Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. It is widely considered by many to be the modern origin of the epic fantasy, the book all other epic fantasies are judged against.
But epic fantasy is merely one sub-genre of the overall branching fantasy genre, despite epic fantasy long being held as the very definition of what fantasy should be. There are many others but another sub-genre that is growing at a great rate is urban fantasy!
Just like Tolkien in his own sub-genre, Jonathan Carroll, Terri Windling and Charles de Lint are considered by many to be the anchors of modern urban fantasy, with Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher and Laurell K. Hamilton bringing urban fantasy into prominence. This sub-genre consists of magical stories set in contemporary, real-world, or urban settings—as opposed to those set in other worlds or made-up cities. Many of these tales show a wonderful usage of Celtic myths and legends, incorporating much of our world’s history and mythology.
But those writers are not the only ones and here are two urban fantasy authors I’d say are overlooked more times than not—Raymond E. Feist and Terry Brooks!
Surprised by those names? I know you are.
Both Feist and Brooks are considered pioneers in the epic fantasy sub-genre. With the Riftwar and Shannara novels selling millions of copies over the last thirty years, both writers have helped establish and grow a fantasy genre dominated by the epic fantasy. When readers think of these two writers, they immediately think of epic/high fantasy—for good or naught—and there is a certain level of familiarity and comfort in that knowledge.
But both of these high fantasy/epic fantasy writers share a commonality:
They both have written other books not considered high fantasy or epic fantasy but urban fantasy—and great urban fantasy at that!
One of my earliest reading experiences was a book written by Raymond E. Feist titled Faerie Tale. At that time I had read Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon and was looking for more of the same. I was unsure if Feist's foray into urban fantasy would be to my liking, as the cover explicitly foreshadowed a book set in our real world. But my reservations were quickly cast aside as this dark contemporary novel took off right from the start—and was wholly unique from the many epic fantasy novels I had read by then.
Now, years later, I remember Faerie Tale with fondness for opening up my reading habits to different forms of fantasy.
| The town records have it listed as Erl King Hill - 'Hill of the Elf King'. To the locals it is known simply as the old Kessler Place. A great ramshackle house, it stands among deep woods, full of memories and myth. There are strange stories about the old place: talk of haunted woods, strange lights that dance like fire, buried treasure and lost children, now long forgotten. But for the Hastings Family, Gloria and Philip, and their eight-year -old twins, Sean and Patrick, and Philip's teenage daughter, Gabrielle, it is the stuff of dreams. They are looking for a fresh start and they think they have found it - until the day Sean and Patrick discover the secret of Fairy Woods and the luminous elfin beings who lure them into an unearthly world of ancient Celtic magic. Suddenly, what was a dream has become a terrifying nightmare. For those entrancing sprites are in reality demons determined to possess the children's very souls! |
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great urban fantasy read!
A decade later, still being inundated by epic fantasy, Terry Brooks stunned me with a drastic change to what he had written before with the release of Running with the Demon. Set in an Illinois town very similar to the one Brooks grew up in, Running with the Demon is the story of Nest Freemark and John Ross.
| In a sleepy steel-mill town, the ultimate battle between Good and Evil is about to begin . . .
Sinnissippi Park, in Hopewell, Illinois, has long hidden a mysterious evil, locked away from humankind by powers greater than most could even imagine. But now the malevolent creatures that normally skulk in the shadows of the park grow bolder, and old secrets hint at a violent explosion. The brewing conflict draws John Ross to Hopewell. A Knight of the Word, Ross is plagued by nightmares that tell him someone evil is coming to unleash an ancient horror upon the world. Caught between them is fourteen-year-old Nest Freemark, who senses that something is terribly wrong but has not yet learned to wield the budding power that sets her apart from her friends. Now the future of humanity depends upon a man haunted by his dreams and a gifted young girl—two souls who will discover what survives when hope and innocence are shattered forever . . . |
Like other urban fantasies, Running with the Demon is set in our world but exposes a magical world few of us see. It deals with the loss of innocence and the destructive power of family secrets—all set amidst the darker elements of humanity we all sadly view every day. With ties to the Celtic tradition but firmly rooted in middle America—just like Faerie Tale—Running with the Demon is another urban fantasy novel that many do not try due to the epic fantasy association Brooks will probably carry with him forever.
Have you read either of these books? You should! I can't recommend them enough and I'd warrant many readers of urban fantasy haven't read them. Faerie Tale and Running with the Demon float beneath the radar but are both excellent reads!
Treat yourself! You won't be disappointed!
Running with the Demon is a phenomenal book (and yeah, as a big horror/dark fantasy reader, it's no shock that this one really blew me away). I think you can also make an argument that John Crowley is also an important name in urban fantasy, and among modern YA authors, Holly Black is doing phenomenal work as well.
Being one of my favorite sub-genres, I will definately be looking for a copy of Faerie Tale! And I had no idea that Terry Brooks wrote Urban Fantasy. So you certainly did surprise me there.
Great article, Shawn!
Indeed! I've been trying to educate folks about Terry's Word & Void series for years. It's sadly overlooked.
One of the other originators of the genre is Emma Bull's War for the Oaks. It's a fabulous read set in modern-day Minneapolis featuring rock'n'roll and a war between the Seelie courts. It's one of my favorites.
In another surprise, David Eddings also wrote and urban fantasy/thriller novel called Regina's Song which is excellently scary.
A few of those I need to read. I'll have to check them out. I also need to re-read Faerie Tale. It has been more than a decade and I'm semi-worried how that story could haven't infiltrated the book I'm writing. haha Eh, maybe it's best I do not know until I am finished!
While I'm of course familiar with these books, I hadn't really thought about the fact that they are urban fantasy. This is a great blog post!
Great Post. I've read the whole Word/Void series by Terry Brooks. He introduced me to fantasy and when I had caught up on all his Shannara books I went looking for more of his work. The last book in the series ends with "The End?" That's driven me crazy. Now I see on his website that he won't be writing a fourth book in the series until 2012. *sigh*