Urban fantasy
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Urban fantasy is a
subgenre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a Category of being, category of literature, ...
of
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
which places imaginary and unreal elements in an approximation of a contemporary
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
setting. The combination provides the writer with quixotic plot-drivers, unusual character traits, and a platform for classic fantasy tropes, without demanding the creation of an entirely-imagined world. Although precursors of urban fantasy date back to the 19th century, the term dates back to the 1970s. The current popularity began in the 1980s, with writers encouraged by the success of
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
and
Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. She was best known for her series of novels ''The Vampire Chronicles''. B ...
.


Characteristics

Urban fantasy combines selected imaginary/unrealistic elements of plot, character, theme, or setting with a largely-familiar world—combining the familiar and the strange. Such elements may exist secretly in the world or may occur openly. Fantastic components may be
magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
,
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Nota ...
beings, recognizable mythic or folk-tale plots, or thematic tropes (a quest, battle of good/evil, &c.). Authors may use current ''
urban myths ''Urban Myths'' is a British biographical comedy drama television series first aired on 19 January 2017 on the Sky Arts. Each episode featured a story surrounding popular culture which may or may not be true, ranging from Muhammad Ali talking ...
'', borrow
fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, ...
technologies, or even invent occult practices, as well as using established supernatural characters and events from literature, film, or comics. The ''urban'' component is usually found in the setting - typically a large or small city - or even a suburban community in a metropolitan area. Common use of contemporary technologies (automotive vehicles, communications, etc.) and everyday community and social institutions (such as libraries, schools/universities, markets) also establishes a familiar context. The period in which the action occurs may be the fairly recent past or the near future, but will typically require merely only casual historical or other special knowledge from the reader. The city-setting is a tool; used to establish a tone, to help move the plot, and may even be acknowledged as a character itself. Urban fantasy is most often a sub-genre of low fantasy (where magical events intrude on an otherwise-normal world) and/or
hard fantasy Hard fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy literature that strives to present stories set in (and often centered on) a rational and knowable world. Hard fantasy is similar to hard science fiction, from which it draws its name, in that they all aim to ...
(treating magic as something understandable and explainable), and works may be found in the sub-genres of horror,
occult detective fiction Occult detective fiction is a subgenre of detective fiction that combines the tropes of the main genre with those of supernatural, fantasy and/or horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective who investigates murder and other common crimes ...
, or the various "punk" genres. Common themes include coexistence or conflict between humans and other beings, and the changes such characters and events bring to local life. Many authors, publishers, and readers particularly distinguish urban fantasy from works of
paranormal romance Paranormal romance is a subgenre of both romantic fiction and speculative fiction. Paranormal romance focuses on romantic love and includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the speculative fiction ...
, which use similar characters and settings, but focus on the romantic relationships between characters.


Unrelated uses of "urban fantasy"

The term ''urban fantasy'' has been in use from the early 20th century. It originally described a characteristic of some object or place. Horst Schmidt-Brummer's 1973 book about
Venice, California Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed b ...
is subtitled "An Urban Fantasy", to denote a nostalgic appreciation for the unique city. In ''New York Times'' advertisements in 1928 through 1930 for the St. Regis hotel, the term implies that the hotel is a sort of paradise: "Never was an urban fantasy so enchanting..."


