For those in the know, please tell me:
WHY must urban fantasies so often be in first person? Does it take away the flavor if it's in third?
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Post #2: Quick Question
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12 comments:
IMO, it can take away the flavor depending on what you are trying to achieve. I think it depends on the character's voice. Kenyon writes in 3rd person and it works very well. But, a powerful first person voice works very well too. Note the word powerful there. ;)
First person limits the reader to what the narrator knows, so it feels more immediate and enables a strong modern voice. It immerses the reader in the world and somehow makes the fantastic-beings-in-normal-world storyline more accessible.
Third-person POV would take something away from it. In fact, I don't think I have any urban fantasy that's in third. And, no, I don't consider Kenyon urban fantasy.
Kathleen,
What genre do you consider Kenyon to be? I'm still trying to figure out what classifies something as urban fantasy as opposed to what Jenn calls paranormal. My background is classic fantasy, and of course, romance.
I'm wondering if the first-person is a throwback, i.e., urban/contemporary fantasy is today's noir. Does that make sense?
I never thought SQ wrote urban fantasy either but of course, maybe the Dark Hunters is urban fantasy in third person. Now* I'm confused ;-/.
JP, I actually have compared the urban fantasy voice like it's an Anti-Gothic one. You know, helpless female in a dark castle against the monster who will have her. In UF today*, the female ain't so helpless, has a big sword and more likely to fuck and fuck up the monster. But noir works too.
Monique, I consider the Dark Hunters more fantasy/paranormal romance. Sure most of the stories are set in modern cities, but a huge chunk of the story lines is rooted in ancient history and mythology. Also, the interdimensional stuff (Olympus, Tartarus, etc.) gives them a more "epic" scale than urban fantasy.
I mean, sure the Dresden Files have the Nevernever, and Hollows series has the Ever-after, but the main characters in urban fantasy are firmly rooted/based in the city. In urban fantasy, the city is practically a character, not just the setting. Take Jim Butcher's Chicago, Patricia Briggs' Tri-Cities, Kim Harrison's Cincinnati, Mark del Franco's Boston, Laurell K. Hamilton's St. Louis, and Charlaine Harris' Bon Temps; all of them define the stories set in them (especially Bon Temps which is more small town than city). The city's history goes a long way to defining the politics (interactions with law enforcement and criminal elements) and class distinctions (the lesser-off in society compared to the well-to-do). With the Dark Hunter books, the cities are backdrops, local color at best, nothing more.
Ah, I might not be writing an urban fantasy then. I have a Viking dude who's a lost Summoner of time, or something like that. Ah well.
I don't think they *have to* be, I think it was/is an assumed convention. Sort of like American chick-lit. (I say American chick-lit, because woman's lit as written by UK authors for many years-- before it caught on in N.A via Britget Jones--wasn't not all written 1st pov, or focused on young girl in big city, shoe shoppig and name dropping, etc). Now you do see chick-lit written in other povs (although, now they're not calling them chick-lit. lol. Aahhh, the joys of the marketing machine.
It's all about tone, setting and worldbuilding, isn't it?
I think it was Jim Butcher who commented that a better label would be "contemporary fantasy," rather than urban, to allow for other-than-big-city settings. Maybe yours is that, Jenn!
Vanessa Jaye and JP,
I might have to use that label (contemporary fantasy) when I try to sell it. It really doesn't help when the author is stupid about the sub-genre she's choosing, LOL. //headbang
Why don't you just write the proposal and leave the labels to your agent? Or is that naive?
JP,
My goal is to get my package ready for some networking at RWA this year. And I want to sound ready ;).
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