Source Material: Urban Fantasy books/writers

[FenrisUlf]

HI all,

Seeing as how the new Urban Fantasy book should be coming out later this year, I felt like jumping the gun and asking you fellows -- just what books and authors write good urban fantasy?

For that matter, how do you differentiate 'urban fantasy' from, say, 'pulp horror'? How is Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series different from Mignola's Hellboy?

Thanks for any help.

[NestorDRod]

Not sure I can answer your question off the top of my head. I will need to think about it and pull out some source material to compose a proper response.

I do know that one set of books that jump immediately to mind when the term "urban fantasy" is bandied about is the SERRAted Edge series by Mercedes Lackey.

She also wrote some novels starring her character Diana Tregarde that fit the bill quite nicely, predate the whole Anita Blake mess, and manage to tackle the subject of a female monster-hunter without descending into soft-core S&M porn. :p

[ghost-angel]

Charles DeLint is considered of the icon writers of the genre.

If you can still find them (may have to hit used book places) Bordertown and Borderlands are both short story collections in the genre.

China Meville is another one (though many can't stand his writing, I didn't think it was all that bad).
Neil Gaiman has a number of works that would fit UF (Anasasi Boys and American Gods in particular)

[teh bunneh]

Steve started a thread on this back when he started writing the book. Here's a link (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59469)-- probably more info than you'll ever need. ;)

[NestorDRod]

If you can still find them (may have to hit used book places) Bordertown and Borderlands are both short story collections in the genre.


Yeah! I agree on the Bordertown books. Thanks for reminding me of them. I had a vague memory of reading the stories many moons ago but couldn't remember what the titles were.

[Shadowsoul]

The line between dark fantasy and horror is rather vague, particularly in the case of urban fantasy, I myself wouldn't hesitate to mix the two. If Dresden can be considered more fantasy than Hellboy it is perhaps simply because Dresden is a wizard and fantasy readers are interested in wizards. And possibly because Jim Butcher puts more effort into creating a unified fantastic world while Hellboy and co seem to me to just wander from one unrelated weird incident to the next. Otherwise there isn't all that much separating them, both characters have had to deal with faeries for example.

As for source material.

The comic series Hellblazer might be useful, (inspired the film Constantine). As would superhero stuff like Spawn and Wychblade.

It's mostly for younger readers but Amanda Hemingway's Sangreal trilogy is quite interesting.

I'm told that the whole female monster hunter thing was sparked off by a series or book called 'Sunglasses After Dark'; apparently it's very good.

[Killer Shrike]

So You Want To Be A Wizard? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_You_Want_to_Be_a_Wizard)












;)

[ghost-angel]

The line between dark fantasy and horror is rather vague, particularly in the case of urban fantasy, I myself wouldn't hesitate to mix the two. If Dresden can be considered more fantasy than Hellboy it is perhaps simply because Dresden is a wizard and fantasy readers are interested in wizards. And possibly because Jim Butcher puts more effort into creating a unified fantastic world while Hellboy and co seem to me to just wander from one unrelated weird incident to the next. Otherwise there isn't all that separating them, both characters have had to deal with faeries for example.

I would put the Hellboy short story collections firmly in the Urban Fantasy Genre.

The Hellboy comic did have an underlying series of subplots, but for the most part it was a collection of individual stories.

[Farmer42]

Simon Green's Nightside novels blur the genres significantly, but at the core they have a strong Urban Fantasy theme. The Golden Torc, same author, is another great example. Dead to Me, by Anton Strout. Black Magic Woman by Justin Gustains. Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco.

[TheQuestionMan]

Urban Fantasy Hero: There's more to Fantasy than alternate worlds filled with sword-swinging barbarians, armored knights, and fireball-casting wizards. One of the most popular Fantasy subgenres today is "Urban Fantasy," which combines the mysticism and wondrous creatures of Fantasy with modern-day settings, technology, and people. Urban Fantasy Hero is your complete guide to this subgenre for gaming, with detailed information about genre elements and themes, character creation, and gamemastering. It also includes an extensive resources section featuring settings, spells, and other material you can use right away. So step away from your everyday life... and into the magical world of Urban Fantasy Hero!
Author: Steven S. Long
Tentative Release Date: Late 2008

The Dresden Files
http://dresdenfilesrpg.com/

The Dresden Files
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dresden_Files

Susano's Guide to Adapting Fictional Characters to HERO
http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58595

naturaltwenty's "The Dresden Files Hero"
<<<Razzle Frazzle Fricking Fracking Link is dead>>>

Urban Fantasy - Films/TV Series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_Fantasy

Fantasy Subgenres
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_subgenres#Urban_fantasy

Surbrook's Stuff - MOVIE AND TELEVISION-DERIVED CHARACTER ADAPTATIONS
http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsmovie/moviechar.html#buffy

Surbrook's Stuff - CHARACTERS ADAPTED FROM A SERIES OR A SINGLE SOURCE
http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsbook/bookchar.html#AB

Surbrook's Stuff - WORLD OF DARKNESS HERO
http://surbrook.devermore.net/whitewolf/WODHERO.html

Neverwhere D6
http://neverwhered6.tripod.com/

Combined with

HERO Characteristic Conversion (Str) by Grey's Hero
http://www.hierax.com/hero/house/cha.html


More later


QM

[Sociotard]

Terry Brooks' "Knight of the Word" series was very good.

[FenrisUlf]

Steve started a thread on this back when he started writing the book. Here's a link (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59469)-- probably more info than you'll ever need. ;)

Thanks for the link, Bunneh. I'd give you a carrot, but all I have is rep.

EDIT: Thanks to the rest of you too. I'll pass out some more rep as I get the time.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Lets not forget the plethora of Gothic Horror out there. I consider Gothic Horror to be a genre blending of Urband Fantasy and Horror genres. In fact, many Gothic Horror settings (such as Anne Rice's Lestat books) have far more in common with Urban fantasy than with traditional Horror.

The World of Darkness is most certainly Urban Fantasy taken to an extreme level of detail.

[Curufea]

China Meiville's Bas-Lag series - Perdido Street Station, The Scar, Iron Council.
Although it's more industrial age than modern.