History


Predecessors

During the late Romantic era, writers of sensational fiction (including
Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...
,
Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
,
Hoffmann Hoffmann is a German language, German surname. People A *Albert Hoffmann (horticulturist), Albert Hoffmann (1846–1924), German horticulturist *Alexander Hoffmann (politician), Alexander Hoffmann (born 1975), German politician *Arthur Hoffmann ...
,
Le Fanu Le Fanu is a surname, also spelled LeFanu. Notable people with the name include * Alicia Le Fanu (born 1791), Irish poet and writer * Alicia Sheridan Le Fanu (1753–1817), Irish writer *Henry Le Fanu (1870–1946), Anglican bishop in Australia * J ...
,
Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...
, Poe,
Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for ''The Woman in White (novel), The Woman in White'' (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for ''The Moons ...
, Stoker, &c.) wrote
melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
s that explored social anxieties induced by new technologies, population shifts to industrial-centers, and immigration. Early modern fiction that re-imagined the contemporary universe is by manipulating one or more social/political realities exploded with highly-popular works by
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
, and Doyle's Professor Challenger stories.
Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...
's 1908 dystopian novel ''
The Iron Heel ''The Iron Heel'' is a political novel in the form of science fiction by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.Kershaw, Alex. ''Jack London: A Life''. London: HarperCollins, 1997: 164. Background The main premise of the book i ...
'' preceded by a year
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''
The Sleeper Awakes ''The Sleeper Awakes'' is a dystopian science fiction novel by English writer H. G. Wells, about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years, waking up in a completely transformed London in which he has become the richest man in the worl ...
''.
Karel Čapek Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel ''War with the Newts'' (1936) and play ''R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal Ro ...
,
Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...
, and even
Sinclair Lewis Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American writer and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States (and the first from the Americas) to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was ...
(in his novel ''
It Can't Happen Here ''It Can't Happen Here'' is a 1935 dystopian political novel by American author Sinclair Lewis. It describes the rise of a United States dictator similar to how Adolf Hitler gained power. The novel was adapted into a play by Lewis and John C. Mo ...
'') all wrote along this axis, exploiting a market for adventure that was ''post-apocalyptic'', and ''dystopian''. The 1800s also saw an explosion of popular mail-delivered periodicals across Europe and in the U.S., such as ''
The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...
'' (1821), ''
Godey's Lady's Book ''Godey's Lady's Book'', alternatively known as ''Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book'', was an American women's magazine that was published in Philadelphia from 1830 to 1878. It was the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil ...
'' (1830), and
Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...
(1857). The success of general-interest magazines led to others targeted at specific readerships: ''
Boys' Own ''Boys' Own'' or ''Boy's Own'' or ''Boys Own'', is the title of a varying series of similarly titled magazines, story papers, and newsletters published at various times and by various publishers, in the United Kingdom and the United States, fro ...
Magazine'' (1855), and '' Argosy'' (1882) among them. All of these magazines published short and serialized fiction features, as well as reportage, instructional articles, illustration, and opinion. Before WW1, fantasy vied for magazine space with westerns, romance, mysteries, military adventure, comedies, and horror. Many writers published stories in multiple genres - among them
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
, Robert E. Howard,
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
, and
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thri ...
. A vaunted hallmark for many of these writers was "''
realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...
- even though their stories were outrageously fantastic. When Robert deGraff founded Simon & Schuster's
Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
in 1939, he also distributed the books not only in the 2,800 US bookstores, but also in more than a hundred thousand drugstores, news-stands, 5-&-10s, cigar stores, groceries, and diners, establishing a market - not for copies of Shakespeare or Jane Austin - but for collections and book-length versions of popular magazine fiction. In 1899
Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...
editor
John Kendrick Bangs John Kendrick Bangs (May 27, 1862 – January 21, 1922) was an American author, humorist, editor and satirist. Biography He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father Francis N. Bangs was a lawyer in New York City, as was his brother, Francis S ...
altered fantasy parameters with ''
The Enchanted Type-Writer ''The Enchanted Type-Writer'' is a collection of short stories by John Kendrick Bangs, published in 1899 with illustrations by Peter Newell. Bangs attributes many of the stories to the late (and invisible) James Boswell, who has become an editor f ...
'' (a series of humorous short-stories supposedly typed by the ghost of 18th century writer
James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 (New Style, N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary the Englis ...
) - introducing a benign revenant in a contemporary setting.
Thorne Smith James Thorne Smith, Jr. (March 27, 1892 – June 20, 1934) was an American writer of humorous supernatural fantasy fiction under the byline Thorne Smith. He is best known today for the two ''Topper'' novels, comic fantasy fiction involving se ...
was successful in 1920s-30s, especially his two "''Topper''" farces about a middle-aged banker's adventures with a couple of ghosts (subsequently made into films, radio plays, and a 1950s television series). Charles G. Finney's celebrated 1935 experimental novel ''
The Circus of Dr. Lao ''The Circus of Dr. Lao'' (1935) is a novel written by the American newspaperman and writer Charles G. Finney. It won one of the inaugural National Book Awards: the Most Original Book of 1935. "Books and Authors", ''The New York Times'', 1936-0 ...
'' placed mythical creatures in a contemporary setting to examine the society in a small Arizona town.
Occult detective Occult detective fiction is a subgenre of detective fiction that combines the tropes of the main genre with those of supernatural, fantasy and/or horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective who investigates murder and other common crimes ...
stories, such as
Manly Wade Wellman Manly Wade Wellman (May 21, 1903 – April 5, 1986) was an American writer. While his science fiction and fantasy stories appeared in such pulps as '' Astounding Stories'', '' Startling Stories'', '' Unknown'' and ''Strange Stories'', Wellman ...
's John Thunstone stories - written originally during the 1940s -are credited by many current authors for bringing contemporary characters and American settings into the fantasy and horror genres. These early tales, however, differ from current urban fantasy - they present supernatural beings and acts as unnatural, aberrant, and a possible danger to ordinary citizens. ''
Unknown Unknown or The Unknown may refer to: Film * The Unknown (1915 comedy film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 comedy film), a silent boxing film * The Unknown (1915 drama film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 drama film) * The Unknown (1927 film), ''The Unknown'' (1 ...
'' magazine (1939–1943) was conceived by its editor
John W. Campbell John Wood Campbell Jr. (June 8, 1910 – July 11, 1971) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later called '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'') from late 1937 until his death ...
as a fantasy equivalent of Campbell's successful ''
Astounding ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cl ...
'' science fiction magazine; its stories often took place in the present and many had a thoughtful "science-fictional" approach. Writers such as
Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
(''"Smoke Ghost"'', published in 1941),
Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American list of science fiction authors, science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of t ...
with ''" Darker Than You Think"'' (originally published 1940),
H. L. Gold Horace Leonard Gold (April 26, 1914 – February 21, 1996) was an American science fiction writer and editing, editor. Born in Canada, Gold moved to the United States at the age of two. He was most noted for bringing an innovative and fresh app ...
(with his ''"Trouble with Water"'', published in 1939) and
L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
's ''"
Nothing in the Rules "Nothing in the Rules" is a contemporary fantasy story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. Publication history It was first published in the magazine ''Unknown'' for July, 1939.Laughlin, Charlotte, and Levack, Daniel J. H. ''De Camp: An L. Sp ...
"'' (1939) presented
ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
s,
lycanthrope In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
s,
gnome A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...
s,
mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...
s,
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
s and more, in a modern setting, with horrific and/or humorous results. The prolific de Camp and his writing partner, war game inventor
Fletcher Pratt Murray Fletcher Pratt (25 April 1897 – 10 June 1956) was an American writer of history, science fiction, and fantasy. He is best known for his works on naval history and the American Civil War and for fiction written with L. Sprague de Camp. ...
, also explored urban material with their stories of
Harold Shea The "Harold Shea" Stories is a name given to a series of five science fantasy stories by the collaborative team of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt and to its later continuation by de Camp alone, Christopher Stasheff, Holly Lisle, John Mad ...
in the 1940s and Gavagan's Bar stories in the 1950s.


1950s-60s

The 1954 best-selling novel ''
The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant ''The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant'' is a 1954 novel by Douglass Wallop. It adapts the Faust theme of a deal with the Devil to the world of American baseball in the 1950s. Plot summary The novel's protagonist, mild-mannered, middle-aged J ...
'' details a Faustian deal with the devil in major-league professional baseball; it was made into the successful 1957 Broadway musical ''
Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during ...
'' (subsequently revived several times), and then into a 1958 Hollywood film. The British spy-novel writers Adelaide Manning and Cyril Coles (writing under the pseudonym Francis Gaites, though published in the United States as by
Manning Coles Manning Coles was the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891–1959) and Cyril Henry Coles (1899–1965), who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 1940s through the early 1960s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of ...
) produced a series of humorous novels from 1954-58 placing ghostly revenants of Franco-Prussian War era into 1950s Paris and Como.
Herman Cohen Herman Cohen (August 27, 1925 – June 2, 2002) was an American producer of B-movies during the 1950s, and helped to popularize the teen horror movie genre with films like the cult classic ''I Was a Teenage Werewolf''. Career Born in Detroit, ...
's teen-horror films for
American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...
commenced in 1957 with ''
I Was a Teenage Werewolf ''I Was a Teenage Werewolf'' is a 1957 horror film starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager, Yvonne Lime and Whit Bissell. It was co-written and produced by cult film producer Herman Cohen and was one of the most successful films release ...
'', combining supernatural characters with the mundane (and popular) post WW2 teen-culture. In 1959, the fantasy/sci-fi TV anthology
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
began, after the success of its pilot ''"The Time Element"'' appeared as a 1958 episode of
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television ...
. In 1962,
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...
published the dark novel '' Something Wicked This Way Comes'', which has been cited as a particular influence by writers
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
, Bloom, Harold (1998). ''Stephen King''. Chelsea House, pp. 20.
R. L. Stine Robert Lawrence Stine (; born October 8, 1943), sometimes known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor. Stine has been referred to as the "St ...
, and
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
. The highly successful TV fantasy series ''
Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...
'' began its 8-year run in 1964, with its rival ''
I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...
'' and a less-successful fantasy show ''
My Mother the Car ''My Mother the Car'' is an American fantasy comedy that aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and April 5, 1966. Thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television. The premise features a man whose deceased mothe ...
'' appearing a year later; ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over a ...
'' based on Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons also debuted in 1964.
Chester Anderson Chester Valentine John Anderson (August 11, 1932 – April 11, 1991) was an American novelist, poet, and editor in the underground press. Biography Raised in Florida, he attended the University of Miami from 1952 to 1956, before becoming a ...
's psychedelic adventure ''
The Butterfly Kid ''The Butterfly Kid'' is a science fiction novel by Chester Anderson originally released in 1967. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1968. The novel is the first part of the Greenwich Village Trilogy, with Michael Kurland wri ...
'' was nominated for a
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
for Best Novel in 1968. Also in 1968, the English translation of
Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, also , ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian writer and journalist. His best known works include the ''Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the '' Cosmicomi ...
's short-story collection "'' Le cosmicomiche''" made his fantastic tales built around minor scientific details available to the Anglo-American audience that was interested in urban fantasy.


