Am I the only one who instinctively recoils from non sec-world fantasy?

[Takoren]

This isn't a hard and fast rule, and I've read many fantasy novels that are set on Earth, including The Dresden Files, which I just love, American Gods and several Victorian-era steampunk-fantasy novels. This also isn't a comment on an author's skill; usually these writers are great.

That said, what will make me put a book right back down again after picking it up from the book store shelf is if I read the description on the cover flap/back and it's obvious this is supposed to take place on Earth; usually a modern Earth that's more or less our own, but with magic. I'm willing to make exceptions if said book is rated very highly, but even there, I often just say "no thanks."

I guess it comes back to why I read fantasy; to visit alternate realities. Other genres don't do this to me; general fiction is of course set in our world, as is historical fiction, mystery, thriller, etc., and horror is much scarier if it's happening in "our" world because it's easier to picture it happening to us.

But for some reason, non-sec-world fantasy needs to win me over. I tend to want to stay away from it. Am I the only one who feels this way?

 

[Contrarius]

I'm a big fan of UF, so I can't back you up on this one. ;-)

eta -- but it does irritate me when an author doesn't take into account the many ways in which fantastical elements would change history. This isn't a problem if the fantasy bits are underground/unacknowledged/unknown by the wider society -- but when readers are presented with an openly magical society in which everything in history is exactly the same as our own history, that annoys me no end.

 

[Takoren]

Ultimate Fighting?

 

[Sean Flanders]

Thing is, urban fantasy novels usually do involve visiting a different reality. If the existence of supernatural creatures is known to the public, then we're dealing with an alternate history, where laws, culture, and religion can diverge immensely from what we're used to. And if the existence of supernatural creatures is a secret from the general public, then the book will usually focus on an underground society where all these creatures interact with each other and have their own alliances and codes of conduct and all that jazz.

Urban fantasy novels where the supernatural elements are scarce enough to not fall into either of those scenarios . . . well, they certainly exist, but they don't seem to be what takes up most of the shelf space.

 

[Takoren]

Thing is, urban fantasy novels usually do involve visiting a different reality. If the existence of supernatural creatures is known to the public, then we're dealing with an alternate history, where laws, culture, and religion can diverge immensely from what we're used to. And if the existence of supernatural creatures is a secret from the general public, then the book will usually focus on an underground society where all these creatures interact with each other and have their own alliances and codes of conduct and all that jazz.

Urban fantasy novels where the supernatural elements are scarce enough to not fall into either of those scenarios . . . well, they certainly exist, but they don't seem to be what takes up most of the shelf space.

True, and I would say that I gravitate toward the first type rather than the second, but my favorite UF series, The Dresden Files, firmly falls in the second.

 

[Davis Ashura]

Ultimate Fighting?

Urban fantasy. The genre you're describing but don't generally like.

 

[Takoren]

Urban fantasy. The genre you're describing but don't generally like.

I know, I was kidding. I've tried other UF series, but none of them captivated me. Jim Butcher's writing style and characters just won me over.

 

[Davis Ashura]

I know, I was kidding. I've tried other UF series, but none of them captivated me. Jim Butcher's writing style and characters just won me over.

I figured as much, but only AFTER I posted. Whoops.

 

[DailyRich]

I'm turned off by sort of a tangent to this: the book that shows warriors and swords and wizards on the cover, but when you read the blurb, it's "Main Character is a student/office worker/parent/whatever living a mundane life only to be whisked away to...." and I'm putting the book back down. Because I know what's coming. Boring daily life. Disorienting journey to fantasy world. Period of doubt/questioning/learning about said fantasy world. THEN the story finally starting. Unless it's in some really skilled hands (like Donaldson with Thomas Covenant), I just find those kind of stories tedious.

 

[Ryan Mueller]

I like both kinds of fantasy. Generally, I'd say I'm more of a fan of secondary world fantasy, but I do love to read urban fantasy or science fiction as a bit of a palate cleanser. I also read young adult and middle grade SFF for the same reason. None of these are my primary reading, but I enjoy all of them depending on my mood.

