FifthView
Vala
“Its timely social commentary felt more like sci-fi than fantasy.”
Even if trying to divide sci-fi and fantasy along political lines is fraught with problems—not least, due to an unclear definition of terms such as liberal, conservative, left, right, radical heh—still, this one line is interesting when viewed outside the theoretical political divisions.
I do believe secondary world fantasies in particular, and most particularly medieval-ish settings, do not spend much time trying to offer social commentary about our contemporary world...but, there may well be commentary about the past. So it's not timely, per se, heh. What are some examples? I can't come up with specific examples off the top of my head, but things like slavery, poverty, poor medical care, and so forth may enter the spotlight in some stories. Repressive religious traditions might be examined. (But can these be considered relegated to the past, after all?) The plight of women might sometimes be examined. (What about a story like Mulan?)
Beyond that, fantasy can look at the human condition. The best always does. And maybe this is...timeless?