1970s–early 1980s

After the success of
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
's contemporary horror-story ''
Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
'' in 1973, the author introduced supernatural characters (vampires) into his next book, '' 'Salem's Lot'' (1976), which he has claimed is his own favorite. Retrospective reviews of King's work note that he "brought reality to genre novels", and have remarked that "Jerusalem's Lot is the main character here, a warm-up for what King would later do with his beloved fictional towns of Derry and Castle Rock. We're given a vivid description, details and foibles, before the town is populated with a cast of characters..."
Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. She was best known for her series of novels ''The Vampire Chronicles''. B ...
published ''
Interview with the Vampire ''Interview with the Vampire'' is a gothic horror and vampire novel by American author Anne Rice, published in 1976. It was her debut novel. Based on a short story Rice wrote around 1968, the novel centers on vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac ...
'' (a re-working of her own late-60s short story) in 1976 to strikingly mixed critical reviews. Incorporating many genres (horror, eroticism, fantasy, romance, historical fiction), it and its sequels established a new audience for fantasy characters in a real world. Recognizing its potential
Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...
editor
Victoria Wilson Victoria "Vicky" Wilson (born 1949) is an American publishing executive and writer who served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) from 2000 through 2001. Early and personal life Wilson was born in New York City and grew up ...
recommended a very substantial advance; later, the paperback rights cost
Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...
$700,000. The 1974 TV show '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'' was an occult detective series featuring a Chicago newspaper reporter uncovering and battling supernatural creatures (e.g. vampires and zombies) in an urban environment. He was unbelieved and unappreciated, considered by his boss, colleagues, the police and the public as something between a crackpot or an insane murderer as he struggles with both real and metaphorical demons in each episode. This series spun off from the 1972 horror movie '' The Night Stalker''.
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
's
Azazel In the Bible, the name Azazel (; he, עֲזָאזֵל ''ʿAzāʾzēl''; ar, عزازيل, ʿAzāzīl) appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during Y ...
stories, most of which were written in the 1980s, take some of their urban character of his mystery stories initially published in ''
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' is a bi-monthly American digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction, and mystery fiction. Launched in fall 1941 by Mercury Press, ''EQMM'' is named after the fict ...
''. In the cinema, the re-write of
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
's original 1982 science fiction comedy script for ''
Ghostbusters ''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American Supernatural fiction, supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and ...
'' by
Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis (; November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014) was an American actor, comedian, director and writer. His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984) and '' Ghostbusters II'' (1989), and as Russel ...
replaced the futuristic setting for the present day. This effectively enabled the film to be made, and introduced to the mainstream the idea of fantastical events taking place in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Two years later, ''
Gremlins ''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of ...
'' brought another batch of supernatural beings into our everyday world. At the same time another low-budget supernatural comedy success, ''
Teen Wolf ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is chang ...
'' was popular enough to generate a television show, an animated cartoon, and a cinema sequel. Before its run was finished, another general-audience teen comedy with supernatural elements, ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'', was in production.


1980s and 1990s

The term began to come into its present use in the late 1970s but its meaning kept shifting during the 1980s and early 1990s. This development is apparent in the increased use of the term in contemporary reviews.
Terri Windling Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoke ...
's shared
Borderlands A borderland or borderlands are the geographical space or zone around a territorial border. Borderland or borderlands may refer to: Places * Borderland, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in Mingo County, West Virginia * Borderland (ele ...
universe, made up of a number of anthologies and novels, launched with the eponymous paperback original anthology, ''Borderland'' in 1986, followed up by ''Bordertown'', also in 1986. The series was later touted by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
as "one of the most important places where Urban Fantasy began". An article in Tor.com has stated that "some say, Urban Fantasy was born in Bordertown," which provided "young, beginning writers like
Charles de Lint Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer of Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. He is married to, and plays music with, MaryAnn Harris. Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, cont ...
and
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
" with a platform. Emma Bull's unrelated 1987 urban fantasy ''
War for the Oaks ''War for the Oaks'' (1987) is a fantasy novel by American writer Emma Bull. The book tells the story of Eddi McCandry, a rock musician who finds herself unwillingly pulled into the supernatural faerie conflict between good and evil. ''War fo ...
'', where
fairy A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...
factions battle in present-day
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, also received interest and attention. Both Bull's novel and the Borderlands books emphasized young, poor, hip protagonists. In this, they had much in common with the usual protagonist of the
cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...
sub-genre of
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
. ''
Sweet Silver Blues ''Sweet Silver Blues'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Glen Cook, the first novel in his ongoing Garrett P.I. series. The series combines elements of mystery and fantasy as it follows the adventures of private investigator Garrett. Plot G ...
'' a 1987 novel by fantasy author
Glen Cook Glen Charles Cook (born July 9, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction, known for ''The Black Company'' and '' Garrett P.I.'' fantasy series. Biography Cook was born in New York City.Garrett P.I. Garrett P.I. is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Glen Cook about Garrett, a freelance private investigator. The novels are written in a hard-boiled detective fiction style, with elements of traditional mystery and dialogue-based humo ...
series. These tales chronicled adventures of a
hardboiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence o ...
detective in a
contemporary fantasy Contemporary fantasy, also known as modern fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, urban fantasy. Strictly, supernatural fiction c ...
world, and were among the earliest to use a fantastic "underworld" in place of the criminals and thugs of
Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...
,
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
, and their followers. Prolific author
Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar. Her Valdemar novels include i ...
started a series in the waning years of 1980s with ''Burning Water'', exploring the life of a contemporary American witch. ''
Shadowrun ''Shadowrun'' is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspir ...
'', a
tabletop RPG A tabletop role-playing game (typically abbreviated as TRPG or TTRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a form of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech. Participa ...
with a similar concept to the Borderlands universe appeared. Like those earlier books, ''Shadowrun'' took place in a future Earth setting (specifically 2050, in the first edition), after the reappearance of supernatural powers and beings. Players could play humans (
cybernetic Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson ma ...
ally enhanced or otherwise),
elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
, dwarves or
orcs An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, ...
, all in a dark high tech setting. The more definitely
cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...
approach (jaundiced and gritty) of the game's universe exerted its own influence. Anthologist and professor. Dr.
Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...
sparked growth in urban fantasy by commissioning established authors to write stories for his many fantasy anthologies (among them '' Wizards,
Witches Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...
,
Devils A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. Devil or Devils may also refer to: * Satan * Devil in Christianity * Demon * Folk devil Art, entertainment, and media Film an ...
,'' and ''
Faeries A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...
''. The commissioned work was juxtaposed with older fiction; it frequently used supernatural elements in contemporary urban settings.


