# Modern Fantasy



## Twilight Goblin (Sep 18, 2012)

Everyone always reads the magical ancient stories reminiscent of a medeival style. But what about a more modern fairy tale? Why can't the high school girl go out and find the magic orb of doom and save the world?


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## Svrtnsse (Sep 18, 2012)

Variations of this are fairly common in the Urban Fantasy or Contemporary Fantasy genres. Most commonly that involves vampires, werewolves and magicians, but other fantasy elements aren't unheard of.
What usually keeps these stories apart from "normal" fantasy is that the supernatural/fantasy elements of the story are generally hidden from the public whereas in traditional fantasy everyone knows there are elves and magic around.


This also ties nicely in with my current WIP which is about taking as many of the traditional fantasy elements as possible and putting them into a modern day setting.


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## Penpilot (Sep 18, 2012)

Yeah, check out urban fantasy. If you want something more along the lines of a modern fairytale check you Neil Gaiman. American Gods is about old and new gods in modern times. In Neverwhere he takes us into a fairytale like world hidden within our own and Anansi Boys does something similar. 

On tv, there's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That can be considered modern fantasy. Buffy saves the word... a lot.


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## JCFarnham (Sep 18, 2012)

_Everyone_ reads and writes high fantasy? That's a new one on me. I and countless others going by sales records love a bit of contemporary fantasy fiction. 

I'm even writing one myself. Urban Fantasy is fun, but please don't think it starts and ends with twilight paranormal romance, that would be a huge falacy. Neil Gaiman is good. Jim Butcher too if you can stand the PI tinge.

So yeah, it doesn't always have to be high or epic fantasy. You _can_ and _should _write about the girl who saves the world with a magical orb of doom... if that's what you want to write about.


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## Svrtnsse (Sep 18, 2012)

I'd like to add Ben Aaronovitch to the authors mentioned above. I've greatly enjoyed his Rivers of London books.


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## JCFarnham (Sep 18, 2012)

Svrtnsse said:


> I'd like to add Ben Aaronovitch to the authors mentioned above. I've greatly enjoyed his Rivers of London books.



How did I forget Ben Aaronovitch?! That's some good stuff right there. The first book was a top notch urban fantasy police procedual, and I look forward to getting time to read the next... or any time to read. or make time to read...

Hell I have plenty of time I'm just not reading when I should haha


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## yachtcaptcolby (Sep 18, 2012)

That's exactly the kind of fantasy I prefer to write. Introducing magic and fairy races into modern life can lead to a lot of fun, interesting stories. It lends itself well to themes that are reminiscent of science fiction; magic enables things that previously weren't possible, and those things come with juicy sets of moral questions and a wide array of local and cultural side effects. And don't forget about the effects the modern world can have on traditional fantasy races and themes, either.

My apologies if this kind of shameless plug is inappropriate, but if that's the kind of stuff you like, check the link in my signature.


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## Ireth (Sep 18, 2012)

I write what's possibly a variation of modern fantasy... ordinary people from the 21st century are drawn into Faerie and must fight to keep themselves and each other alive. The heroes are heroine are nothing special in and of themselves; they don't have magic or anything on their side, just their own knowledge of the Fae (which changes as various misconceptions are brought to light and rebuffed).


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## Saigonnus (Sep 18, 2012)

Svrtnsse said:


> What usually keeps these stories apart from "normal" fantasy is that the supernatural/fantasy elements of the story are generally hidden from the public whereas in traditional fantasy everyone knows there are elves and magic around.



Why? I always wondered why more authors don't simply take a traditional fantasy world with all the trappings and with the fantasy races intact integrated in society and simply move the world forward in time into the modern era. I would like to see orcs, elves or goblins as engineers on a train, bellhops in a hotel or even as architects or deep-sea divers. It could be fun to have a commune of elves living in a place not unlike Central Park, making trinkets out of beads and selling them to passerbys to make money.


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## JCFarnham (Sep 18, 2012)

Saigonnus said:


> Why? I always wondered why more authors don't simply take a traditional fantasy world with all the trappings and with the fantasy races intact integrated in society and simply move the world forward in time into the modern era. I would like to see orcs, elves or goblins as engineers on a train, bellhops in a hotel or even as architects or deep-sea divers. It could be fun to have a commune of elves living in a place not unlike Central Park, making trinkets out of beads and selling them to passerbys to make money.



