Need Some Help, Hivemind!

[kaasirpent]

What are some good Urban Fantasy series out there? I've read all of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. I have bought one Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books but have not read it, yet.

I need to at least know what else is out there so I can avoid being "just like" anyone.

Urban Fantasy, for those who aren't aware what it is, is "a sub-genre of Fantasy; the action takes place in this world at this time, with no change in Earth's history, but rather in its dynamics (i.e., physics: usually magic is possible)."¹

So, for instance, in Jim Butcher's series, the world is pretty much the world, but magic works, and he is a professional wizard in Chicago who occasionally helps the police investigate things that are out of the ordinary. And that is such a vast oversimplification, I need to sit down, now, and take a deep breath.

<takes deep breath>

Okay, I'm better.

So, anyway. I'm looking suggestions on books and/or series to read. Some suggestions I've already gotten have been Carrie Vaughn, Ilona Andrews, and Patricia Briggs. And I'm looking for truly urban fantasy, not stuff set in the middle ages or on another world or an alternate universe (steampunk, for example; I'm just not interested). Thanks in advance. :)

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1. I got that definition from, ironically, the Christian Guide to Fiction. It was the best one I saw. All I did was cut out the snide comment they added at the end of it.

Comments

[fauxklore]

People recommended Charles de Lint to me in that genre, though I never really got into his stuff.

Would Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere qualify? He's worth reading anyway, but perhaps sui generis.

[jost.livejournal.com]

I'm fascinated to see what snide comments you cut out. Were they something along the lines of "and you're going to Hell for reading this stuff"?

[kaasirpent]

Oh, nothing that obnoxious. They're just blaming "secular paganists" for "indoctrinating" people. Apparently using fantasy literature to do it.

The snideness wasn't so much in the part I deleted but in the overall tone of their comments on the rest of the page.

[kaasirpent]

And here I thought Secular Humanists were the ones with pitchforks and pointy tails.

[wordsmith101.livejournal.com]

Cassandra Clare's series that begins with City of Bones is YA urban fantasy and quite good. I'll come back if I think of more.

[skreeky]

Huh. I know I read this stuff and can't think of a single title. Yo, who cast the Cloud of Subtle Vagueness? Oh wait, that's just the lack of caffeine talking. I'll get back to you.

[kaasirpent]

who cast the Cloud of Subtle Vagueness?

I think it was some guy. You know, the one with that thing? And the other stuff.

[rarelytame.livejournal.com]

Emma Bull's War for the Oaks is considered one of the pioneering works in the genre, I'm told, and it remains one of my favorite.

I also enjoyed China Miéville's King Rat (London-based urban fantasy), but it's not Urban Fantasy of the Kick-ass heroine type.

I enjoyed the first couple of Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine books, but had mixed feelings about the series as it progressed.

For the record, I think as long as you write like yourself, you can never really be "just like" anyone else, and I tend to buck against advice that suggests anyone could really have that problem. That said, I have an urban fantasy I've been sitting on, because it's full of sexy vampire-like demons and that seems so overdone, I'd been kind of reluctant to submit it anywhere until recently.

All that said, if you'd like a wide variety of the things to peruse and get a taste of the genre, I could probably fill a box and bring it on Thursday. You could keep them as long as you like (within reason) as I don't often reread books (but I do like to have them to loan out, so would like them back eventually.) Some of them are rather battered. (I am hard on books. But that means you're free to be hard on them too, if you take me up on borrowing them.)

[kaasirpent]

Well, I do write like myself, but when I said "just like" someone else, I meant in terms of having nothing new to bring to the table in terms of the genre, not necessarily that I'm emulating anyone else's writing, whether on purpose or accidentally.

I just don't want to be that person who wants to write science fiction but hates to read it, or who thinks that their stunning new idea—where the story ends and the two people from the future who crash-land on Earth a million years ago are Adam and Eve—is actually fresh. :)

And if you're willing to loan them, bring 'em along. If nothing else, I can skim them to see if I like the style(s) and read the ones I like. Thanks!

[solcita.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, I do love War for the Oaks. Good stuff.

Another author you might enjoy, Kaa, is Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) and her October Daye series (Rosemary and Rue and A Local Habitation are the first two of a planned five, I think). Seanan also writes fantastic zombie-political-thriller novels (the first being Feed, which was only just recently released) under the pen name Mira Grant.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Scott Westerfeld's Midnighters series is technically YA, but as far as *I'm* concerned, all that does is make the series cheaper to buy ($6.99 instead of $8.99 a book). The writing is excellent and engaging. After that I leave it to you to look at other of his books, many of which are also Urban Fantasy.

[lepusdomesticus.livejournal.com]

Like some other commenters, I just have some YA recommendations (at least they're quick reads). Books by Sarah Rees Brennan (I'm a big fan. She calls the English tourism council and asks things like, "Where would one go to buy crack in Exeter?"), Justine Larbalestier, or Maggie Stiefvater. But all of these authors do pretty original stuff, so they might not be useful for your purposes.

Rees Brennan's books are very real-place-based, though the cities (London and Exeter) are not really characters in the books,, if that makes sense.
Stiefvater's Shiver series has no magic in it at all, just werewolves. (That sentence made sense, it really did.)
Larbalestier's Liar is with Libba Bray's Going Bovine in the Fantasy Or Maybe Just A Hallucination genre, which may not count. ;)

Also, "secular paganists"? It's like they know me! :P

[kaasirpent]

Thanks, Susie.

And yeah, I tried not to think about the term "secular paganists" for very long. It hurts.

[Edit: I apologize for the 'Rhino' thing. Email made it LOOK as though your reply came from frozenrhino.]

more solicited advice

[whitetigertail.livejournal.com]

I recently read Deadtown by Nancy Holzner. It was her first, and incredibly creative (not like the usual urban fantasy fiction stuff). She will be doing another next year. Also, I came upon Circus of Sins by Natasha Rhodes (A Kayla Steele Novel). Haven't read it yet but it offers a new take on the vampire novel. I agree that Patricia Briggs is good- one of my favorite- but tailors more to the female than male audience.