bubba smith Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 when urban fantasy hero is released will it get its own forum or be placed here in the fantasy hero forums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psybolt Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts When is Urban Fantasy due? What is the current state of the book? How is Steve doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts The book is finished, but I think there's still some layout to finish before sending it to the printers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Will this be "Dresden Files" or "Ankh-Morpork"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts The book is finished' date=' but I think there's still some layout to finish before sending it to the printers.[/quote'] Wooo Hooooo!! Yah! err...too early on the celebration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Will this be "Dresden Files" or "Ankh-Morpork"? hopefully not "Ankh-Morpork" or at least just a page........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts It will cover a wide range of Urban Fantasy settings - Ankh-Morpork is not, by the standards of the literary genre, Urban Fantasy. I'm sure one of the settings in the book will be Dresden Files in nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Hmm, so a fantasy book set in a city is not urban fantasy . . . what WOULD you call it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Hmm' date=' so a fantasy book set in a city is not urban fantasy . . . what WOULD you call it?[/quote'] It's not a matter of literal definitions. Urban Fantasy as a genre is generally accepted to be more modern in timeline that standard fantasy. Since most of the stories tend to take place in cities the tag Urban Fantasy stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Hmm' date=' so a fantasy book set in a city is not urban fantasy . . . what WOULD you call it?[/quote'] The Urban refers to post-industrial urbanization. It's not a literal definition as Spence pointed out. The majority of the Urban Fantasy genre juxtaposes Modern (especially information-age and onwards) Cities with Fantasy elements (fae, magic, etc). Shadowrun, Dresden Files, Buffy; all of those are considered Urban Fantasy. Charles DeLint is often considered one of the definitive sources of Urban Fantasy writing. A giant city in a fantasy setting (Greyhawk, Ank-Morpork) is not. That's just a giant city in a Fantasy Setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts 1. Urban Fantasy will not get its own forum. Posts about Urban Fantasy are appropriate for the FH forum, since UF is a form of Fantasy. 2. UFH will cover the entire gamut of Urban Fantasy, which includes The Dresden Files, Buffy: TVS, V:TM, and many, many, many other things. Like all of our genre books, it aims to cover the entire genre, not just one aspect of the genre. 3. In terms of defining what "Urban Fantasy" is, here's what the book says: The basics of Urban Fantasy are very easy to define, though their ramifications are far-reaching and broad. Simply put, Urban Fantasy stories bring magic, magical creatures, and other elements of Fantasy into the modern technological world. In short, it does not include things like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser running around in Lankhmar. That's traditional Fantasy set in an urban environment appropriate to a traditional Fantasy setting, not Urban Fantasy. 4. We are currently finishing up the layout on UFH. Andy was nearly done with it when he died, so we've brought in a skilled pinch-hitter to finish it up. This is going to take some time, though, as we figure out what's missing, what Andy intended to put where, etc., etc. We've actually been working on that a lot over the past couple days and are making good progress. We'll keep you posted via weekly updates... when I get back to writing weekly updates. 5. In terms of the sample settings/adventures featured, again I will quote from the book itself: —Hudson City Shadows, in which the PCs are part of the “Shadow World” of wizards and magical creatures that exists in hidden places within the metropolis of Hudson City; —Invasive Species, in which the native mystical creatures of Reno, Nevada must cope with the arrival of newcomers; —The Sixth Sun, in which the pagan gods of old have “remade” the world so that magic exists, wizards are commonplace, and mystical power has become as important in society as technology; and —Lines Of Contention, in which a magus’s attempt to alter the ley lines in Hudson City could spell disaster. In terms of inspirations and style, roughly speaking: HC Shadows is "Steve's tribute to Dresden Files, but with higher magic"; Invasive Species is "Jason does the World Of Darkness, but more coherent and cooler"; The Sixth Sun is "Steve's tribute to Shadowrun, but without the cyberpunk elements"; and Lines Of Contention is "Steve attempts to do a Tim Powers-like setting/adventure." All but Invasive Species have their own complete magic systems, including lots of sample spells. I think the system I concocted for Lines Of Contention is one of the best, most flavorful I've ever created. I ended up cutting one setting/adventure, Lycanthrope House, for space and deadline reasons. It's best described as "Poul Anderson's "Operation Salamander meets Revenge Of The Nerds/Animal House." Perhaps I'll write it up as a Hero Plus Adventure sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psybolt Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Hi Steve. How is the shoulder doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Getting a little better. I'm on physical therapy and such, and can do a little typing if I keep the keyboard in my lap. Slow and steady improvement is the name of the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Getting a little better. I'm on physical therapy and such' date=' and can do a [i']little[/i] typing if I keep the keyboard in my lap. Slow and steady improvement is the name of the game. Don't over do it. I knew better once and payed for it Not fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted December 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts 1. Urban Fantasy will not get its own forum. Posts about Urban Fantasy are appropriate for the FH forum, since UF is a form of Fantasy. 2. UFH will cover the entire gamut of Urban Fantasy, which includes The Dresden Files, Buffy: TVS, V:TM, and many, many, many other things. Like all of our genre books, it aims to cover the entire genre, not just one aspect of the genre. 3. In terms of defining what "Urban Fantasy" is, here's what the book says: In short, it does not include things like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser running around in Lankhmar. That's traditional Fantasy set in an urban environment appropriate to a traditional Fantasy setting, not Urban Fantasy. 