As far as I can tell a lot of people have this very idea. I know I have, and I do at some point intend to write something to that effect. So honestly? I believe the reason we don't see much of it is because it doesn't sell. No idea why. Perhaps all it needs is for famous authors like China Mieville to come out with such a setting (ignoring the fact that he already has with Bas-lag, despite it being an alternate world setting).


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## thedarknessrising (Sep 19, 2012)

Would Harry Potter count as Urban Fantasy? It does take place in the modern world, but in a separate "universe".


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## JCFarnham (Sep 19, 2012)

It rarely gets called that but it has quite a few of the marks of an urban fantasy I'll give you that. Odd that it isn't often classified as such.


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## Saigonnus (Sep 19, 2012)

JCFarnham said:


> As far as I can tell a lot of people have this very idea. I know I have, and I do at some point intend to write something to that effect. So honestly? I believe the reason we don't see much of it is because it doesn't sell. No idea why. Perhaps all it needs is for famous authors like China Mieville to come out with such a setting (ignoring the fact that he already has with Bas-lag, despite it being an alternate world setting).



I have had some thoughts along these lines for years, but I have never really had the motivation to sit down and outline what such a world would be like until last night. I came up with a couple of world building ideas, what my world would look like moved forward in time. Mostly just the basic concepts for now; transportation and infrastructure, but whose to say where that will take me as I continue to develop it. 

It seems a shame no one has published something like it; that we have to wait for some famous writer to get a bee in their ear to "create" or "popularize" a new genre; but unfortunately I understand why all too well considering how the media and film industries are at the present moment.


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## Mindfire (Sep 19, 2012)

JCFarnham said:


> As far as I can tell a lot of people have this very idea. I know I have, and I do at some point intend to write something to that effect. So honestly? I believe the reason we don't see much of it is because it doesn't sell. No idea why. Perhaps all it needs is for famous authors like China Mieville to come out with such a setting (ignoring the fact that he already has with Bas-lag, despite it being an alternate world setting).



I think part of it is escapism. People are drawn to epic fantasy because its not like the real world, so making it exactly like the real world is somewhat defeating the point. Even in books where the fantastical and mundane coexist, there is usually some kind of barrier between them, whether it be physical distance, secrecy, or simply tradition. It allows you to include modern elements while keeping the sense of escapism, of "coming out" of the mundane world. Whenever fantasy and mundanity directly clash its seen as a negative thing, e.g., an (alien) invasion, a tear in reality, etc.


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## Mindfire (Sep 19, 2012)

Another thing is that the modern world is seen as inherently hostile to magical or fantastical elements. The time period "cutoff" for including fantastical elements seems to be around the 17-1800s. (But anything fantastical set during that period is obliged to feature pirates or Napoleon.)

Legend of Korra and The Avengers are notable exceptions because they stray from realism in the way they portray the modern world itself. The world of Avengers has futuristic elements, and Korra's world has the influence of bending and the Avatar at its very core. 

Or you could just go for a "Pirates" era. That's always fun.


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## Christopher Wright (Sep 19, 2012)

Making a fantasy world more modern has been done. Randall Garrett created his Lord Darcy books which were set in the 60s--only it's the 60s with magic, and telephones were replaced by magic wand thingies that worked pretty much exactly like telephones...

Lord Darcy (character) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It was a pretty cool set of stories, if I remember right.


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## Penpilot (Sep 19, 2012)

I heard Brandon Sanderson's mistborn sequel shoots ahead 300 years to a modern time with electricity and skyscrapers etc


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## JCFarnham (Sep 19, 2012)

Penpilot said:


> I heard Brandon Sanderson's mistborn sequel shoots ahead 300 years to a modern time with electricity and skyscrapers etc



Alloy Of Law is more like the wild west isn't it?


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## Penpilot (Sep 19, 2012)

JCFarnham said:


> Alloy Of Law is more like the wild west isn't it?



I'm not sure. I'm just going on a brief statement I read, which said skyscrapers, trains, and electricity, so if it's wild west, I stand corrected. That'll learn me to do some research before I yap.


