Modern Good Reads discussion

I cut my teeth on horror as a teen. Loved it, virtually all of it. I can blast off 10 or more horror authors who I have read multiple books from.

Fast forward to today: Much of what is now classified as Urban Fantasy, is basically what we used to call horror.

So is this one of those industry trends, where its more popular to call it UF because UF sells better?

Me, I like my UF with some gritty thriller-horror flavor to it.

How about you?

I think that there is an element of Horror to some Urban Fantasy, but not all urban fantasy is horror (Twilight? Not horror... maybe horrible, by some standards, but...)

I labeled my novel, The Hunters Urban Fantasy/ horror, as it has that horror element.

Yeah, I do think that there were quite a few books that were classified as horror before Urban Fantasy existed, but there are also quite a few horror books that would not be classified as urban fantasy today.

Urban fantasy often involves fae though. Charles de Lint comes to mind immediately. I do think that it has to do with sales appeal for sure, but it also captures that awkward middle area between 'high' fantasy and horror rather well. What interests me is that paranormal fiction has split off from urban fantasy and science fiction to designate its own boundaries. I definitely think the romance movement has played a role in that!

Like the difference between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, I think the difference has to be one of intent. Horror is about exploring what we fear, about the nature of good and evil whether within us or as embodied by some creature. The intent with horror is to frighten.

Urban Fantasy, on the other hand, tells a broader range of stories that make use of mythological and folkloric characters in a modern or urban setting. The intent here is purely to entertain.

There's a balance and even some overlap between the two. My novel Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony really has elements of UF and horror and I've had a hard time defining which it is. In the end, however, I lean toward Urban Fantasy because my goal isn't to frighten. Some people may find horror in it, but I hope they're entertained.

I am entertained by Horror. It was my first addiction in fiction.

I eventually gravitated to UF. I see all the elements I enjoyed in supernatural horror novels embodied in the UF genre.

And when we add in a little romance and sex, it takes an already awesome blend of elements and turns it into full-on awesome sauce.

Shebang!

Yep I agree with Brian, intent and maybe setting seem to set the difference. My own book Eyes Like Blue Fireis somewhere between PNR and horror. It has a strong romantic theme but it's also got some very horrific scenes and themes. It actually makes it quite hard to market since both genres can have such cemented ideas on what fit their tastes.

I think UF/PNR is a strange market precisely because it tends to encompass bits of other genres or at least what we used to classify as horror,sci-fi, and fantasy. The Night Stalker for instance would probably be considered UF these days.

Here's a writeup on Urban Fantasy from TV tropes, and they specifically mention how this emerging genre has sliced off a piece of the horror novel category in relation to Vampire fiction.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...


Urban Fantasy, also sometimes called "Modern Fantasy", is a genre that combines common fantasy conventions with a modern settingnote The name "Urban Fantasy" is sometimes taken to imply that all works in the genre must take place in a large city, but this is not the case. Rather the name implies throwing fantasy elements into our urban society. Still, it's very common for Urban Fantasy stories to take place in a large, well-known city, all the easier for their fantasy elements to hide themselves in.

As a genre, Urban Fantasy is sometimes seen as more accessible to the average reader than the Medieval European Fantasy due to the Like Reality Unless Noted nature of it, and the fact that modern settings are familiar to readers whereas the medieval era is something that modern readers may have trouble relating to. The exact cut off date for what falls under Urban Fantasy is fuzzy, as the works which most commonly get this label applied to them feature settings in the present day, but works taking place as far back as the Victorian Era are generally included. Works taking place more than ten to twenty years in the future however, are not.

Urban Fantasies almost always take place on Earth, rather than a Constructed World, or if not on Earth then in a place so close as to make little difference. Alternate History is common, incorporating Fantasy elements into real historical events, with humans living alongside magic, though if this isn't done there is usually a Masquerade, implying that witches, elves and fairies live along side us, just in hiding. In such stories, The Unmasqued World is a common plotline. Another common convention used in Urban Fantasy is to suggest that at one point the world resembled a Medieval European Fantasy but The Magic Goes Away, and in the present The Magic Comes Back and now humans have to adjust to it.

Urban Fantasy often crosses paths with a number of genres, including Alternate History, Dungeon Punk, Gothic Punk, Horror, Magical Realism, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Investigation, Supernatural Fiction and Supernatural Thriller. Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether a work qualifies, but generally speaking Urban Fantasy is known for showing the impact of modern society on the fantasy elements included in it. Elves carry guns, witches use microwaves and Leprechauns work at the bank. It takes more than tossing in the odd vampire solely for the fear-factor to truly apply.

Gaslamp Fantasy, Supernatural Soap Opera and Historical Fantasy are notable sub genres. Urban Fantasy is itself a subgenre of Speculative Fiction, specifically Fantasy. Most of the Vampire Fiction published in recent times also fall under this genre, where in the past it followed the conventions of Horror.

I find that sometimes the material I write overlap this genre quite often. Urban Fantasy as I see it is any fantastical elements that you place into a modern setting. That is a simplified definition but seems to work in 99% of the cases. I love reading it, and I certainly tend to write it! I have both a series based in Greek Mythology and a vampire series...both of which are set in modern day settings. The both fall under this "Urban Fantasy" genre title. There are occasions, however, when I feel it is a bit loosey-goosey in its band, though. :o)

Like the other posts I can see where they tend to overlap. Though, I think Urban fantasy focuses more on the fantastical elements in the modern world, where horror would focus more on the psychological aspect of fear. My novel A Prescription for Deliriumcrosses between the two. I usually like to label it Dark Fantasy because of this, even if it isn't much of a genre.

Yeah, a lot of these genres overlap. Especially nowadays when authors tend to mix elements as needed. I usually call mine Urban Fantasy/Horror for that reason, though I like the sound of Paranormal Thriller.

Brian wrote: "Yeah, a lot of these genres overlap. Especially nowadays when authors tend to mix elements as needed. I usually call mine Urban Fantasy/Horror for that reason, though I like the sound of Paranormal..."
Ohh, Paranormal Thriller does sound good. I might use that.

As a general catch-all, I have been calling my work Paranormal Thriller.

But I can also call it UF/PNR or even Erotic Paranormal Romance.

I switch it up depending on who I am talking to. :)

I switch up how I describe, depending on who I talk to as well.

I admit, I emphasize certain aspects depending on who I'm talking to about my book as well. Though it always reminds me of the scene in "Ed Wood" where Eddie is trying to tell the investors about how Bride of the Monster is different things depending on what they say they like. :)

I must admit I always thought that the Urban Fantasy genre was a misnomer simply because not all the stories take place in urban settings. Some writers preferring more rural settings. IMO, urban fantasy is a sub-genre of a larger trend in publishing and reading the posts in this discussion seem to confirm that. I think the larger umbrella name of Fantasy/Horror would be more correct grouping of the Urban fantasy books not to mention the Paranormal Thriller, Dark Fantasy and others mentioned here. Essentially these are stories that have a modern setting that flips traditional horror on it's head where witches can be good, werewolves can be a romantic lead and vampire regretful of their actions. It can also be written as a detective novel, erotic fantasy or action stories that appeal to many different kinds of people.