Finchbearer
Istar
I’m a big music fan (not musicals though, I hate them with all my heart) but have never found myself compelled to incorporate pop culture references into my work.
Yes, but do you write Urban Fantasy?I’m a big music fan (not musicals though, I hate them with all my heart) but have never found myself compelled to incorporate pop culture references into my work.
I can see it makes more sense to include contemporary references in urban fantasy. I haven’t written anything like that, I’m not sure I will!Yes, but do you write Urban Fantasy?
No worries. Our dragons can drive their Lamborghinis off into the sunset, Cokes in hand.I can see it makes more sense to include contemporary references in urban fantasy. I haven’t written anything like that, I’m not sure I will!
That sounds similar in tone with my story.No worries. Our dragons can drive their Lamborghinis off into the sunset, Cokes in hand.
I have seen pop culture references from other Fantasy authors, but they tend to lean hard toward comedy (Robert Aspirin) or used as a plot point leading to foreshadowing of a twist (Mark Lawrence), or serve to elevate satire and cross that bridge to connect the reader with their themes (Terry Pratchette).
That sounds similar in tone with my story.
The references don't have to be specifically to those two songs (though it'd be fun if I could, I don't have the lawyer power to defend against angry IP owners) which is why I'm kind of asking if there's any public domain songs that would fit.
The antagonist is a singer (whos mechanical, so that's already weird) and she spends a thousand or so years blind, so her only senses are sound, smell (yes, my robot elves can smell) and touch. I'd like to find a song that can warp her motivations after being let down by hoping for a better day. I reckon Tomorow isn't the only song with this kind of meaning. But finding one in public domain will be tricky.
Fair, I could cook up my own song that's able to fit the purpose of the story.They way you describe this, and looking from afar through this tiny window, the song seems too prominent to the character to not draw the attention that might get you in trouble if you went public.
So...don't go public, or do the work of getting some permission. Or make your own song. That kind of what we do....make shit up, right?