McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
What do you wish would be done MORE in urban fantasy?
The Corvidian:
Hey, Jami, check out C.E. Murphy's Heart of Stone for a regular human heroine.
Suilan:
Another thing I would like more in Urban fantasy: language and description that are above high-school level. Right now, I am despairing of the genre again. I've tried three different authors and haven't gotten past page 20 or so because on 20 pages I haven't found a single thought or idea or piece of description that had me thinking: wow, nicely put. I mean, it is all so trite and mediocre, as if the author had jotted down the first image or thought that came to him. Flat, unimaginative language puts me off before I can even get to whatever exciting development the plot might take on page 50 or so.
Sorryman105:
--- Quote from: The Corvidian on January 04, 2008, 04:29:56 AM ---Hey, Jami, check out C.E. Murphy's Heart of Stone for a regular human heroine.
--- End quote ---
Another good series, I'm just joping she doesn't suddenly discover unkown powers and become queen bitch of New York.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Suilan on January 04, 2008, 06:07:37 PM ---Another thing I would like more in Urban fantasy: language and description that are above high-school level. Right now, I am despairing of the genre again. I've tried three different authors and haven't gotten past page 20 or so because on 20 pages I haven't found a single thought or idea or piece of description that had me thinking: wow, nicely put. I mean, it is all so trite and mediocre, as if the author had jotted down the first image or thought that came to him. Flat, unimaginative language puts me off before I can even get to whatever exciting development the plot might take on page 50 or so.
--- End quote ---
At risk of getting repetitive, Mike Carye's Felix Castor books struck me as good on this; Castor has a knack for the telling Raymond Chandler-esque metaphor or description; for example mentioning one of his professional rivals as often initially striking people as motherly, but adding 'If I were describing her myself, "mother" might well be the first two syllables I'd use."
Magus Dresdenarus:
One thing I really want to see less of: Attempting to make magic a form of "science." (Sorry, Mr. Butcher. That's the one thing I dislike about the Dresden-verse.) Magic(k) isn't science. Magic is religion.
When magic is assumed as science, it also assumes that, like science, magic is dispassionate towards mythology, culture, and tradition. In short, the urban fantasy axiom is "Magic is the same everywhere. Culture and tradition are just 'flavorings.' " In the real world, that just isn't true. Not all magic systems fit into the Egyptian/Golden Dawn/Wicca template. (Disagree ? Try plugging in the ancient Chinese, Babylonian, or tribal New Guinean magic systems into that template.)
It seems to me that all modern urban fantasy takes a magic-is-science approach because it is dispassionate and, as a result, won't offend anyone. In short, magic has become politically correct.
If your character is a Catholic, give him a Catholic viewpoint and make his magic match it according to Catholic tradition; If your character is Wiccan, give him (or her) a Wiccan viewpoint and make his magic match it.
Sure, it takes a LOT of extra research. But it makes magic less homogenous; As a result, you gain real-world verisimilitude and lose that "I cast a ninth-level fireball. Roll your saving throw" feel.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version