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+--- Thread: Books/ Urban Fantasy (/Thread-Books-Urban-Fantasy)
Books/ Urban Fantasy - Lou - 04-04-2013
Someone pointed out to me that this genre is called Urban Fantasy. I really like that name. I always thought it to be "contemporary fantasy" but maybe urban fantasy is a sub genre of contemporary fantasy.
Is "Once Upon A time" another example of a contemporary fantasy TV show? Or does it fit in better with "reworked fairy tales"? "Grimm" could be put in that genre as well. The author Robin McKinley provided a few examples of those with books Beauty, Spindle's End, and Rose's Daughter.
"Beauty and the Beast" (the TV show) could be in that category, too. But I think the writers have chosen to be science fiction and not fantasy.
It seems that there are a lot of contemporary fantasy TV shows. Just some examples, off the top of my head are "Charmed", "Supernatural", and "Buffy".
But not so many books fall into that category. Not counting Harry Potter and Twilight the only books that I can think of that fit into the contemporary/urban fantasy genre are the Word and The Void Trilogy by Terry Brooks and the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.
Can anyone else think of some books that are urban fantasy?
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - GrimmForum - 04-05-2013
I can see how Urban Fantasy would fall as a sub-genre of Contemporary Fantasy. I've never heard of it before though.
I really liked the Golden Compass and the His Dark Materials trilogy, but I'm not sure whether it would fall within the Urban Fantasy sub-genre.
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - Lou - 04-05-2013
The Golden Compass may be some kind of hybrid because there are two "universes"; ours and the one the book takes place in. I think you could argue that Harry Potter is like that, too. There is our world and then there is the space that Horwarts occupies. Another example of this kind of Hybrid is Terry Brook's "magical kingdom of Landover" series. Where most of the book occurs in Landover but some of it takes place in Chicago. Hmm. The Wizzard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland are like that too. I wonder if this type of fantasy fiction has a name, too?
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - GrimmForum - 04-05-2013
Did a google search wondering whether there is a sub-genre for it, as you do make an interesting point that there are many fantasy stories that take place in two universes. But the closest I could find, is the one already mentioned, Urban Fantasy or Contemporary Fantasy. As Wikipedia puts it, "Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods, as well as fictional settings. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city"
So it seems that the stories may not have to take place in our universe. I would definitely consider Once Upon a Time a Contemporary Fantasy.
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - pale boy - 04-05-2013
Dresden Files is a good example of urban fantasy. Angel and Buffy are not necessarily the first well-known works in the genre, but they are also really fantastic examples (and perhaps helped give urban fantasy a broader audience).
Like the Wikipedia page, TV Tropes has a good run-down of what it is:
TV Tropes Urban Fantasy Page
Basically, it's fantasy in settings that 1)probably don't predate the Enlightenment; 2) and involve recognizable settings, many of which are contemporary or modern.
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - Lou - 04-06-2013
I think i am a fan of Urban Fantasies - even though i just heard of the term.
Last year I inhaled a series of books called The Elantra Chronicles by Michelle Sagara. There is no way it is contemporary fantasy because it occurs in another universe that has magic but no technology. But now i realize that it is Urban Fantasy. It takes place in and around Elantra, the capital City of an Empire ruled by dragons (who can turn themselves into men). The main character. Kaylin, is a young female detective on the police force. She has magic but doesn't like to use it. there is a rich setting that is explored throughout the series and its more of a police procedural than a mystery/detective story. LNO meets LOTR
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - pale boy - 04-09-2013
(04-06-2013, 10:16 AM)Lou Wrote: I think i am a fan of Urban Fantasies - even though i just heard of the term.
Last year I inhaled a series of books called The Elantra Chronicles by Michelle Sagara. There is no way it is contemporary fantasy because it occurs in another universe that has magic but no technology. But now i realize that it is Urban Fantasy. It takes place in and around Elantra, the capital City of an Empire ruled by dragons (who can turn themselves into men). The main character. Kaylin, is a young female detective on the police force. She has magic but doesn't like to use it. there is a rich setting that is explored throughout the series and its more of a police procedural than a mystery/detective story. LNO meets LOTR
Gosh, I'm out of date when it comes to books! This sounds like a really awesome series. Dragons, detectives, magic ... that sounds right up my alley.
Thanks for posting about this one, Lou. Looks like I have a new author to check out. :3
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - Lou - 04-09-2013
Although i really liked The Elantra Chronicles, If you're looking for more of a Contemporary Urban Fantasy experience, like Grimm, check out "The Word and The Void" Trilogy by Terry Brooks and the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. The thing that I loved about the Dresden files is that it followed all the rules of a True Mystery (i.e., Reader can solve the mystery and all the essential clues are provided in the first quarter of the book). BTW, they made the dresden files into a TV show - but of course it wasn't as good as the books. There has been several rumors about making a The Word into movies and tv shows but I don't think anything has happened.
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - pale boy - 04-09-2013
(04-09-2013, 07:13 PM)Lou Wrote: Although i really liked The Elantra Chronicles, If you're looking for more of a Contemporary Urban Fantasy experience, like Grimm, check out "The Word and The Void" Trilogy by Terry Brooks and the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. The thing that I loved about the Dresden files is that it followed all the rules of a True Mystery (i.e., Reader can solve the mystery and all the essential clues are provided in the first quarter of the book). BTW, they made the dresden files into a TV show - but of course it wasn't as good as the books. There has been several rumors about making a The Word into movies and tv shows but I don't think anything has happened.
I've read (some) of the Dresden books, but I looked up "The Word and The Void" series just now. Sounds pretty cool. And it ties into the Shannara series? ... my book list just expanded by about 100 lbs. XD
RE: Books/ Urban Fantasy - Lou - 04-10-2013
I have only read a little of the the Shannara series. I think there was a debate about the two series being related but I don't think they are.
I've read (some) of the Dresden books, but I looked up "The Word and The Void" series just now. Sounds pretty cool. And it ties into the Shannara series? ... my book list just expanded by about 100 lbs. XD
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