Urban Fantasy vs Historical Fiction vs Alternate History

[Cichol's Folly]

Or as I like to call it, Harry Dresden vs. Watchman vs. Katniss Everdeen. In the first example, a story is set in modern times and with real word sensibilities except for fantasy elements added in. Sometimes everyone is aware that they exist, other times, only the main character.

In the second example, the story arc makes a point of pointing out specific points in our history and how they differ in this particular world. In the Watchman comics, the presence of superheroes (Dr. Manhattan specifically) causes extreme changes to our time line which are often highlighted.

In the third example, things are far less clear cut. If you've read the Hunger Games trilogy, you get a definite sense that it's set somewhere in an alternate version of what would be North America, though the time period and exact location are kept vague. Indeed, the catalyst that led to the current world state largely skipped over, except for brief mentions here and there.

I was just wondering where people stood on these three types of hybrid world building. My story line involves magic coming back to the modern world sometime in the late 1960s, as well as a major war that significantly alters the current landscape. How much of this is necessary to state up front, and how much can be left to unfold naturally through storytelling?

 

[skip.knox]

All of it should unfold naturally through storytelling.

Easier said than done, and easier done than written. This is the sort of thing that is better considered after you have written twenty or thirty chapters, rather than trying to figure it out ahead of time. Now, if this were your sixth published novel, you'd probably be making this sort of choice; but for beginners the best advice is always: write it and get some feedback on what you actually wrote.

 

[Chessie]

Technically, Hunger Games is post apocalyptic YA. Urban fantasy is set in modern urban settings with magic, lots of fantasy creatures, and snarky heroines. A fantasy story set in the 60s would be historical fantasy, not urban.

 

[WooHooMan]

I think the thing I'm working on is all three put together. Hybrid of hybrids, I guess.

 

[Russ]

All of it should unfold naturally through storytelling.

100% agree with this advice.

 

[skip.knox]

Here's a corollary to my earlier comment.

The inexperienced writer does not need feedback on ideas. The inexperienced writer needs feedback on what s/he has actually written.

"Inexperienced writer" is here defined as anyone who has yet to publish more than two novels, where "published" means "has passed through the gauntlet of professional editing."

 

[Cichol's Folly]

Here's a corollary to my earlier comment.

The inexperienced writer does not need feedback on ideas. The inexperienced writer needs feedback on what s/he has actually written.

"Inexperienced writer" is here defined as anyone who has yet to publish more than two novels, where "published" means "has passed through the gauntlet of professional editing."

I guess I was not clear in my earlier post. I was simply trying to create a discussion about the genre, rather than my piece specifically. As inexperienced and experienced writers alike, I was genuinely curious which type of world set up people liked and why.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I absolutely love alternate history. I love historical fiction as well, but sadly not much is being written recently. However, genres are just conventions, categories invented to describe stories, and they typically do so imperfectly. At the core, all stories are very much alike, the differences are in the trappings.