Thoughts of urban fantasy have filled my mind recently since I’m about to start chapter one of my very own story in this genre.
Urban fantasy is defined as a contemporary fantasy set in a real city such as New York, Chicago or Melbourne–one that all of us might recognize. The setting is gritty. The stories are often ones of good versus evil. I’ve found in a lot of the stories the magical inhabitants of the cities are very political with lots of jostling for position going on amongst the different races. The stories are usually told in first person and purists prefer to stay well away from romantic sub-plots. Most urban fantasy authors have series with the same recurring characters and for the reader each subsequent book is like a return to friends. I love this! I’d also say that urban fantasies as a whole straddle lots of genres. There’s the fantasy element, the contemporary one, with sometimes a strong suspense plot. A few stray into horror territory. They’re certainly not boring, and I find the genre very exciting.
According to Wikipedia urban fantasy has been around since the 1920s in children’s books. The term became more readily recognizable during the 1980s where it was applied to adult fiction.
During the past two years I’ve read a lot of urban fantasy. I do tend to prefer the ones where there is a romantic sub-plot, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. The Wikipedia lists quite a few popular authors along with some TV shows and movies which fall into the urban fantasy category.
Some of my favorites are Patricia Briggs, Keri Arthur, Kim Harrison, Jennifer Rardin and Jim Butcher.
I’m currently reading Unquiet Dreams, the second book in Mark del Franco’s Connor Grey druid series. This series is also rapidly becoming a favorite with me.
My guest blogger this week is Stacia Kane who has an urban fantasy release coming in April called Personal Demons. She’ll be here on Wednesday, so I hope you’ll return to visit.
Have you read urban fantasy stories before? Do you like them? Which authors are your favorites?