21st century

Several publications and writers have cited authors
Laurell K. Hamilton Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories. Her The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times''-bestselling ''Anita Blake: Vampire H ...
and
Kim Harrison Kim Harrison (born 1966) is a pen name of American author Dawn Cook. Kim is best known as the author of the ''New York Times'' #1 best selling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published over two dozen books span ...
as notable contributors to the genre. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', and ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' have recognized the longevity and influence of Hamilton's stories, while ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and ''
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
'' have noted the work of Kim Harrison. Author Courtney Allison Moulton has cited Hamilton's early works among her inspirations. Kelly Gay has noted Hamilton, Harrison, and Emma Bull as primary influences.
Jim Butcher Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author., He has written the contemporary fantasy ''The Dresden Files'', ''Codex Alera'', and ''Cinder Spires'' book series. Personal life Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri, in 1971. He ...
's ''The Dresden Files'' series have been described by
Barnes and Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
as "the gold standard" for the genre; one of the books from the series was nominated for the 2015
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
. N. K. Jemisin's '' The City We Became'' features major cities acquiring sentience through human avatars; it won the 2020 BFSA Best Novel Award and was nominated for the 2021 Hugo and Nebula.


Novels


Adult fiction

While adult urban fantasy novels may stand-alone (like ''Mulengro'' by
Charles de Lint Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer of Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. He is married to, and plays music with, MaryAnn Harris. Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, cont ...
or
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
's ''War for the Oaks''), the economics of the market favor series characters, and genre-crossing allows sales along multiple lines. Many urban-fantasy novels are told via a
first-person narrative A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller, ...
, and often feature
mythological Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
beings,
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
, and female protagonists who are involved in law enforcement or vigilantism.
Laurell K. Hamilton Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories. Her The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times''-bestselling ''Anita Blake: Vampire H ...
's
Anita Blake Anita Blake is the title and viewpoint character of the '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series takes place in a parallel world in which supernatural characters like vampires and werewolves exist alongside reg ...
series—which follows the investigations of a supernatural Federal Marshal during paranormal cases—has been called a substantial and influential work of the genre.
Kim Harrison Kim Harrison (born 1966) is a pen name of American author Dawn Cook. Kim is best known as the author of the ''New York Times'' #1 best selling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published over two dozen books span ...
's Rachel Morgan novels, also regarded as inspirational works, feature a bounty-hunting "witch-born" demon who battles numerous supernatural foes. Multi-genre offerings combine urban fantasy with other established forms (e.g.: police procedurals, as presented in the Peter Grant stories of
Ben Aaronovitch Ben Dylan Aaronovitch (born 22 February 1964) is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the ''Rivers of London'' series of novels. He also wrote two ''Doctor Who'' serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from ''Doctor Who' ...
, or the
Charlie Madigan series The Charlie Madigan series is a collection of urban fantasy novels by author Kelly Gay. The books present a future in which humanity has discovered two vastly different dimensions, making Atlanta a crossroads for various supernatural beings. Th ...
, by
Kelly Gay Kelly Gay is an American author, known for her work in the science fiction/fantasy genre, particularly urban fantasy. Gay has written books in both the adult and young adult genres, penning the latter under the name of Kelly Keaton. She is partic ...
, which explores challenges a police officer faces while trying to balance her paranormal cases with life as a single mother). In addition to books which present largely independent characters, certain stories feature men and women who are regularly partnered on adventures—often with an underlying romantic element. The Jaz Parks series, by
Jennifer Rardin Jennifer Rardin (April 28, 1965 – September 20, 2010) was an American urban fantasy author, known for writing the '' Jaz Parks'' series. Background She was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965, to James and Carol Pringle and started w ...
, follows the titular
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
operative and her vampire boss as they combat supernatural threats to national security. Jocelynn Drake's ''Dark Days'' novels follow a vampire named Mira and a vampire hunter named Danaus, who work together to protect their people from a mutual enemy. ''
Night Huntress ''Night Huntress'' is a series of seven urban fantasy romance novels by author Jeaniene Frost. The first novel was published in 2007 by Avon and took place in a world where supernatural creatures exist but are not known to the general public at ...
'', a series by
Jeaniene Frost Jeaniene Frost (born 1974) is an American fantasy author, known for her ''Night Huntress'' series and the ''Night Huntress World'' novels. Foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Bibliography The Night Huntress s ...
, centers on a half-vampire named Catherine and a vampire bounty hunter called Bones, who gradually become lovers while battling the undead.


