Kacy Dowd Tillman, PhD
Scholar of Romantasy, Reading Publics, and Literary Culture
I study Romantasy, literary fandom, reader communities, and contemporary book culture while continuing my work on Early American literature, Loyalism, and women’s writing.
A Romantasy narrative is a story that is romance-forward, set in a fantastic world with magic, epic world-building, and/or mythical creatures.
01
Research Areas
Romantasy Research
Exploring fantasy romance, reader communities, fandom, and BookTok culture.
Early American Literature
Research on Loyalism, revolution, information networks, and women’s writing.
Public Scholarship
Media interviews, speaking engagements, and commentary on literary culture.
02
Featured Projects
Feral: Romantasy and its Readers
University of Iowa Press, forthcoming 2027. An edited collection examining the rise of Romantasy and its readership, co-edited with Dr. Sarah W. Walden.
Stripped and Script
Loyalist Women Writers and the American Revolution, published with University of Massachusetts Press, 2019.