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## JCFarnham (Sep 19, 2012)

Penpilot said:


> I'm not sure. I'm just going on a brief statement I read, which said skyscrapers, trains, and electricity, so if it's wild west, I stand corrected. That'll learn me to do some research before I yap.



Guess we'll both have to read it then. Only ... I want to read at least the first Mistborn book to get a decent grounding in the setting.


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## Steerpike (Sep 19, 2012)

I have tried to read the first _Mistborn_. I can't seem to get into it for some reason, and have ended up with numerous starts and stops.


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## The Dark One (Sep 19, 2012)

I think the genre is very well established - especially in film and TV. Movies like Highlander...just about anything involving time travel...and god-knows-how-many shows about sexy young vampires and their ilk.

I've always written such books and had one published earlier this year. I call it speculative fiction but it could just as easily be called urban fantasy. The thing is, the more fantastical elements are never explained, they just happen. They might be magic or they might be unfathomable technology or unusual natural phenomena. It doesn't matter. The reader still gets to kinda understand how they work and how they can be manipulated...and what it ultimately means if they are manipulated.


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## Chris Conley (Sep 19, 2012)

JCFarnham said:


> Alloy Of Law is more like the wild west isn't it?



Alloy of Law is definitely more Wild West.  It does have trains, but those have been around.  

I think he intends to eventually have some "modern" stuff set in that same world.


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## JCFarnham (Sep 20, 2012)

Chris Conley said:


> I think he intends to eventually have some "modern" stuff set in that same world.



Once he's done with *everything else* he's set out to do


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## shangrila (Sep 20, 2012)

JCFarnham said:


> Once he's done with *everything else* he's set out to do


No kidding. He's got, what, nine more books in the Stormlight Archive left to go? Along with the Wheel of Time and I think something else that he plans to release every other year (with SA in between). 

He's not human. Or he's planning on a few years of pewter dragging.


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## JCFarnham (Sep 20, 2012)

shangrila said:


> No kidding. He's got, what, nine more books in the Stormlight Archive left to go? Along with the Wheel of Time and I think something else that he plans to release every other year (with SA in between).
> 
> He's not human. Or he's planning on a few years of pewter dragging.



Such is the curse of the epic fantasy writer.


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## Saigonnus (Sep 20, 2012)

Mindfire said:


> I think part of it is escapism. People are drawn to epic fantasy because its not like the real world, so making it exactly like the real world is somewhat defeating the point. Even in books where the fantastical and mundane coexist, there is usually some kind of barrier between them, whether it be physical distance, secrecy, or simply tradition. It allows you to include modern elements while keeping the sense of escapism, of "coming out" of the mundane world. Whenever fantasy and mundanity directly clash its seen as a negative thing, e.g., an (alien) invasion, a tear in reality, etc.



Why should they be kept segregated like that? I would think if it was done right, a "modern" fantasy could work all the races together so they at least they coexist in the same place without much static between them (beyond the small percentage of the population that would inherently be racist). I could see a city where you walk down any street and see dwarven craftsmen selling their wares from a storefront which is next to an elvish tailor who makes fine clothing for the halfling family that enters her store. Across the street is an Orcish painter working on a mural with a goblin, half-elf and a human for assistants as far above them kobold workers scurry over the scaffolding of a building under construction.  

You wouldn't even necessarily have to incorporate many of the things we take for granted in a "modern" world; electricity and internal combustion could be unnecessary given that magic or even other "mundane" methods used properly could accomplish the same jobs or perhaps life is different enough that the idea of "cars" is pointless. Perhaps they breed giant lizards for a mount or giant birds (rocs) capable of carrying the whole family to visit grandma in the hills. Maybe they have doorways they step through to go from one part of the city to another with ease instead of mass transit. Perhaps for long distance travel they use underground trolleys that are powered by levitation magic and propelled using air magic forced though vents... the list goes on. I would think if the writer were creative enough that you could still have the modern "feel" to the story without having to sacrifice the "escapism".


