Urban fantasy - Revision history

Lquilter: fmt

2012-03-09T21:23:19Z

fmt

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	* [[Peter S. Beagle]], 2011: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />... The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />... Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>		* [[Peter S. Beagle]], 2011: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />... The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />... Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>


	* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].		* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].



	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==

Lquilter: ad infinitum

2012-03-09T21:22:19Z

ad infinitum

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:22, 9 March 2012
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	* [[Carrie Vaughn]]		* [[Carrie Vaughn]]
	* [[Rachel Caine]], Weather Warden series; Glass Houses		* [[Rachel Caine]], Weather Warden series; Glass Houses
			* ... ad infinitum ....

	==Further reading==		==Further reading==

Lquilter: /* "paranormal chick-lit" */ notes

2012-03-09T21:21:55Z

"paranormal chick-lit": notes

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	==="paranormal chick-lit"===		==="paranormal chick-lit"===
	Can be broken down further into		Can be broken down further into
	: (A) mystery-oriented kick-ass female protagonists, often with multiple lovers, often in a series of books. These frequently incorporate romantic elements, but often in the service of ongoing sexual tension, romantic triangles, etc.		: (A) [[Noir fantasy]] / [[Urban fantasy mystery]]. -- Mystery-oriented. Protagonists often either (a) kick-ass female protagonists, often with multiple lovers, often in a series of books. These frequently incorporate romantic elements, but often in the service of ongoing sexual tension, romantic triangles, etc.; or (b) world-weary cynical [[Dashiel Hammett]]-like investigators.
	: (B) [[paranormal romance]] -- generally one True Love (often a very [[alpha male]] type character) and a HEA ("happily-ever-after"); mystery plot or worldbuilding may be secondary to the romance in the individual books. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the romance market saw an explosion in publishers and writers' use and marketing of paranormal, science fictional, and other speculative / non-realist elements in romance novels.		: (B) [[paranormal romance]] -- generally one True Love (often a very [[alpha male]] type character) and a HEA ("happily-ever-after"); mystery plot or worldbuilding may be secondary to the romance in the individual books. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the romance market saw an explosion in publishers and writers' use and marketing of paranormal, science fictional, and other speculative / non-realist elements in romance novels.

Lquilter: /* elf-punk & others */ mythic fantasy

2012-03-09T21:19:50Z

elf-punk & others: mythic fantasy

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 9 March 2012
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	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==

	===elf-punk & others===		===elf-punk, mythic fantasy, & others===
	*''[[War for the Oaks]]'' and ''[[Finder (novel)\|Finder]]'', by [[Emma Bull]]		*''[[War for the Oaks]]'' and ''[[Finder (novel)\|Finder]]'', by [[Emma Bull]]
	*''[[The Kingdom of Kevin Malone]]'' & the [[Sorcery Hall Trilogy]] by [[Suzy McKee Charnas]]		*''[[The Kingdom of Kevin Malone]]'' & the [[Sorcery Hall Trilogy]] by [[Suzy McKee Charnas]]
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	* Kat Richardson, Greywalker		* Kat Richardson, Greywalker
	*the Borderland and Bordertown anthologies edited by [[Terri Windling]] & [[Mark Alan Arnold]]		*the Borderland and Bordertown anthologies edited by [[Terri Windling]] & [[Mark Alan Arnold]]


	==="paranormal chick-lit"===		==="paranormal chick-lit"===

Lquilter: reordering by prominence!

2012-03-09T21:19:00Z

reordering by prominence!

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 9 March 2012
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			* [[Peter S. Beagle]], 2011: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />... The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />... Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>

	* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].		* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].


	* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />... The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />... Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>

	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==

Lquilter: ...

2012-03-09T21:13:57Z

...

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:13, 9 March 2012
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	* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].		* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].


	* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>		* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />... The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />... Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>

	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==

Lquilter: notes

2012-03-09T21:13:17Z

notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:13, 9 March 2012
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			* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].

	* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].

	* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... "The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life." <ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>		* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life. ... <br /><br /> ... And then there was ''[[Buffy]]''. The much-deserved success of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' meant that vampires, werewolves, and demons of all varieties -- including the sort who were either as tormented about what they were as any teenager or as forlornly anxious to fit in -- were suddenly fictional legal tender once again. A second wave of urban fantasy overtook the first: [[paranormal romance]], in all of its dark, tawdry, and dysfunctional glory. These creatures of the night knew exactly what they'd become, and were at least half-aware that they were symbols and metaphors for the American experience. '''Our heroine, walking through the empty subway station, is no longer the meek shrinking-violet of previous generations. She is precocious, athletic, sexually aware, and regards kicking demonic ass, in Buffy's words, as 'comfort food.'''' (emphasis added) .... <br /><br />The third generation of urban fantasy, [[noir fantasy]], hearkens to a call for more realism, as exemplified by the novels of [[Charlie Huston]]. .... <br /><br />Urban fantasy counts on familiarity with mythology, fairy tales, and the earliest horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and warlocks -- in the same way that science fiction relies on faster-than-light drives and sentient robots -- as shorthand to pull the reader through familiar territory quickly without wasting precious time."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>

	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==

Lquilter: notes

2012-03-09T21:08:19Z

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	Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc.

	~~The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]].~~

	Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].		* Laura Quilter, 2007-2010: Key indicator is mix of fairy tale elements (often seen in pastoral or rural settings) with specifically urban elements; a recognizable city, skyscrapers, public transit, congestion, large populations, urban blight, etc. The first works in the broad "urban fantasy" genre tended to involve [[faery]] or other [[magic]]al intrusions into modern urban life; the genre overlaps with [[magical realism]] and with [[elfpunk]]. Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].

			* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]].<br /><br />... "The first popularization of the term urban fantasy (later rechristened by [[Charles de Lint]] and [[Terri Windling]] as [[mythic fiction]]), appearing in the mid to late 1980s, was used to apply to the work of writers such as de Lint, [[Emma Bull]], Windling, and [[Will Shetterly]], who wrote contemporary stories in which myths and fairy tales intruded into everyday life." <ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>
	* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]]."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>

	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==

Lquilter: notes

2012-03-09T21:04:41Z

notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 9 March 2012
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	Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].		Over time, the genre has come to be dominated by works drawing from [[vampire]] literature, particularly [[Anne Rice]], frequently with a female protagonist, and featuring sexual or romantic situations. These novels may overlap with [[paranormal romance]]'s, or, as with the books by [[Laurell K. Hamilton]] (one of the founders of this sub-sub-genre), a sort of [[paranormal chick-lit\|paranormal "chick-lit"]].


			* [[Peter S. Beagle]]: "[A]s a subgenre, as a kind, as a trope, I still think that urban fantasy's most important distinction is that it isn't ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': that is, it doesn't happen in a comfortable rural, pre-industrial setting where people still ride horses, swing swords, quaff ale in variously sinister pubs, and head off apocalypses and Armageddons that would a ''[[Buffy]]'' episode look like a tussle in a schoolyard. Not that that's a bad thing... What I ''am'' clear on is that, while I wasn't looking, urban fantasy has become so vibrant, and has evolved so rapidly, that it has emerged as a distinct marketing category, often with its own section in the bookstore. Because of that rapid growth the term means different things to different generations of readers. There have, in fact, been three distinct subgenres of urban fantasy: [[mythic fiction]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[noir fantasy]]."<ref>Introduction, ''The Urban Fantasy Anthology'', edited by [[Peer S. Beagle]] and [[Joe R. Lansdale]] (2011, [[Tachyon Publications]]).</ref>

	== Works of Urban Fantasy ==		== Works of Urban Fantasy ==
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	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fantasy "urban fantasy"] at wikipedia		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fantasy "urban fantasy"] at wikipedia


			==notes==
			{{reflist}}

	[[category:Genres]]		[[category:Genres]]
	[[Category:Fantasy]]		[[Category:Fantasy]]
	[[Category:Urban fantasy\| ]]		[[Category:Urban fantasy\| ]]

Lquilter: notes

2010-12-10T05:01:08Z

notes

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	* [[Tanya Huff]]		* [[Tanya Huff]]
	* [[Mercedes Lackey]]		* [[Mercedes Lackey]]
			* [[Kelley Armstrong]]


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	* [[Rachel Caine]], Weather Warden series; Glass Houses		* [[Rachel Caine]], Weather Warden series; Glass Houses

			==Further reading==
			* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal_romance "paranormal romance"] at wikipedia
			* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fantasy "urban fantasy"] at wikipedia