Teen fiction

In contrast to the "professional heroes" found in adult urban-fantasy novels, many novels aimed at
young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
audiences follow inexperienced protagonists who are unexpectedly drawn into paranormal struggles. Amidst these conflicts, characters often gain allies, find romance, and, in some cases, develop or discover supernatural abilities of their own. In
Kelley Armstrong Kelley Armstrong (born 14 December 1968)Bio for school projectsThe Darkest Powers'' series, a group of teens with paranormal talents go on the run while fleeing from a persistent band of scientists. '' Gone'', by Michael Grant, follows an isolated town in which adults have mysteriously disappeared, leaving a society of super-powered children behind. In '' Unearthly'', by Cynthia Hand, a girl discovers that she is part angel and gifted with superhuman abilities, leading her to seek out her purpose on Earth. '' The Immortals'' series, by
Alyson Noël Alyson Noël is an American author from Orange County, California. Biography Alyson Noël was born on December 3, 1966, raised in Orange County and attended Richard Nixon Elementary School for two years. She is the youngest of three girls ...
, follows a girl who gains special abilities after recovering from an accident, and also grows close to a mysterious new boy at her school.
Love triangle A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...
s also play a prominent part in these and several other urban-fantasy novels. Coming-of-age themes and teen 'voices' also often distinguish young-adult urban fantasy from adult books in the genre.
Bruce Coville Bruce Farrington Coville (, born May 16, 1950) is an author of young adult fiction. Coville was first published in 1977 and has written over 100 books. Biography Coville was born on May 16, 1950, in Syracuse, New York, where he resided . Br ...
and
Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 350 books, of which the best known is '' The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. H ...
collaborated on Armageddon Summer which places a standard teen romance in the middle of an imagined apocalyptic cult. Boarding schools are a common setting in teen urban fantasy. ''Rampant'', by Diana Peterfreund, follows a group of young women at a
cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...
s as they train to fight killer unicorns. The ''
House of Night ''House of Night'' is a series of young adult vampire-themed fantasy novels by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It follows the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a 16-year-old girl who is "marked", becomes a fledgling vampyre ...
'' series, by P. C. and
Kristin Cast Kristin F. Cast (born November 4, 1986) is an American author of young adult books. She is the editor for the ''House of Night'' series for young adults with her mother, P.C. Cast, and the author of ''The Escaped'' series. Life and career Cast ...
, presents a school where future vampires are disciplined while on the path to transformation, during which several romantic conflicts and other clashes ensue.
Claudia Gray Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent, an American writer of paranormal romance young adult fiction, best known for the ''Evernight'' series and her ''Star Wars'' novels: ''Lost Stars'', ''Bloodline'', '' Leia, Princess of Alderaan, Master ...
's ''Evernight'' novels center on a mysterious academy, where a romantic bond develops between a girl born to vampires, and a boy who hunts them. ''
Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ( ...
'', by
Lauren Kate Lauren Kate (born March 21, 1981) is an American author of adult and young adult fiction. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages, have sold more than eleven million copies worldwide, and have spent combined months on the ''N ...
, revolves around a student named Luce who finds herself drawn to a boy named Daniel, unaware that he is a fallen angel who shares a history with her. Other series, such as Carrie Jones's ''
Need A need is dissatisfaction at a point of time and in a given context. Needs are distinguished from wants. In the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or death. In other words, a need is something required for a ...
'', have characters moving to new locations but attending public schools while discovering mysterious occurrences elsewhere in their towns.


Juvenile Fiction

A helping of the fantastic is often an element in childrens literature, but the two major strands of urban fantasy are well-represented in particular. The ''hidden-world'' focuses on stories and characters taking place in a fully-realized domain which operates secretly but simultaneously to the world with which we are familiar. An outstanding example are the ''Harry Potter'' books of J. K. Rowling - where our own (''
muggle In J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series, a Muggle () is a person who lacks any sort of magical ability and was not born in a magical family. Muggles can also be described as people who do not have any magical blood inside them. It differs fr ...
'') world is unaware of an entire universe of wizards and magical creatures; and intersections of these domains provide plot material and character dimensionality for the action taking place primarily in the magic universe - and so being a type of ''
high-fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, P ...
'' On the other hand ''magical charm'' stories operate mostly in the mundane universe, but where a spell or token provides plot-interest. The protagonist of Robert Lawson's 1945 ''Mr. Wilmer'' works as a clerk for a big New York City company - but suddenly one morning he can speak with and understand animals. In the magical stories of Edward Eager, groups of children are granted wishes or transported through time by invoking spells. This makes the stories a variety of '' low-fantasy'' Possibly the best-known urban fantasy series for children are
P. L. Travers Pamela Lyndon Travers (; born Helen Lyndon Goff; 9 August 1899 – 23 April 1996) was an Australian-British writer who spent most of her career in England. She is best known for the ''Mary Poppins'' series of books, which feature the eponymous ...
' low-fantasy
Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...
stories, set in London between the World Wars. As well as eight books, there have been several film and stage adaptations. The high-fantasy
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
phenomenon may soon be in position to overtake Poppins.


Paranormal Romance

In an online commentary, author Jeannie Holmes described differences between urban fantasy and
paranormal romance Paranormal romance is a subgenre of both romantic fiction and speculative fiction. Paranormal romance focuses on romantic love and includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the speculative fiction ...
:


Media tie-ins

Use of other forms of media has become a common part of the creation and promotion of urban-fantasy works.


Music

Several urban-fantasy authors cite music as an inspiration. Certain writers recommend songs or playlists on their official websites, including Courtney Allison Moulton, Jaye Wells, and
Sarah J. Maas Sarah Janet Maas (born March 5, 1986) is an American fantasy author known for her fantasy series '' Throne of Glass'' and '' A Court of Thorns and Roses''. As of 2022, she has sold over twelve million copies of her books and her work has been ...
, who couple their recommendations with links to music-providing services. Publishers have also used music for book trailers, including the trailer for Carrie Jones's ''Captivate'', which features the work of songwriter Derek Daisey. Original music is also produced. In 2010, musicians Alexandra Monir, Michael Bearden, and Heather Holley (a songwriter for
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
's ''Stripped'') collaborated to create songs for Monir's debut novel, '' Timeless''.


Video

Book trailers are often used to promote urban-fantasy novels. Publishers such as
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
also produce regular video interviews with debuting authors.


Comics and manga

Adaptations of urban-fantasy novels have appeared in comic books and
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
. Among the tales to be adapted are Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson stories, and Melissa Marr's ''Wicked Lovely''.


Film and television

Works of urban fantasy have been adapted to or have originated in film and television. Well-known examples include the 1992 series '' Highlander'' and the TV adaptation of ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'', which is regarded as a seminal work of the genre. Certain staples of urban-fantasy novels are also present in television shows. The concept of peaceful coexistence with paranormal beings is explored in the 1996 series '' Kindred: The Embraced'', which focuses on secret vampire clans in San Francisco. Works such as ''
Witchblade ''Witchblade'' is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015. The series was created by Top Cow founder and owner Marc Silvestri, editor David Wohl, writers ...
'' present the more common matter of a protagonist attempting to protect citizens. While urban-fantasy novels are often centered on heroines, television programs have regularly featured both genders in leading roles. Shows such as ''
Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'', ''
The Dresden Files ''The Dresden Files'' is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, '' Storm Front''—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was published in 2000 by Roc Books. The books are wri ...
'', ''
Forever Knight ''Forever Knight'' is a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern-day Toronto, Ontario. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a ho ...
'', ''
Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...
'', ''
Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
'', and ''
Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
'' are based around male protagonists, while other programs, including ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
'', and ''Witchblade'', focus largely on female protagonists.