 

[ArtNJ]

All Urban Fantasy where there is no alternative history/reality -- i.e. UF where the vampires or whatever are just "hiding among us" are inherently kind of stupid. IF the author is skilled AND I dont have to read endless pages about the mechanics of how the hiding has been achieved, I can sometimes go along for the ride and enjoy it, but not always. For me, it works best if the book is designed to be "fun" and not "serious" because given the context, I'm likely to have trouble with "serious". Thus, for me, something like Monster Hunters International tends to work best. MHI was clearly always supposed to be only fun, with action, butt-kicking and one liners intended to provide the reward rather then a fantasy world that made any kind of coherent sense. But its a big genre, and there are certainly exceptions -- I'm skeptical of the genre, but dont avoid it entirely

 

[Takoren]

I'm turned off by sort of a tangent to this: the book that shows warriors and swords and wizards on the cover, but when you read the blurb, it's "Main Character is a student/office worker/parent/whatever living a mundane life only to be whisked away to...." and I'm putting the book back down. Because I know what's coming. Boring daily life. Disorienting journey to fantasy world. Period of doubt/questioning/learning about said fantasy world. THEN the story finally starting. Unless it's in some really skilled hands (like Donaldson with Thomas Covenant), I just find those kind of stories tedious.

Boy do I ever agree here. I generally cannot stand portal fiction. I suppose there are exceptions, like you say, but generally, if I know it's gonna be about someone from our world being whisked away to a fantasy world, I'm out, and for precisely the reasons you state, as well as the idea that the character from our world is usually there so that the audience can be introduced to the world by having characters explain things to him. Boring, and done to death.

All Urban Fantasy where there is no alternative history/reality -- i.e. UF where the vampires or whatever are just "hiding among us" are inherently kind of stupid. IF the author is skilled AND I dont have to read endless pages about the mechanics of how the hiding has been achieved, I can sometimes go along for the ride and enjoy it, but not always.

This is pretty much the case with The Dresden Files but it's handled really well and Butcher is one of those skilled writers like you're talking about.

 

[Davis Ashura]

Boy do I ever agree here. I generally cannot stand portal fiction. I suppose there are exceptions, like you say, but generally, if I know it's gonna be about someone from our world being whisked away to a fantasy world, I'm out, and for precisely the reasons you state, as well as the idea that the character from our world is usually there so that the audience can be introduced to the world by having characters explain things to him. Boring, and done to death.

Ack! And my next series was going to be an urban fantasy set in the 1980s that turns into a portal fantasy. BTW that wasn't a joke.

 

[Takoren]

Ack! And my next series was going to be an urban fantasy set in the 1980s that turns into a portal fantasy. BTW that wasn't a joke.

Davis, don't let an idiot like me change your writing. I'm speaking strictly of personal preference and if a quick look at what's selling at the moment is any indication, I far from represent the majority. Plus, like I said, it's possible to include a twist that will change my perspective. Yours, for example, is set in the 1980's. Why? I assume it will be plot relevant. Otherwise there's no reason not to set it now. That alone intrigues me.

 

[KatG]

Ack! And my next series was going to be an urban fantasy set in the 1980s that turns into a portal fantasy. BTW that wasn't a joke.

I will totally read that.

 

[Contrarius]

Ack! And my next series was going to be an urban fantasy set in the 1980s that turns into a portal fantasy. BTW that wasn't a joke.

Welllll..... the October Daye books are sorta like that, only not 1980s. She starts out in urban SF, then she starts journeying into Faerie. Some books are mostly in Faerie, some more in SF.

 

[Ryan Mueller]

Ack! And my next series was going to be an urban fantasy set in the 1980s that turns into a portal fantasy. BTW that wasn't a joke.

I'll have to keep an eye out for that one.

Which reminds me...

A Warrior's Knowledge is sitting unread on my Kindle. I should remedy that.

 

[Sean Flanders]

For me, portal fantasy usually requires a bit more connection between our world and the fantasy world than simply "the main character is transported between the two at the start of the series". I much prefer it when the characters can go back and forth between the two worlds, and when people and elements from the fantasy world cross over into our world as well.

For all its flaws, I really loved how The Last Rune series handled this. In the first book, you've got all sorts of otherwordly hoodoo turning up long before our heroes find themselves in the fantasy world, and as the series goes on, events taking place on Earth become increasingly important to the story.

Spoiler

My only regret on that front is we never got to see Duratek finish building their portal and launch an invasion of Eldh.

 

[Davis Ashura]

A Warrior's Knowledge is sitting unread on my Kindle. I should remedy that.

You should definitely remedy that. . Or wait a few months and listen to the audiobook when it comes out.

I've been thinking of Takoren's thoughts about Urban Fantasy, or Ultimate Fighting as he calls it , and I realized that I have that same bias but for me, it's more toward books that splashily proclaim that it's the most grimdark book ever written with a rugged, broken, amoral band of warriors cutting a bloody swath through something. I'm tired of blood. Maybe that's why Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw resonated so well with me. It's old school in the sense that there's still plenty of grim tidings, but the flavor of the writing was one of good people trying to do good and of hope rather than cynicism.

 

[cgw]

I will totally read that.

A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab (kind of, sort of)