Urban Fantasy
We are working on a feature for the May ‘07 issue of Romantic Times BOOKreviews, and I was wondering if you are familiar with the term “Urban Fantasy”?
The reason I ask is because when I mention it to some people they think I mean Urban Lit, which is also known as Street Lit.
The way we are defining Urban Fantasy is a parallel world going on in today's times, a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Did you know we are giving away original comic book art for Buffy and Anita Blake comic books? Details are in the March issue of RT!) What sets this apart from paranormal romance is that there is no Happily Ever After in the book, although there may very well be an ongoing romance in the series.
We ran into this with Karen Marie Moning's new fantasy series that launched in February with DARKFEVER. We tagged it fantasy, but not in the same vein as Science Fiction/Fantasy. It's the genre that Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison write in as well.
In addition to an in-depth feature on this emerging new genre, we will have a rare interview with Jim Butcher who is best known for his Urban Fantasy series the Dresden Files which tells the story of wizard Harry Dresden who solves crimes in modern-day Chicago.
The series is published by Roc, and its ninth book, WHITE NIGHT, is due out April 2007, in hardcover. In January the Sci-Fi Channel picked up the series for 11 episodes starring Paul Blackthorne (24, Presidio Med) as Dresden. It can be been seen on Sunday nights at 9 EST in the hour before the popular Battlestar Galactica series. Our interview will reveal how Jim likes the series and if it’s true to the books.
Vampire author extraordinaire Charlaine Harris (who is leading the Vampire workshops for the RT convention) just e-mailed me to say Jim Butcher will also be attending this year's RT convention. Yippee! I am putting together a special workshop and inviting Butcher, Kim Harrison and Marjorie M. Liu (and a few other Urban Fantasy writers) to lead the panel so writers can learn first hand how to jump into this new market. This will be an awesome workshop!!
So back to the question: Are you familiar with the term Urban Fantasy and do you use it when referring to the books (and the ones like them) that I have mentioned above.
I look forward to your response,
Carol Stacy
The reason I ask is because when I mention it to some people they think I mean Urban Lit, which is also known as Street Lit.
The way we are defining Urban Fantasy is a parallel world going on in today's times, a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Did you know we are giving away original comic book art for Buffy and Anita Blake comic books? Details are in the March issue of RT!) What sets this apart from paranormal romance is that there is no Happily Ever After in the book, although there may very well be an ongoing romance in the series.
We ran into this with Karen Marie Moning's new fantasy series that launched in February with DARKFEVER. We tagged it fantasy, but not in the same vein as Science Fiction/Fantasy. It's the genre that Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison write in as well.
In addition to an in-depth feature on this emerging new genre, we will have a rare interview with Jim Butcher who is best known for his Urban Fantasy series the Dresden Files which tells the story of wizard Harry Dresden who solves crimes in modern-day Chicago.
The series is published by Roc, and its ninth book, WHITE NIGHT, is due out April 2007, in hardcover. In January the Sci-Fi Channel picked up the series for 11 episodes starring Paul Blackthorne (24, Presidio Med) as Dresden. It can be been seen on Sunday nights at 9 EST in the hour before the popular Battlestar Galactica series. Our interview will reveal how Jim likes the series and if it’s true to the books.
Vampire author extraordinaire Charlaine Harris (who is leading the Vampire workshops for the RT convention) just e-mailed me to say Jim Butcher will also be attending this year's RT convention. Yippee! I am putting together a special workshop and inviting Butcher, Kim Harrison and Marjorie M. Liu (and a few other Urban Fantasy writers) to lead the panel so writers can learn first hand how to jump into this new market. This will be an awesome workshop!!
So back to the question: Are you familiar with the term Urban Fantasy and do you use it when referring to the books (and the ones like them) that I have mentioned above.
I look forward to your response,
Carol Stacy
posted at 4:11 PM
16 Comments:
Hi Carol,
Yes, I'm very familar with Urban Fantasy and I think it's definitely a very popular trend in the market.
OMG, Carol, this is fantastic. I LOVE Urban Fantasy. I devour them like chocolate. Rachel Caine and Kim Harrison are my favorites.
Can't wait for the workshop. I'll definitely be there front and center!!!!
I write in UF, though oddly enough my agent had to tell me what it was I'd written (I submitted it as 'paranormal women's fiction.' Duh.). Anyway, I clearly love it - from the kick-@ss heroines, to the paranormal elements rearing their heads in a real-world setting - and the authors you mentioned are among my favorites. I'll definitely be attending this panel!
Vicki
I don't call it urban fantasy but paranormal whether there is romance involved or not. Currently these are my favorite books with some of my favorite authors being, Laurell K Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, Kelly Armstrong, and Sherrilyn Kenyon just to name a few. I think this a fast growing market and I look forward to new series and new authors.
My newest series is urban fantasy, even though it's labeled paranormal romance. I love urban fantasy--it's fun yet can be dark & gritty, sexy, but also has the paranormal/fantasy element that I really love.
It's the most fun I've had writing anything.
I am so excited! Although I'm planning to attend RT, would have prefered a convention with UF as the focal point. Now, if you can just coax Rachel Caine and Patricia Briggs into attending, I will be on Cloud Nine.
I have contacted both Rachel Caine and Patricia Briggs and invited them to be on the panels. I'll keep you posted.
Carol
Rachel Caine has just agreed to be on the Urban Fantasy panel.
I always called it paranormal until Cheyenne McCray told me the term "Urban Fantasy." The Immortals Series I'm doing for Dorchester with Joy Nash and Robin Popp, coming out in May '07, definitely qualifies as Urban Fantasy!
Jennifer Ashley
What about L.A. Banks? Would her Vamp books be called Urban Fantasy
OMG Carol.....you just made me almost pass out....
I LOVE LOVE Rachel Caine.
I write Dark Urban Fantasy - which is Urban Fantasy with a much darker element (obviously). I love it too.
L.A. Banks is definitely Urban Fantasy.
I heard from Jim Butcher and he is very excited about the RT convention and being a part of the Urban Fantasy workshops.
Signed on for the workshops are: Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Marjorie M. Liu (who begins a UF new series in 2008 from Ace), Rachel Caine, Keri Arthur and newcomers Vicki Pettersson, Jerri Smith-Ready and Jennifer Armintrout.
It's going to bve GREAT!!
Carol, when it is going to be? What day and time? Are you going to list it on the RT Convention pages?
It will be on Friday, April 27 10-11 and 11-12.
10-11
An Urban Fantasy State of Mind
Meet the best of the best, starting with Jim Butcher, famous for his Dresden Files series. He’ll be joined by Sookie Stackhouse creator Charlaine Harris and many of the genre’s rising stars: Marjorie M. Liu (who begins an UF series in 2008 from Ace), Rachel Caine, Keri Arthur and newcomers Vicki Pettersson, Jeri Smith-Ready and Jennifer Armintrout to discuss what urban fantasy is, why it’s different from paranormal romance and what it takes to hit the mark for fans of this genre.
11-12
The Secrets to Writing A Successful
Urban Fantasy Series
Learn from the leaders how to keep the momentum going and keep
the readers coming back for more. Learn how to create a believable
parallel world that seamlessly interacts with today’s modern-day sensibilities.
I devour all the urban fantasy I can get and look forward to the issue where it is featured. I hope you get not just the more known writers, but some of the up & comers like Kat Richardson & some of the others as well. I won't be able to attend the convention, but continue to subscribe to the magazine.
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