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The use of [[Magic A Is Magic A]] typically helps the audience accept the incongruity. [[Psychic Dreams for Everyone]] is also widespread.
 
Among some people, magical realism is sometimes misused as a term to explain why a work they liked is [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_fiction:Literary fiction|"literary fiction"]], and thus [[Sci Fi Ghetto|allegedly somehow superior]] to [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre_fiction:Genre fiction|"genre fiction"]] like [[Fantasy]] and [[Science Fiction]]. On the other hand, the inclusion of well-written [[Magic Realism]] into the canons of [[Lit Fic]] is historically well supported, as [[Useful Notes/Latin America|Latin America]]'s major 20th-century authors mostly wrote in this genre. Indeed, the literary world outside of Latin America so closely associates the region with Magic Realism that the McOndo movement (for which see below) exists chiefly to prove that ''no'', not ''everything'' literary that comes from Latin America involves magic and angels.
 
Magical Realism can also be interpreted as a very progressive form of [[Speculative Fiction]], showing that elements of Science Fiction and Fantasy can be used legitimately in literary fiction. In other words, a great way towards getting out of the [[Sci Fi Ghetto]]. Also, it should be noted that [[Speculative Fiction]] is not the only genre fiction. Romance, mystery, horror, and the like are also genre fiction that literary snobs enjoy looking down on as well.
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** The original script had an ex-girlfriend curse him using a spell she found in a book.
** A possible example as [[Bill Murray]] often questions why it's happening and nobody believes him when he tells them.
* ''[[LA Story]]'', written by Steve Martin, applies many of the tropes of Magical Realism. What else can you call a story where a [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_message_sign:Variable message sign|variable-message sign]] on the highway offers a character advice on his love life?
* ''[[Liar Liar]]'': [[Be Careful What You Wish For]] forces [[Jim Carrey]] to tell the truth. [[Hilarity Ensues]].
* '' [[Pans Labyrinth]]'' At first sight it might seem as a fairy tale, albeit not a happy one, once you take into account {{spoiler|that Orfelia might have just made everything up}} and add to the mix a mandragora... which is ignored by everyone since they are all too busy dealing with this little thing called the Spanish Civil War ... [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane|then it becomes less clear whether it's a straightforward fairy tale]].
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* ''[[The Tigers Wife|The Tiger's Wife]]'' features a lot of fantastical elements (most obviously 'the deathless man', who is exactly what he sounds like), which are being related at second- or third-hand and may or may not have happened.
* [[Diana Wynne Jones]] likes to play with this trope in most of her short stories. ''Plague of Peacocks'', ''Little Dot'', and ''Carruthurs'' are good examples. Even ''[[Dogsbody]]'' has this from Kathleen's point of view.
* [[Magical Realism]] is very prominent in 20th century Latin American literature. In fact, [[Magical Realism]] is so prevalent in Latin American literature that the [http[wikipedia://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McOndo |McOndo movement]] was formed specifically to distance itself from its clichés.
** [[Jorge Luis Borges (Creator)|Jorge Luis Borges]]' body of short stories pretty much invented [[Magical Realism]].
** Mexican Laura Esquivel's ''[[Like Water for Chocolate]]'', wherein the protagonist's feelings for her beloved are transferred into the food she is preparing, which her sister then eats, which causes her to literally burn up in passion -- she goes to use the outdoor shower and ends up ''setting it on fire'' before a soldier of the revolution rides by on horseback, scoops her up, and they have passionate sex while riding away on the horse.
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** Much of Salman Rushdie's ''[[Midnights Children (Literature)|Midnight's Children]]'' is considered Magic Realism, as the children in the title have various powers and abilities ranging from beauty capable of blinding people to an ability to physically hurt people with words.
* ''[[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button]]'' is a normal life story and period piece, except the title character was born as an old man and ages backward.
* Virtually everything by [[Haruki Murakami]] falls into this category, along with [[Magic A Is Magic A]], [[Screw the Rules I Have Plot]], and [[How Unscientific]]. ''[[The Wind Up Bird Chronicle]]'' and ''[[A Wild Sheep Chase (Literature)|A Wild Sheep Chase]]'' are probably the best examples.
* ''[[The Time Travelers Wife]]''. [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin]], folks.
* A big portion of Etgar Keret's stories. Few examples: A winged man pretending to be an angel, several magicians [[Magicians Are Wizards|capable of real magic]], [[And I Must Scream|soldiers who got turned into body targets]], a guy with mind-controlling ability (who uses it to get laid) and a boy who can control ants (and uses them to take the school away).
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[[Category:Literature Genres]]
[[Category:Magic Realism]]
[[Category:Trope]]
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