While Ouch! is right and the genre really does predate Tolkien as a recognised genre but LoTR, as well as the Chronicals of Narnia were both published in the 1950s.

This means, Bastian, that both Lewis and Tolkien woudl have said they were either writing SciFi or what? Not fantasty, according to your argument.

What about Lewis Carrol? And The Wizard of Oz?