism” shows supernatural or magical phenomena taking place in an otherwise real-world or mundane setting.

What makes it different from fantasy is that magical realism includes a lot of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality. On the other hand, fantasy stories are generally separated from reality.

Below are several authors known for writing magical realism who are popular at it…

1. Gabriel García Márquez

2. Salman Rushdie

3. Haruki Murakami

4. Alejo Carpentier

5. Isabel Allende

6. Toni Morrison

7. Laura Esquivel

8. Jorge Luis Borges

9. Carlos Fuentes

10. Franz Kafka

11. Aimee Bender

12. Sarah Addison Allen

13. Kelly Link

14. Neil Gaiman

15. Angela Carter

16. Alice Hoffman

17. Yann Martel

18. Milan Kundera

19. Karen Russell

20. Nikolai Gogol

21. Italo Calvino

22. Massimo Bontempelli

23. Umberto Eco

24. Carlos Ruiz Zafón

25. Joanne Harris

26. Silvia Moreno-Garcia

27. Mikhail Bulgakov

28. Viktor Pelevin

29. Nick Joaquin

30. Natsuki Ikezawa

31. Louis de Bernières

32. Janet Frame

33. Peter Høeg

34. Steven Millhauser

35. Charles de Lint

36. Ben Okri

37. Paulo Coelho

38. Jonathan Carroll

39. Louise Erdrich

40. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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Related links

• Magical Realism is For Us By Us and Toni Morrison was the Queen (Book Riot)

• Silvia Moreno-Garcia on Magic Realism and Latin American Literature (New York Times)

• Gabriel García Márquez’s death anniversary: A beginner’s guide to magic realism (The Indian Express)

• Magical realism and identity explored in Salman Rushdie's books (NPR)

• Surrealist and Magical Realism: Discussing Like Water for Chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel (High Plains Public Radio)

• 7 Best Magic Realism Movies (Game Rant)

• Five Magical Realist Novels with Murder Mysteries At Their Center (CrimeReads)

• In magical realism fiction, anything can happen (Press-Enterprise)

• "Mexican Gothic" + More Magical Realism & Horror Books by Latinas (HipLatina)

• 10 Classic Magical Realism Books You Should Read (Mental Floss)

• 'Whitney Houston' director Kasi Lemmons on Toni Morrison's magical realism (KCRW)

• Remember Gabriel García Márquez and Magical Realism (New York Latin Culture Magazine)

• Why We Don’t Talk About Bruno: ENCANTO and Magical Realism (Book Riot)