McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Your Pet Urban Fantasy Cliche Peeves
LizW65:
--- Quote from: Galvatron on May 08, 2013, 08:31:25 PM ---Is it a made up world or does the story take place in our world.
Also, I see this often with horror
--- End quote ---
It's our world.
You mentioned horror; another example is the "Modern Gothic", aka "Had I But Known" or "Girl Gets House" genre, of which I've been reading a lot lately, specifically the ones Elizabeth Peters wrote as Barbara Michaels in the late Sixties through the Nineties. (This genre seems to have pretty much disappeared, BTW.) Often an otherwise mundane setting will have a ghost or other paranormal feature, and the characters tend to take a very sceptical, rational viewpoint, as opposed to accepting magic as a possibility right off the bat.
Galvatron:
--- Quote from: LizW65 on May 08, 2013, 09:40:34 PM ---It's our world.
You mentioned horror; another example is the "Modern Gothic", aka "Had I But Known" or "Girl Gets House" genre, of which I've been reading a lot lately, specifically the ones Elizabeth Peters wrote as Barbara Michaels in the late Sixties through the Nineties. (This genre seems to have pretty much disappeared, BTW.) Often an otherwise mundane setting will have a ghost or other paranormal feature, and the characters tend to take a very sceptical, rational viewpoint, as opposed to accepting magic as a possibility right off the bat.
--- End quote ---
Ya I really like those stories, I think a big thing is that using just one supernatural element and having it be a rare occurance in the setting lets the world work the way it is. I believe nuero mentioned a pet peeve about when magic is present but the world still works the same as it does in the real world despite hte pressence of magic or monsters and all that. I agree and find that super annoying.
However, if there is say 1 or 2 monsters, well that might not change the world anymore than your average pyscho/serial killer does. I mean one vampire could probably get by unoticed, now hiding an entire vampire civizaltion is bit different.
One thing I would like to see more is a mix of Horror with Urban fantasy. I think the two lend nicely to each other.
Galvatron:
OH! cant believe I forgot this one
Having a main character that is in some form of law enforcement. Its been done, some of the titans of UF did a good job with it, that doesnt mean I want to keep reading about it all the dang time.
LizW65:
--- Quote ---However, if there is say 1 or 2 monsters, well that might not change the world anymore than your average pyscho/serial killer does. I mean one vampire could probably get by unoticed, now hiding an entire vampire civizaltion is bit different.
--- End quote ---
A good example of this is PN Elrod's Vampire Files series--12 books so far, and the only paranormal creatures are vampires, portrayed as extremely rare (even prolonged blood exchange with a vampire is no guarantee that you'll become one when you die.) Oh, and there's a ghost--a bartender who was killed in a mob shootout--but she does very little except play with the lights and leave an occasional scent of roses.
o_O:
--- Quote from: LizW65 on May 08, 2013, 09:40:34 PM ---It's our world.
You mentioned horror; another example is the "Modern Gothic", aka "Had I But Known" or "Girl Gets House" genre, of which I've been reading a lot lately, specifically the ones Elizabeth Peters wrote as Barbara Michaels in the late Sixties through the Nineties. (This genre seems to have pretty much disappeared, BTW.) Often an otherwise mundane setting will have a ghost or other paranormal feature, and the characters tend to take a very sceptical, rational viewpoint, as opposed to accepting magic as a possibility right off the bat.
--- End quote ---
It is my impression, admittedly based on limited evidence, that that sort of thing very much peaked in the mid to late '70s.
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