4. We are currently finishing up the layout on UFH. Andy was nearly done with it when he died, so we've brought in a skilled pinch-hitter to finish it up. This is going to take some time, though, as we figure out what's missing, what Andy intended to put where, etc., etc. We've actually been working on that a lot over the past couple days and are making good progress. We'll keep you posted via weekly updates... when I get back to writing weekly updates. 5. In terms of the sample settings/adventures featured, again I will quote from the book itself: In terms of inspirations and style, roughly speaking: HC Shadows is "Steve's tribute to Dresden Files, but with higher magic"; Invasive Species is "Jason does the World Of Darkness, but more coherent and cooler"; The Sixth Sun is "Steve's tribute to Shadowrun, but without the cyberpunk elements"; and Lines Of Contention is "Steve attempts to do a Tim Powers-like setting/adventure." All but Invasive Species have their own complete magic systems, including lots of sample spells. I think the system I concocted for Lines Of Contention is one of the best, most flavorful I've ever created. I ended up cutting one setting/adventure, Lycanthrope House, for space and deadline reasons. It's best described as "Poul Anderson's "Operation Salamander meets Revenge Of The Nerds/Animal House." Perhaps I'll write it up as a Hero Plus Adventure sometime. i'll have to check this out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts In terms of inspirations and style' date=' [i']roughly[/i] speaking: HC Shadows is "Steve's tribute to Dresden Files, but with higher magic"; Invasive Species is "Jason does the World Of Darkness, but more coherent and cooler"; The Sixth Sun is "Steve's tribute to Shadowrun, but without the cyberpunk elements"; and Lines Of Contention is "Steve attempts to do a Tim Powers-like setting/adventure." All but Invasive Species have their own complete magic systems, including lots of sample spells. I think the system I concocted for Lines Of Contention is one of the best, most flavorful I've ever created.Me want. Birthday is coming up. Me want bad. Sorry, English left me for a moment. The bolded text is exactly what I want. All I need is a release date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Me want. Birthday is coming up. Me want bad. Sorry, English left me for a moment. The bolded text is exactly what I want. All I need is a release date. For me it is Hudson City Shadows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts For me it is Hudson City Shadows Very close second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Will there be anything along the lines of the Lord Darcy stories? That is, a world that seems much like ours, but with magic replacing (largely but not necessarily completely) technology? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Will there be anything along the lines of the Lord Darcy stories? That is' date=' a world that seems much like ours, but with magic replacing (largely but not necessarily completely) technology?[/quote'] OK I feel stupid now. Lord Darcy isn't ringing a bell and I know it should... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts OK I feel stupid now. Lord Darcy isn't ringing a bell and I know it should... Author Randell Garrett. Lead character is Lord Darcy, the Chief Criminal Investigator for the Duke of Normandy (who is the younger brother of the King of England, and France, Holy Roman Emperor, etc.). Alternate timeline where (A) Richard I didn't die until much later and ( the laws of magic were worked out in the 13th century (I think). Set in the 1960's for the most part (all the stories were set in times contemporary with the times they were written in the Real World). Steam engines are known and used (railroads and ships, mostly), but electricity is mostly an enigma. Gunpowder is used; a revolver plays a significant role in one story. However, much of what is done by technology in the real world is doen by magic in Lord Darcy's world. For instance, keyed locks work by magic; the matching of wards and pins/tumblers is by magic, not the shape of the parts. The stories are mysteries, and it shows Mr. Garrett's excellence as an author that the mysteries are solved by deduction and detection, not by a deus ex machina use of magic. Magic has rules, it has limitations, and those rules fit together logically and reasonably; due to the limitations, actual detective work is needed to solve the puzzles the stories present. Marvelous stories! I recommend them most highly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Great more stuff for my "Someday I'll actually get around to reading this stuff" list. Sounds fun though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Author Randell Garrett. Lead character is Lord Darcy, the Chief Criminal Investigator for the Duke of Normandy (who is the younger brother of the King of England, and France, Holy Roman Emperor, etc.). Alternate timeline where (A) Richard I didn't die until much later and ( the laws of magic were worked out in the 13th century (I think). Set in the 1960's for the most part (all the stories were set in times contemporary with the times they were written in the Real World). Steam engines are known and used (railroads and ships, mostly), but electricity is mostly an enigma. Gunpowder is used; a revolver plays a significant role in one story. However, much of what is done by technology in the real world is doen by magic in Lord Darcy's world. For instance, keyed locks work by magic; the matching of wards and pins/tumblers is by magic, not the shape of the parts. The stories are mysteries, and it shows Mr. Garrett's excellence as an author that the mysteries are solved by deduction and detection, not by a deus ex machina use of magic. Magic has rules, it has limitations, and those rules fit together logically and reasonably; due to the limitations, actual detective work is needed to solve the puzzles the stories present. Marvelous stories! I recommend them most highly. Sounds good. I think I will have to hunt it/them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Urban Fantasy Hero!? Why was I not informed!!!!???? YES! In terms of inspirations and style, roughly speaking: HC Shadows is "Steve's tribute to Dresden Files, but with higher magic"; Invasive Species is "Jason does the World Of Darkness, but more coherent and cooler"; The Sixth Sun is "Steve's tribute to Shadowrun, but without the cyberpunk elements"; and Lines Of Contention is "Steve attempts to do a Tim Powers-like setting/adventure." *Joy!* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: urban fantasy hero posts Why was I not informed!!!!???? Are you on the List? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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