Who wrote the very first fantasy novel?

The writer of the very first vampire novel was John Polidori. His 'The Vampyre' was a groundbreaking work in the field of vampire literature. It was published in the early 19th century and became the foundation for the development of vampire - themed literature that followed.

The first crime novel was penned by Edgar Allan Poe. His 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' is a landmark in literature. Poe's creation of the character C. Auguste Dupin, a brilliant detective, set a precedent for future detective characters. His use of a complex mystery, full of twists and turns, was something new at the time and influenced the development of the crime novel genre.

The very first detective novel was written by Edgar Allan Poe. His work was really innovative at that time. He created a whole new style of writing with a focus on mystery and deduction that led to the development of the detective genre.

The first novel that was considered a fantasy novel was Journey to the West.

This question was a little difficult to answer because fantasy novels were a relatively broad concept. Different people might have different understandings of this word. But if we answer according to the common definition of a fantasy novel, then the first novel that is considered a fantasy novel is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The 'The Newgate Calendar', which could be the first true crime novel, was a collection of works. So, there's no one specific author. It was made up of different stories and accounts of criminals, which were gathered and put together over a period of time.

One of the early contenders for the first ever fantasy novel was 'The Epic of Gilgamesh'. It was written by an anonymous author in ancient Mesopotamia. It contains elements like a hero's journey and encounters with supernatural beings, which are typical of fantasy.

There is some debate about who exactly wrote the first urban fantasy novel. Some people might point to Fritz Leiber and his works like 'Our Lady of Darkness' which had early elements of urban fantasy.

It's hard to say for certain who wrote the first science fantasy novel. There are several contenders like Mary Shelley with 'Frankenstein' and Jonathan Swift with 'Gulliver's Travels'. Each of these works has elements that could classify them as science fantasy, but they were written in different historical contexts and for different purposes.

As mentioned before, Edmund Spenser wrote 'The Faerie Queene' which is an early example of the genre. His writing style was different from modern epic fantasy, but it had many of the key elements such as a grand adventure in a fantastical setting.