Read this…
…if you read or write urban fantasy. I love this post by Lilith Saintcrow (agent-mate!).
She beautifully defines the genre in a way I’ve really been trying to do, why it has exploded and why there is so much love for it. And it most definitely reaffirms that what I’m writing is urban fantasy all the way.
Here’s a snippet:
Week 5 of Sven| “Too Good” for YA » »In urban fantasy, the protagonist is dealing as best they can with a world where “good” is relative. Moral and ethical quandaries lurk under the surface, there are very few clear examples of pure unstained good. The lead character’s talents and abilities either set her apart in or initiate her into a world where there is very little in the way of certainty. Friends and foes change places, and antihero isn’t so much the order of the day as that old noir trope, the “decent person in an indecent world”.
Comments
That is an awesome definition of Urban Fantasy. I always struggle for a good definition when asked, too. My first instinct is to say something along the lines of “Y’know, like Buffy.” But, then I feel guilty using one work to describe another–like the work being described isn’t original in its own right.
Anyway, it never occurred to me that there was a connection between UF and the hardboiled novels of Hammett and Chandler, but it makes a lot of sense.
I loved that article so much and then was depressed to see the reception over there in the comments thread. Apparently, women with physical prowess are unbelievable and far beyond what should be considered acceptable when suspending disbelief.
*grr*
Leave a Comment