I was first introduced to Urban Fantasy in the form of Lilith Saintcrow’s Dante Valentine series. I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. It featured a hardcore, gritty, in-your-face heroine who could easily kick ass and take names, even when dealing with the devil himself. After that I went on to read Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series and my love for her work was cemented. To me, Urban Fantasy means an inner-city setting for at least part of the book, characters that could be just like you and me for the most part, and some type of fantasy element that doesn’t rule the world but is wholly a part of it. Of all the UF I’ve read over the past few years I’d say Lilith Saintcrow’s books fit the bill quite nicely.
When writing, I don’t necessarily set out to write a UF. I write what my characters tell me to write and try to set it in a place I know well enough to write about with some accuracy. I write about my home town of Houston a lot and my characters range from human to everything else. It’s not necessarily planned out and I’ve come to realize there’s a very fine line between UF and Paranormal Romance. However, they are definitely two different genres. In my books, the romance takes a back seat to the fantasy element of the world. That makes them more UF, but there are still people who would consider them PR for having any romance in them at all. I think that fine line might be defined by personal preference.
I also believe some books can be both UF and PR just depending on which character’s POV we’re in. Sometimes it almost seems to change from chapter to chapter. There are also a few series that begin as one and change into the other. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series is the perfect example. That one definitely began as UF, as there was pretty much no romance in the first three books. Then Anita started messing around with the male characters and slipped into PR territory. The later books in the series hit erotica easily and are very different from the beginning of the series. The progression is interesting but might not satisfy every reader if you’re not expecting and/or wanting it. Personally, I like reading most genres of Romance.
Now, what isn’t Urban Fantasy? For real, straight UF, I’d say there shouldn’t be much of a romantic element. Again, Lilith Saintcrow’s books are a great example. Though her heroines do have a love interest, LS doesn’t focus on the relationship a whole lot. It just sort of happens in each series almost as an afterthought. The men are integral to the story, but not because of the romance. I think she did an awesome job. I’m not saying an author can’t add hot sex to their UF, but if the scene is a big part of the story then they’ve written a PR, not an UF. Also, there should be some modern day realism. Though fantasy is a part of the genre title, it’s only half. Urban, to me, means an inner-city setting with humans that have jobs and homes and families. Kind of any normal contemporary setting. Then you throw in the paranormal creatures and voila, Urban Fantasy.
Overall, UF is one of my favorite genres to read because I’ve always been an avid horror and fantasy fan. I think it takes a little bit from both of those genres and puts them into a modern setting which makes them seem more real. I love reading UF even more than I love writing it.
Urban Fantasy Series I love:
The Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow
The Jill Kismet series by Lilith Saintcrow
The first three books in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs (fine line between this and PR)
Imajica by Clive Barker (some may argue if this is UF at all, but I don’t consider it horror)
Questions for Readers:
When reading UF, does it bother you to have any level of sex scenes in them?
Of the various paranormal creatures, inhuman elements, or fantasy elements, which do you prefer to read in an UF book?
Would you keep reading a series if it changed genres from one book to the next? Why?
About Missy Jane
Author Bio:
Ms. Missy Jane is the alter ego of a married mother of four who was born and raised in Texas. Missy spends most of her time lost in worlds of her own making, alternately loving and hating such creatures as vampires, shape-shifters and gargoyles (to name a few). When not writing, she spends her time reading, taking photos of her beautiful daughters and training her husband to believe she’s always right.
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Read last week’s post on Urban Fantasy here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=76822
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