A Cozy Fantasy & Cozy Science Fiction Primer
When I tell people that my newest title, What’s A Little Piracy Between Friends?, is a cozy science fiction, a common question I get is ‘what’s that?’
Are they book best read covered in cozy blankets? (All books, I’d argue, are best read under a blanket. Though on a blanket in a park in the summer is also nice)
Not quite. Cozy fantasy and cozy science fiction, collectively called cozy speculative fiction or cozy SFF, is an emerging term for a new sub-genre with similar themes across both.
If you ask someone to list a science fiction or fantasy story, they’re likely to call out Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, or Black Panther. These are stories with high conflict and high stakes. What’s at risk is a country, a planet, the universe.
But not everyone wants a story where the stakes are high. Sometimes you want something less stressful, more low key. Maybe, more relatable. A story about starting a business, or finding a new home. These low-stakes stories have always been around - many Star Trek episodes fit the bill, soft fantasy movies such as Kiki’s Delivery Service, as well as children’s books like Winnie-the-Pooh. However, there’s growing body of low stakes adult SFF that’s claimed the label ‘cozy fantasy’ or ‘cozy science fiction’.
This is different from cozy mystery, which indicates the detective solving the case is a hobbyist/interested party instead of someone who is, say, a city detective and paid to solve crimes. But in both cases the term ‘cozy’ is a modifier developed to classify an sub-genre.
The Core Elements of Cozy Fantasy and Cozy Science Fiction
Because this is a developing genre, and there’s always stories that don’t 100% fit in, there’s some fluidity in what’s considered cozy SFF. A book doesn’t need to have all of elements to be considered cozy, but should have the majority.
A science fiction or fantasy story
Low stake conflict, often personal
Character driven, not action or plot driven
A focus on relationships, with a heavy emphasis on found family and community
Emotional growth
Atmospheric, but limited setting, such as a single town instead of a trek across the country or the interior of a space ship instead of several moons
The History of Cozy SFF
I read my first cozy fantasies back in 2020, The Dragon of Ynys, about an older knight and dragon on a hunt for a missing person, and The Cybernetic Teashop focused on an android trying to keep her old owner’s shop going. They’re both short, which isn’t uncommon for cozy tales. Lower stakes often translate to fewer conflicts to write about.
2020 is when ‘cozy fantasy’ started to gain popularity as a term. With Covid spreading and much of the world sheltering in place, readers sought an escape from the pandemic and its related stressors. Light-hearted books, with low stakes and emotional cores such as found families or community building, were devoured.
Authors were driven to the same concept and spend the time at home writing. Travis Baldree wrote Legends & Lattes during Covid before publishing in 2022 to viral success. What followed was a plethora of cozy fantasies such as Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea and A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic.
Slower to follow was cozy science fiction. For as wide as SF can be, from climate change disasters to epic space battles, most cozy SF stories are set in space and focus on the community in a space station or spaceship. While popular series such as Wayfarers and Murderbot started pre-covid, these stories have gained in momentum with many indie and traditional authors starting to lean into the genre with titles like Floating Hotel and Light From Uncommon Stars.
Cozy SFF FAQ:
What are low stakes? Low stakes are those where the biggest consequence will fall on an individual or community, versus larger entities such as societies, kingdoms, or planets. The fall of a government will impact millions of people. The fall of a small business? The seven people it employs. Many low stakes are emotional, such as getting to know a new crew mate, but they can also be very important, like getting a job after 6 months unemployed.
Is every story with low stakes ‘cozy’? No. While that is a key element of the genre, the others are focus on characters and community.
What’s the difference between low-stakes and slice of life? There is a lot of overlap, but the main difference is a narrative arc. Slice of life stories highlight characters simply living their lives. Low-stake stories highlight how a character or relationship grows.
Can a children’s book be considered cozy fantasy? Yes and no. While many children’s books can often fit the bill for a cozy fantasy, you have to remember that genre terms and classifications are an aid to find what you’re looking for. If someone is looking for a fantasy children’s book, that is what they will ask for. Cozy SFF is a search term for teen or adult titles in contrast to non-cozy concepts.
Do cozy books have no conflict? No. There often is conflict, but the stakes and consequences are personal.
What is ‘found family’? Found family is sometimes called family by choice. These stories feature the close, family-like relationships between characters who have no blood relationship. This is strictly platonic, and usually focuses on characters who have or develop a sibling-like bond or parent-child bond. Otherwise, the family you find is a romantic/sexual partner, and that’s considered a romance. The found family can include blood-related members, such as integrating an adopted child into the family or a pair of blood-siblings. Most found families include more than two people, but it can be a single non-romantic pair such as best friends.
What makes a story atmospheric? A focus on the setting of the story, with attention to detail given to both locations and characters. It often involved what’s called ‘purple prose’ or poetic language. Atmospheric stories also use a lot of sensory details.
Whether the story has magic or tech as its center, cozy fantasy and cozy science fiction are stories that focus on characters and community and feature a low-stakes plot. They offer a soft escape, like a blanket fort and tea, which is what we all need from time to time.
If you’re looking for a cozy SFF read from indie authors, check out these titles from Journey members:
What’s A Little Piracy Between Friends? is a cozy scifi about two friends fleeing from their old pirate crew, but not far enough. By Gwen Tolios🦄 ♠
Curses & Charms is a cosy fantasy about two friends solving a theft at their university. By Kelly Garcia
Do you read cozy SFF? What are some of your recent favorites?