Authors

The following is an incomplete list of notable authors of urban fantasy. According to 2013 statistics by the fantasy publisher
Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...
, among writers of urban fantasy or paranormal romance, 57% are women and 43% are men, whereas men outnumber women by about two to one in writing
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
, epic, or
high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...
. *
Ben Aaronovitch Ben Dylan Aaronovitch (born 22 February 1964) is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the ''Rivers of London'' series of novels. He also wrote two ''Doctor Who'' serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from ''Doctor Who' ...
(''Rivers of London'' series) *
Ilona Andrews Ilona Andrews is the pen name of Ilona Gordon and Andrew Gordon, an American husband-and-wife duo who write urban fantasy and romantic fiction together. Early lives Ilona Gordon was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States a ...
(''Kate Daniels'' series) *
Kelley Armstrong Kelley Armstrong (born 14 December 1968)Bio for school projectsWomen of the Otherworld ''Women of the Otherworld'' is the name of a fantasy series by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong. The books feature werewolves, witches, necromancers, sorcerers, and vampires struggling to fit as "normal" in today's world. The series also includ ...
'' and '' Darkest Powers'' series) * L. A. Banks (''Vampire Huntress'' series and ''Crimson Moon'' novels) *
Holly Black Holly Black (''née'' Riggenbach; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. ...
(''Modern Faerie Tales'' series) *
Marie Brennan Marie Brennan is the pseudonym of Bryn Neuenschwander, an American fantasy author. Her works include the ''Doppelganger'' duology ('' Doppelganger'' and its sequel '' Warrior and Witch'', respectively retitled ''Warrior'' and ''Witch'' on late ...
(''Midnight Never Come'' and ''In Ashes Lie'') *
Sarah Rees Brennan Sarah Rees Brennan (born 21 September 1983) is an Irish writer best known for young adult fantasy fiction. Her first novel, '' The Demon's Lexicon'', was released June 2009 by Simon & Schuster. Rees Brennan's books are bestsellers in the UK. Li ...
(''The Demon's Lexicon'' series) *
Patricia Briggs Patricia Briggs (born 1965) is an American writer of Fantasy novel, fantasy since 1993, and author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. Biography Patricia Briggs was born in 1965 in Butte, Montana, United States. She now resides in Bent ...
(''
Mercy Thompson series Patricia Briggs (born 1965) is an American writer of Fantasy novel, fantasy since 1993, and author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. Biography Patricia Briggs was born in 1965 in Butte, Montana, United States. She now resides in Bent ...
'') *
Terry Brooks Terence Dean Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two film novelizations. He has written 23 ''New York Times'' bestsellers during his writing career, and has ...
(''Word & Void'' series) *
Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies ...
(''
War for the Oaks ''War for the Oaks'' (1987) is a fantasy novel by American writer Emma Bull. The book tells the story of Eddi McCandry, a rock musician who finds herself unwillingly pulled into the supernatural faerie conflict between good and evil. ''War fo ...
'') *
Jim Butcher Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author., He has written the contemporary fantasy ''The Dresden Files'', ''Codex Alera'', and ''Cinder Spires'' book series. Personal life Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri, in 1971. He ...
(''
Dresden Files ''The Dresden Files'' is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by American author Jim Butcher. The first novel, '' Storm Front''—which was also Butcher's writing debut—was published in 2000 by Roc Books. The books are wri ...
'' series) *
Rachel Caine Rachel Caine was the pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad (April 27, 1962 – November 1, 2020) who was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and horror novels. Personal life Conrad grew up in West Texas and gradu ...
(''Weather Warden'' series) * Mike Carey (''Felix Castor'' series) *
Karen Chance Karen Chance is an American novelist. She grew up in Orlando, Florida. She has lived in France, Great Britain, Hong Kong and New Orleans, where she has taught history. She is currently living in Florida. She has been a full time author since 2008. ...
(''Cassandra Palmer'' series) * Cinda Williams Chima (''The Heir Trilogy'') *
Cassandra Clare Judith Lewis (née Rumelt; born July 27, 1973), better known by her pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments (series), ''The Mortal Instruments''.'' Per ...
(''
Mortal Instruments ''The Mortal Instruments'' is a series of six young adult fantasy novels written by American author Cassandra Clare, the last of which was published on May 27, 2014. ''The Mortal Instruments'' is chronologically the third series of a planned fi ...
'' series) * John Conroe (''Demon Accords'' series) *
Glen Cook Glen Charles Cook (born July 9, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction, known for ''The Black Company'' and '' Garrett P.I.'' fantasy series. Biography Cook was born in New York City.Garrett P.I. Garrett P.I. is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Glen Cook about Garrett, a freelance private investigator. The novels are written in a hard-boiled detective fiction style, with elements of traditional mystery and dialogue-based humo ...
'' series) * S. J. Day (''Marked'' series) * Edward Eager ("Magic" childrens books) *
P. N. Elrod Patricia Nead Elrod (b. 1954) is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She has written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on ...
(''The Vampire Files'' series) * Jennifer Estep (''Elemental Assassin'', ''Mythos Academy'', ''Black Blade'' series) * J. M. Frey *
Jeaniene Frost Jeaniene Frost (born 1974) is an American fantasy author, known for her ''Night Huntress'' series and the ''Night Huntress World'' novels. Foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Bibliography The Night Huntress s ...
(''Night Huntress'' series) *
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
(''
Neverwhere ''Neverwhere'' is an urban fantasy television miniseries by Neil Gaiman that first aired in 1996 on BBC 2. The series is set in "London Below", a magical realm coexisting with the more familiar London, referred to as "London Above". It was d ...
'') * Yasmine Galenorn (''Wild Hunt'', ''Otherworld'', ''Indigo Court'') *
Kelly Gay Kelly Gay is an American author, known for her work in the science fiction/fantasy genre, particularly urban fantasy. Gay has written books in both the adult and young adult genres, penning the latter under the name of Kelly Keaton. She is partic ...
(''
Charlie Madigan series The Charlie Madigan series is a collection of urban fantasy novels by author Kelly Gay. The books present a future in which humanity has discovered two vastly different dimensions, making Atlanta a crossroads for various supernatural beings. Th ...
'') * Michael Grant ('' Gone'' series) *
Claudia Gray Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent, an American writer of paranormal romance young adult fiction, best known for the ''Evernight'' series and her ''Star Wars'' novels: ''Lost Stars'', ''Bloodline'', '' Leia, Princess of Alderaan, Master ...
(''Evernight'' series) * Simon R. Green ('' Nightside'' series) *
Lev Grossman Lev Grossman (born June 26, 1969) is an American novelist and journalist who wrote ''The Magicians Trilogy'': '' The Magicians'' (2009), ''The Magician King'' (2011), and ''The Magician's Land'' (2014). He was the book critic and lead technology ...
