Trends in urban fantasy
by annaguirre on Sep.29, 2009, under Ann Aguirre and Ilona Andrews
I’ve noticed more Native American themes, but then, I’ve been reading the Walker Papers by C.E. Murphy, so I suppose that’s to be expected. In a most excellent shift, I’m seeing less of vampires as romantic leads and more of them as scary, bite-y monsters, which I completely dig. Kat Richardson’s vampires are not seductive in the least, and I can’t tell you how much that appeals to me. (Oh, wait, I just did.) My co-blogger, Ilona Andrews, made that choice as well.
The thing I’m wondering is whether demons are going to replace vampires as the paranormal beast du jour. What do you think?
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September 29th, 2009 on 10:57 am
Thanks for the post Ann
I think vampires are here to stay for a while at least.
Other paranormals are rising in popularity though.
It’s all great!
Love & Best wishes,
RKCharron
xoxo
September 29th, 2009 on 11:33 am
But I’m definitely seeing more of vampires as antagonists in my reading and less of them as dreamy romantic leads. Do you disagree with that?
September 29th, 2009 on 11:57 am
I’m not sure how long vamps as romantic leads have in the marketplace(seems to me we’re seeing a shift away from that role–perhaps partially as a backlash to Twilight’s popularity?).
I think there will always be a strong niche for vampire novels (with them as romantic leads and as antagonists) because we’re all wired to want something we can’t have. Immortality? They’ve got it. Unreasonable beauty? They have it. A dangerous bad boy who is gentle with his one true love? They are.
But the same rules can apply to nearly anything in the paranormal realm.
Demons as the next hot thing? Maybe–It depends on the variety (as there are many traditionally)and how plausible the author makes them (I guess I’m a stickler about this sort of thing). The whole tortured soul thing (and fallen angel) has room to breathe, I think.
And, frankly, with more people researching the older, more traditional books and resources that described paranormal beasties (I’m talking 1500s through 1800s) there are many new spins on old tales that can be done.
Of course, I hope next year’s a great one for werewolves…
LOL
~Shannon Reinbold-Gee
September 29th, 2009 on 12:03 pm
I’m always curious why werewolves aren’t more popular. Eileen Wilks writes them. So does Carrie Vaughn (and now you, Shannon!) Then there’s Patricia Briggs, of course, but she does weres, vamps and fairies in a collective.
Can you guys think of more series where it’s mostly about werewolves?
September 29th, 2009 on 12:24 pm
Kelley Armstrong’s done gobs of werewolf novels (even though she was quick to point out the need for authors of weres diversifying early on so we avoid being pigeonholed. I think her BITTEN (etc.) series is considered to be one of the more popular werewolf series.
Maggie Stiefvater did SHIVER (which I just finished–very cool) and has 2 more werewolf novels in that series coming out (over the next two years, I think). There’s speculation going on at DearAuthor.com about the whole werewolf thing, too. We’re noticing plenty of werewolves in romantica and up
publications, but it seems people associate the wolf aspect as a violent and tremendously sexual thing (always interesting how those old fairy tales and folktales of the Big Bad Wolf, etc. stick in our subconscious).
Having been an Educational Director at a privately owned zoo, I had firsthand experience with wolves, so I see it all a bit differently, I guess.
So, Ann, thinking of any demon varieties in particular with your trend thoughts? What about the fact Melissa Marr’s faerie-related stories are now optioned for film? I think there’s room in the marketplace for that, too–if you go “old school.” They could definitely inherit what the vamps leave behind.
~Shannon
September 29th, 2009 on 1:37 pm
Demons are all over paranormal romance, which shares a certain common readership in UF, which makes me wonder if the progression will continue.
Carolyn Jewel writes demons. So does Larissa Ione. They’re on the pnr romance side of the divide. Jenna Black does demons on the UF side. So does Diana Rowland. And, at the risk of some spoilers for books two and three of my Corine Solomon series, so do I. *grin*
September 29th, 2009 on 5:09 pm
Vampires work best when they’re both the romantic leads and the antagonists. Dracula is the classic example of the seductive enemy. True Blood seems to going that route with Eric and Bill.
September 29th, 2009 on 5:23 pm
Morgan, I think that’s a good point. I’d never made that mental connection, but you’re right. I do wonder if True Blood qualifies, though, because of the blood substitute. Can someone be considered an antagonist if they’re taking their blood from a bag instead of a human being?
September 29th, 2009 on 6:24 pm
Dropping in to show some love. :*) I don’t think demons will replace vampires, but vamps may retreat into horror for a while until someone comes out with a clever reinvention of the mythos. Until then, they’re still appearing as hybrids and in urban fantasies.
September 29th, 2009 on 6:32 pm
Jeri Smith-Ready is another one who I think has reinvented the vampire in her series that starts with Wicked Game. Her vampires are really cool and she relies on some of the old legends for her world-building.
September 29th, 2009 on 6:40 pm
Yeah, I love Jeri’s vamps. Reading BAD TO THE BONE right now. Jeri’s got a great “stuck in time” thing going on with her vampires and it really adds to the mythos. I think that’s what I (as a reader) want with vampire stuff—a clever new envisioning.
September 29th, 2009 on 6:46 pm
I think vampires had gotten a bit long in the tooth, lately. Although that didn’t prevent me from writing a novella about vampires.
Re-imaging classic books that are out of copyright with zombies seems to be next annoying trend (at least, to me). I would love to write a zombie short story if I could find a unique spin.
My first novel I’m working on now has the ghost of a murdered little girl, except the ghost is represented by her Dungeons & Dragons avatar since scary little girls in horror is a cliche.
My second novel on the back burner has daemons (i.e., computer code) in a virtual world, a pair of killer-looking succubus.
September 30th, 2009 on 12:21 am
I have a soft spot for weres; most of the books I’ve read recently had shapeshifters represented in some form. I love Illona’s Kate series because it’s well written, shapeshifters play a huge part in the story and her vampires are NOT attractive and are really just mindless killing machines.
I would enjoy reading more about demons or even elves for that matter (just read ‘Rosemary and Rue’ and enjoyed it). But why stick to one species? I’ve just discovered Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series, in which weres, demons and vampires, even elves and pixies, have a strong presence; each species was given fair representation and complex. I liked it so much, I’ve read the whole series this week.