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Epic Fantasy - Contemporary Earth Setting?

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Quantus:
Recent Terry Brooks has been filling in the timeline gap between modern day and the distant post-apocalyptic fantasy setting of his Shannara series, that would probably qualify.

The indiana jones "occult happening behind WW2" seems a popular choice, since epic world change was abounding anyway.

Not precisely fantasy, but any large scale alien invasion story you've heard of would probably be a decent example if you just replaced "alien" with something mythological. 

The challenge I see with it is that to get that level of EPIC!! as I see it you have to have events with far-reaching, world level implications and changes, and that by nature forces you to deviate rather sharply from the "real-world" modern day setting you start with.  The trick would be to do that without going to far into something post-apocalyptic

tuttman1234:
It may not seem like it at first, but I think the Jack Ryan series Tom Clancy did would fit what you're describing.

Quantus:

--- Quote from: tuttman1234 on September 23, 2012, 07:42:40 PM ---It may not seem like it at first, but I think the Jack Ryan series Tom Clancy did would fit what you're describing.

--- End quote ---
Epic sure, but fantasy?

Paynesgrey:
Well, you'd basically need to adjust things so the world included fantasy elements.  Jack Ryan or John Clark trying to find the arms dealer who has an electrum talisman filled with L. Ron Hubbard's toenail clippings or Rasputin's Cursed Teaspoon Of Barak-Tor.

The Repairman Jack books by F. Paul Wilson have a good Fantasy/Horror thing going, but don't have the "epic" in the sense of traveling the world fulfill some questy thing that needs done.

OZ:
I read a book some time ago that was trying for this. It was a "magic returns" type situation where magic came back to the world and although most people remained human, many changed to become other creatures that fit what they were. One example was an extremely wealthy man that spent all his time accumulating more wealth gradually changed into a dragon fiercely guarding his horde and adding to it at every opportunity. Some "gang bangers" became goblins and some mechanical engineers and/or miners became dwarves. The idea was great but the book was (IMHO) only mediocre at best. I think there might have been a sequel but it never really got legs. I can't remember the author or the title of the book. If it had succeeded I think it would have been an epic fantasy in a Contemporary Earth setting. Places didn't change only people. A dragon, for instance, might claim a high rise for a home and gnomes and dwarves might take over subway tunnels or sewers and expand their homes from there. The setting was conteporary even if the characters had changed.

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