('' The Magicians trilogy'') * Kate Griffin (''Matthew Swift'' series) *
Laurell K. Hamilton Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories. Her The New York Times Best Seller list, ''New York Times''-bestselling ''Anita Blake: Vampire H ...
(The ''
Anita Blake Anita Blake is the title and viewpoint character of the '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series takes place in a parallel world in which supernatural characters like vampires and werewolves exist alongside reg ...
'' and ''
Merry Gentry Meredith "Merry" Gentry is the protagonist of an eponymous fantasy series by US writer Laurell K. Hamilton, best known for her other fantasy series ''Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter''. Since 2000, she has been alternating between the two series, pub ...
'' series) * Cynthia Hand ('' Unearthly'' series) *
Charlaine Harris Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in Mystery fiction, mysteries. She is best known for her book series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series ''True Blood''. The ...
(''
The Southern Vampire Mysteries ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, ''Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the Ant ...
'' series) *
Kim Harrison Kim Harrison (born 1966) is a pen name of American author Dawn Cook. Kim is best known as the author of the ''New York Times'' #1 best selling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published over two dozen books span ...
('' The Hollows'' series) * Rachel Hawthorne ('' Dark Guardian'' series) *
Kevin Hearne Kevin Hearne is an American urban fantasy novelist born and raised in Arizona. Hearne is the author of nine novels published by Del Rey Books, Del Rey in the fantasy book series ''The Iron Druid Chronicles'', plus the 2015 ''Star Wars'' novel ' ...
(''
The Iron Druid Chronicles ''The Iron Druid Chronicles'' is a series of urban fantasy novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories, written by Kevin Hearne and published by Del Rey Books. All the books, including short stories, have recorded as audiobooks narrated by Luk ...
'') *
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
(Amanda Feral series) *
Tanya Huff Tanya Sue Huff (born 1957) is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her '' Blood Books'' series, featuring detective Vicki Ne ...
(''Keeper Chronicles, Blood series, The Enchantment Emporium, Smoke series'') *
Faith Hunter Gwendolyn Faith Hunter is an American author and blogger, writing in the Fantasy literature, fantasy and Thriller (genre), thriller genres. She writes as Faith Hunter in the fantasy genre, and as Gwen Hunter in the thriller genre.Rogue Mage series The ''Rogue Mage'' series of Fantasy literature, fantasy novels were written by American author Faith Hunter about races of beings inhabiting a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic Earth of the not-too distant future. Some of ...
'', ''Jane Yellowrock'' series, and the ''Soulwood'' series) *
Benedict Jacka Benedict Jacka (born 25 September 1980) is a British author, best known for his ''Alex Verus'' series. Biography Jacka was born in England and attended the City of London School. He later attended Cambridge University, where he graduated with a ...
(''Alex Verus'' series) * Elliott James (''Pax Arcana'' series) * Carrie Jones (''
Need A need is dissatisfaction at a point of time and in a given context. Needs are distinguished from wants. In the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or death. In other words, a need is something required for a ...
'' series) *
Lauren Kate Lauren Kate (born March 21, 1981) is an American author of adult and young adult fiction. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages, have sold more than eleven million copies worldwide, and have spent combined months on the ''N ...
(''
Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ( ...
'' series) * Elliott Kay (''Good Intentions'' series) *
Caitlin Kittredge Caitlin Kittredge (born September 1984) is an American author and comic-book writer of dark fantasy and urban fantasy noir. She is known for her ''Nocturne City'' series of adult novels, and for ''The Iron Codex'', a series of young adult books ...
(''Nocturne City'' and ''Iron Codex'' series) *
Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar. Her Valdemar novels include i ...
(''Elves on the Road'' universe and the slightly
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
‘’Elemental Masters’’ books) *
Charles de Lint Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer of Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. He is married to, and plays music with, MaryAnn Harris. Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, cont ...
('' Newford'' series) *
Sergei Lukyanenko Sergei Vasilyevich Lukyanenko (russian: Серге́й Васи́льевич Лукья́ненко, ; born 11 April 1968) is a Russian science fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, ...
('' Night Watch'' series) *
Melissa Marr Melissa Marr (born July 25, 1972) is an American author of young adult/urban fantasy novels. Biography Marr, a former university English teacher, currently resides in Arizona. Her first novel was published in 2007, the New York Times bestseller ...
(''
Wicked Lovely ''Wicked Lovely'' is a young adult/urban fantasy novel by author Melissa Marr. The story follows protagonist Aislinn, who has the Sight (the ability to see faeries), and whose life begins to unravel when it seems the fey-folk develop a sudden in ...
'' series) * John C. McCrae (''Pact'' and ''Pale'' web serials) *
Seanan McGuire Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in; born January 5, 1978 in Martinez, California) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/ horror and the pseudon ...
(''October Daye'' series ) *
Robin McKinley Robin McKinley (born November 16, 1952) is an American author best known for her fantasy novels and fairy tale retellings. Her 1984 novel ''The Hero and the Crown'' won the Newbery Medal as the year's best new American children's book. In 2022 ...
('' Sunshine'') *
Richelle Mead Richelle Mead (born November 12, 1976) is an American fantasy author. She is known for the '' Georgina Kincaid'' series, '' Vampire Academy'', '' Bloodlines'' and the '' Dark Swan'' series. Education and career Richelle Mead was born in Michigan, ...
(''
Georgina Kincaid The ''Georgina Kincaid'' series is a collection of six urban fantasy novels written by Richelle Mead. The series is written in a first-person perspective following the main character, Georgina Kincaid, who is a succubus A succubus is a demon ...
'' and ''
Vampire Academy ''Vampire Academy'' is a series of six young adult paranormal romance novels by American author Richelle Mead. It tells the story of Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway, a dhampir girl, who is training to be a guardian of her moroi best friend, Vasilisa " ...
'' series) *
China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( ; born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and literary critic. He often describes his work as ''weird fiction'' and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called '' New Weird''. Mi ...
('' Bas-Lag'' series) *
Karen Marie Moning Karen Marie Moning is an American author. Many of her novels have appeared on the ''New York Times'' Bestseller List with ''Shadowfever'' reaching the number one position on multiple national best sellers lists. She is a winner of the prestigio ...
(''Fever'' series) *
