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.
For 'The Odyssey', also attributed to Homer. Again, the same questions about the identity of Homer exist. But regardless of the exact authorship, it was created in the context of ancient Greek culture and has had a profound impact on the development of literature.
Another possible candidate could be George MacDonald. His works had elements of the fantastical and epic. But Tolkien's influence in terms of creating a fully - fledged, detailed epic fantasy world is so significant that when people think of the first real epic fantasy story, his name often comes up first.
The identity of the writer of the 'first epic story' is a mystery. Ancient epics such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known epics, was likely created over time by many storytellers within the Sumerian culture. It wasn't the work of a single individual in the modern sense of authorship. So, for the 'first epic story' in general, it's hard to say who the author was.
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.
Edmund Spenser wrote 'The Faerie Queene' which is often regarded as an early fantasy novel. He was a well - known English poet, and his work in this area helped to shape the future of the fantasy genre with its complex characters and magical settings.
China's first fantasy novel was Journey to the West.
The author of The Hobbit was J.R.R. Tolkien. His imaginative storytelling made this fantasy novel a classic.
For 'The Odyssey', it was written by Homer. His works have been studied for centuries for their literary merit and their contribution to the development of various genres, including 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.