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I'm not an avid reader of urban fantasy; it seems to be essentially fairies/werewolves/vampires/angels&demons/whatever are real and Our Hero/ine has to foil their evil plots. There's a thin boundary between UF and paranormal romance, at least in today's market. I enjoy the Dresden Files, however, despite Harry being a jerk. I'm fond of plots with politics and double- or triple-crossing and shadowy conspiracies, which the Dresden Files have in spades.
(When book 10 came out, Phil said it went in a direction that wasn't like the previous books, and I asked if it went into the whole Black Council stuff, and he looked a little surprised & said yes. I pick up on things like that. Well, and it seemed pretty obvious that that's where it was going, and it would have been a huge let-down if Butcher had dropped the thread of that. Huh, maybe I have a better grasp of structure than I thought.)
But at its core, urban fantasy is just fantasy set in a city. Does that make Swordspoint UF? And I guess also Shades of Milk and Honey? Hell, by that definition, much of the Nightrunners series is UF.
I guess, technically, "U8: Alexanderplatz" is also UF: it's fantasy set in a city (a very small part of a city). This kind of weirds me out. But at ReaderCon, people *really* liked it. (I don't know about the other readings, since I missed them because of Stupid Illness, but I've been told it got a good reception at NASFiC.) One person told me she thought it would make a good basis for a novel.
But I don't *write* UF... I write space opera and politics and splosions and selflessness and duty and strength in adversity.
But Berlin keeps calling me. I want to write something set in Berlin, with the city as a character. During the Mauerzeit. Or in the days of the Kaisers. Or ... I don't know. It's just so vague, you know? This feeling like there's a story I want to tell, but I haven't found it yet. Or it hasn't found me.
It'll most likely involve trains. Trains are awesome. And train stations that aren't in service anymore because they were bombed.
(When book 10 came out, Phil said it went in a direction that wasn't like the previous books, and I asked if it went into the whole Black Council stuff, and he looked a little surprised & said yes. I pick up on things like that. Well, and it seemed pretty obvious that that's where it was going, and it would have been a huge let-down if Butcher had dropped the thread of that. Huh, maybe I have a better grasp of structure than I thought.)
But at its core, urban fantasy is just fantasy set in a city. Does that make Swordspoint UF? And I guess also Shades of Milk and Honey? Hell, by that definition, much of the Nightrunners series is UF.
I guess, technically, "U8: Alexanderplatz" is also UF: it's fantasy set in a city (a very small part of a city). This kind of weirds me out. But at ReaderCon, people *really* liked it. (I don't know about the other readings, since I missed them because of Stupid Illness, but I've been told it got a good reception at NASFiC.) One person told me she thought it would make a good basis for a novel.
But I don't *write* UF... I write space opera and politics and splosions and selflessness and duty and strength in adversity.
But Berlin keeps calling me. I want to write something set in Berlin, with the city as a character. During the Mauerzeit. Or in the days of the Kaisers. Or ... I don't know. It's just so vague, you know? This feeling like there's a story I want to tell, but I haven't found it yet. Or it hasn't found me.
It'll most likely involve trains. Trains are awesome. And train stations that aren't in service anymore because they were bombed.
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Date: 2010-10-07 06:48 pm (UTC)From:Also, you've now got me seeing this sprawling Gaiman-esque magical realism epic novel following the living city of Berlin from medieval times up through the present day. It sounds awesome. Go for it! :D
no subject
Date: 2010-10-07 08:16 pm (UTC)From:I think I hate you forever. But now I know what I want to use when I apply for this grant.