Devon Monk Devon Monk is an American writer of urban fantasy novels. She has also published over 50 short stories in fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, and young adult magazines and anthologies. Monk currently resides in Oregon with her husband, two ...
(''Allie Beckstrom'' series) * Courtney Allison Moulton (''
Angelfire Angelfire is an Internet service that offers website services. It is owned by Lycos, which also owns Tripod.com. Angelfire operates separately from Tripod.com and includes features such as blog building and a photo gallery builder. Free webpag ...
'' series) * C. E. Murphy (''Walker Papers'' series) *
Joseph Nassise Joseph Nassise (born 1968) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling American urban fantasy writer and the author of more than sixty novels. His debut novel, ''Riverwatch'', was nominated for both the Bram Stoker Award and the International ...
(''Templar Chronicles'' and ''Jeremiah Hunt'' series) *
Alyson Noël Alyson Noël is an American author from Orange County, California. Biography Alyson Noël was born on December 3, 1966, raised in Orange County and attended Richard Nixon Elementary School for two years. She is the youngest of three girls ...
(''
Immortals Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
'' series) *
Jackson Pearce Jackson Pearce (born 1984) is an American author. She writes young adult fiction and also publishes as J. Nelle Patrick. Personal life and education Pearce was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and, , lives in Decatur, Georgia. She started writing ...
(''As You Wish'' and ''Sisters Red'') * Marlene Perez (''Dead Is...'' series) * Diana Peterfreund (''Killer Unicorns'' series) * Vicki Pettersson (''Signs of the Zodiac'' series) * T. A. Pratt (''Marla Mason'' series) * Kalayna Price (''Alex Craft'' series) *
Cat Rambo Cat Rambo (born November 14, 1963) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and editor. Rambo uses they/them pronouns. Rambo was co-editor of '' Fantasy Magazine'' from 2007 to 2011, which earned them a 2012 World Fantasy Special Awar ...
*
Jennifer Rardin Jennifer Rardin (April 28, 1965 – September 20, 2010) was an American urban fantasy author, known for writing the '' Jaz Parks'' series. Background She was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965, to James and Carol Pringle and started w ...
('' Jaz Parks series'') *
Natasha Rhodes Natasha Rhodes (now Natasha Rohner) (born 8 April 1978) is an English-born author, best known for her contemporary fantasy book series starring supernatural crime-fighter Kayla Steele. She has also written many film novelizations of popular block ...
(''Kayla Steele'' series) *
Kat Richardson Kat Richardson (born May 22, 1964) is an American author best known for her ''Greywalker'' urban fantasy series. Biography In addition to the Greywalker series, Kat has published in other text forms and media, including role-playing games, vide ...
(''Greywalker'' series) *
Rick Riordan Richard Russell Riordan Junior (; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million co ...
(''
Percy Jackson and the Olympians ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' is a series of five fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan, and the first book series in the ''Camp Half-Blood Chronicles''. The novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st centur ...
'' series) *
J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and Philanthropy, philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to ...
(''Harry Potter'' series) *
Lilith Saintcrow Lilith Saintcrow is an American author of urban fantasy, historical fantasy, paranormal romance and steampunk novels. Saintcrow was born in New Mexico. She currently resides in Vancouver, WA. Saintcrow uses the '' nom de plume '' Lili St. Crow ...
(''Dante Valentine'' series, ''Jill Kismet'' series) * Oh Seong-dae (''Tales of the Unusual'') * Thomas E. Sniegoski ('' The Fallen'' series) * Lucy A. Snyder (''Jessie Shimmer'' series) * Jeff Somers *
Jeanne C. Stein Jeanne C. Stein is an American urban fantasy author. She now lives in Colorado, but was raised and educated in San Diego, which is the setting for her contemporary vampire fantasy. Stein's novels about vampire bounty hunter Anna Strong are publi ...
(''Anna Strong'' series) * Shanna Swendson ('' Enchanted, Inc.'' series) * Anton Strout (''Simon Canderous'' series) *
Mark Teppo Mark Teppo (born May 21, 1968) is an American author of contemporary fantasy and Science fiction. His work is strongly peppered with references to occult concepts, most commonly those of Hermeticism and Alchemy. Prior to his current tenure as a ...
(''Codex of Souls'' series) *
P. L. Travers Pamela Lyndon Travers (; born Helen Lyndon Goff; 9 August 1899 – 23 April 1996) was an Australian-British writer who spent most of her career in England. She is best known for the ''Mary Poppins'' series of books, which feature the eponymous ...
(''
Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...
books'') *
Carrie Vaughn Carrie Vaughn (born January 28, 1973) is an American writer, the author of the urban fantasy '' Kitty Norville'' series. She has published more than 60 short stories in science fiction and fantasy magazines as well as short story anthologies and ...
(''Kitty Norville'' series) *
Catherine Webb Catherine Webb (born 1986) is a British author. She also writes fantasy novels for adults under the name Kate Griffin, and she writes science fiction as Claire North. Life Webb was educated at the Godolphin and Latymer School, London, and th ...
(''Matthew Swift'' and ''Magicals Anonymous'' series) * Kiersten White (''
Paranormalcy ''Paranormalcy'' is a series of young adult urban fantasy novels by American author Kiersten White, beginning with the inaugural entry of the same name. The story focuses on a girl named Evie, a member of a special international police force assi ...
'') *
Terri Windling Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoke ...
(''
Borderlands A borderland or borderlands are the geographical space or zone around a territorial border. Borderland or borderlands may refer to: Places * Borderland, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in Mingo County, West Virginia * Borderland (ele ...
'' series) * Yvonne Woon ('' Dead Beautiful'' series)


See also

*
Contemporary fantasy Contemporary fantasy, also known as modern fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy, set in the present day or, more accurately, the time period of the maker. It is perhaps most popular for its subgenre, urban fantasy. Strictly, supernatural fiction c ...
*
Paranormal fiction Paranormal fiction is a genre of fiction whose story lines revolve around the paranormal. Sub genres * Paranormal romance * Urban fantasy Television *''The X-Files'', a suspense drama television series in which characters investigate various p ...
*
List of literary genres Writing genres (more commonly known as literary genres) are categories that distinguish literature (including works of prose, poetry, drama, hybrid forms, etc.) based on some set of stylistic criteria. Sharing literary conventions, they t ...
*
List of genres This is a list of genres of literature and entertainment ( film, television, music, and video games), excluding genres in the visual arts. ''Genre'' is the term for any category of creative work, which includes literature and other forms of a ...
*
List of urban fantasy novels This is a list of novels in the urban fantasy genre. Youth Young adult Adult Abbreviations used: * P.I.: Private Investigator * PR: paranormal romance * SciFi: science fiction * GBLT: gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender References Popular ...


References

{{Fantasy fiction Fantasy genres Urban fiction