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## Mindfire (Sep 20, 2012)

Saigonnus said:


> Why should they be kept segregated like that? I would think if it was done right, a "modern" fantasy could work all the races together so they at least they coexist in the same place without much static between them (beyond the small percentage of the population that would inherently be racist). I could see a city where you walk down any street and see dwarven craftsmen selling their wares from a storefront which is next to an elvish tailor who makes fine clothing for the halfling family that enters her store. Across the street is an Orcish painter working on a mural with a goblin, half-elf and a human for assistants as far above them kobold workers scurry over the scaffolding of a building under construction.
> 
> You wouldn't even necessarily have to incorporate many of the things we take for granted in a "modern" world; electricity and internal combustion could be unnecessary given that magic or even other "mundane" methods used properly could accomplish the same jobs or perhaps life is different enough that the idea of "cars" is pointless. Perhaps they breed giant lizards for a mount or giant birds (rocs) capable of carrying the whole family to visit grandma in the hills. Maybe they have doorways they step through to go from one part of the city to another with ease instead of mass transit. Perhaps for long distance travel they use underground trolleys that are powered by levitation magic and propelled using air magic forced though vents... the list goes on. I would think if the writer were creative enough that you could still have the modern "feel" to the story without having to sacrifice the "escapism".



I never said it was _impossible_, only that it would be going against the grain.


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## Jabrosky (Sep 20, 2012)

Never mind modern fantasy, how about fantasy that diverges from the standard medieval setting in the opposite direction? In other words, how about _pre_-medieval, or even prehistoric, fantasy? I'm thinking primitive tribal settings with shamans and warriors dressed in animal skins. In fact that's the type of fantasy I am writing right now.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Sep 20, 2012)

Twilight Goblin said:


> Everyone always reads the magical ancient stories reminiscent of a medeival style. But what about a more modern fairy tale? Why can't the high school girl go out and find the magic orb of doom and save the world?



Honestly, unless I'm writing urban fantasy set on Earth, I like to go a step beyond that and avoid emulating any specific historical eras at all.


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## The Dark One (Sep 20, 2012)

I think the attraction of modern fantasy (for want of a better word) is that we're looking for something closer to our every day experience so that the fantasy seems more real. I've always wanted to read a fantasy/sci-fi book that felt real/required less suspension of disbelief and that's exactly what I tried to achieve with my book THEM. Some fairly bizarre things happen in the story but it gets there only gradually - starting very much in the black and white here and now and slowly the atmosphere changes.


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## Saigonnus (Sep 20, 2012)

Mindfire said:


> I never said it was _impossible_, only that it would be going against the grain.



True enough, I didn't mean to imply anything. I simply tend to think outside the box in most things, what do I really know...


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## Svrtnsse (Sep 20, 2012)

As I (have probably) mentioned I've written a few short stories in the genre modern/contemporary fantasy setting. While they are set in a different world they might just as well have been set in an alternate version of Earth. I won't post them here as they're a bit too long to fit in a post and they're not recent enough that I want to post them in the showcase thread but I'll give some examples.

1. Yalinea is an elf and a tree-shaper. She's working as designer/gardener and has been hired by a young and wealthy human couple to make sure their garden is as pretty as those of their neighbours. While working on the trees her escort receives a phone call and has to leave. When he does not return Yalinea is forced to stay the night at her client's place and take a morning train back to her own part of town; it's not safe for elves to walk alone in the city.

2. Neta is a human and a shaman. She works for the local police and one morning she gets a feeling that something's wrong with the Innastarn - the spirit of the city. By riding around town on her bike to observe new-stands and commuters she's able to better divine the nature of the brewing troubles. She also has time to stop at a cafe to have a quiche and a latte.

I'm trying to mix mundane everyday things with standard fantasy elements to see where that gets me; elves with cell-phones, a shaman on a bike, paladins as action heroes and werewolves as bodyguards or prize-fighters (etc etc etc).
Does it work? I don't really know, but I do enjoy it. In a way the main purpose of the stories is to figure out the setting rather than telling a story - though I do try to make the stories interesting. I guess a reasonably accurate genre description would be "speculative contemporary fantasy".

--- 

A fair number of authors writing modern fantasy has been mentioned and while they obviously do exist I still feel that the genre is far less explored than more traditional versions of fantasy.


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