Can you give some examples of the first lines on the first page of popular fantasy stories?

Sure. 'The city was alive with a thousand lights, none of them natural, and Johnny Mnemonic walked through it like a ghost.' This line sets a mood of a very artificial and somewhat otherworldly city. It also introduces a character in a rather mysterious way, making the reader want to know more about Johnny Mnemonic.

Sure. 'It was a time.' is a really bad first line. It's so vague that it doesn't give the reader any idea of when this 'time' is, what kind of era, or what might be significant about it. It just leaves the reader feeling lost from the very start.

Sure. Consider 'There is an old saying there: Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.' from 'The Last Jedi' novelization. This line has a sense of finality and a call to action. It makes you think about the past in the context of the story's world and how characters might deal with it. It's a bit of a dark and decisive start that hooks you in.

Sure. If the first line is 'The old house on the hill had always been there, silent and brooding.' One possible story could be about a group of teenagers who decide to explore it. As they enter, they feel a cold chill. Strange noises start to come from the attic. They find old portraits that seem to be watching them. Shadows move on their own, and one by one, they start to disappear, leaving only their screams echoing in the empty halls of the house.

In 'Madame Bovary', the first page might start with a description of the school where Charles Bovary is studying, setting the rather dull and ordinary scene which contrasts with Emma's later dreams of a more exciting life.

Sure. For example, in 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, the first line is 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' And the last line is 'Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.'

Sure. A famous example of an atmospheric first line is 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' from 'Rebecca'. It sets a dreamy, somewhat eerie mood. Another is 'Call me Ishmael.' from 'Moby - Dick', which is a character - centered introduction.

Sure. In 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville, 'Call me Ishmael.' This simple yet powerful line draws the reader into the story, making them curious about who Ishmael is and what his story will be. It's a very direct way to start a novel that goes on to be an epic adventure on the high seas.

A classic example is from 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy: 'All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' This line sets a philosophical tone and makes the reader anticipate stories of different families, both happy and unhappy, which is a central theme in the novel.

Sure. Consider the first line of 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville: 'Call me Ishmael.' It's a simple yet powerful line that invites the reader into the story from the perspective of the narrator. It's a very direct way to start a novel about a man's obsession with a great white whale.