An A-Z of Urban Fantasy (N-Z!)

Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city.

The term 'urban fantasy' was somewhat stolen by the 'paranormal romance' subset of fantasy/horror - what used to be merely fantasy tales set in cities, such as Charles de Lint's marvellous Newford sequence, now became fantasy about kick ass heroines in leather with guns hunting vampires.

Whichever way you look at it, urban fantasy encompasses some of the finest novels committed to paper. Here is a handy guide taking you from A-Z.

This is the second part of my A-Z article - the first can be found HERE.

N - Neverwhere

My very favourite Neil Gaiman book, Neverwhere is very definitely an example of urban fantasy in the Charles de Lint mould - fantasy where the city takes on a true character. Check out the blurb:

Under the streets of London there's a world most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, and pale girls in black velvet. Richard Mayhew is a young businessman who is about to find out more than he bargained for about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his safe and predictable life and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and yet utterly bizarre. There's a girl named Door, an Angel called Islington, an Earl who holds Court on the carriage of a Tube train, a Beast in a labyrinth, and dangers and delights beyond imagining ... And Richard, who only wants to go home, is to find a strange destiny waiting for him below the streets of his native city.

The book actually came about as a result of the 1996 TV series that Neil Gaiman devised with Lenny Henry.

Neverwhere was first broadcast on BBC Two from September 12, 1996. There are six half-hour episodes:

Door
Knightsbridge
Earl's Court to Islington
Blackfriars
Down Street
As Above, So Below

O - Otherworld

When I talk about Otherworld, I could be referencing the various myths and legends across the world that encompass a world that is "other" - supernatural and strange. What I am actually talking about is the Women of the Otherworld series created by Kelley Armstrong, an absolute staple of the urban fantasy ouvre.

Kelley has so far written twelve novels, with various other short story collections and graphic novels. These novels stand out because Kelley has utilised various different character perspectives for each book, rather than sticking with the same characters.

P - Paranormal

The element that really defines urban fantasy as it is right now is the paranormal - the werewolves, the vampires, the witches, the magic, the demons, the fae... Paranormal romance is a term intertwined with urban fantasy, usually emphasising the relationship between the main characters more than the latter will.

Q - Quinn

Q is a really hard letter! I would welcome your suggestions, but I decided to go with Quinn - and then talk more about Sookie Stackhouse than Quinn (in a big ole cheat of a letter!) Quinn appears later on in the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris and gives me a handy excuse to showcase one of the very popular urban fantasy series. This series has received a spike in sales recently thanks to the success of the TV series True Blood, based on the Sookie novels.

They are quirky and generally light-hearted, and include some great male characters - including the aforementioned Quinn (although Eric is my favourite!)



R - Rivers of London

Ben Aaronovitch exploded onto the urban fantasy scene earlier this year with 'Rivers of London', described by some as Harry Potter meets Neverwhere (and released as Midnight Riot in the States). It garnered many favourable reviews, including mine, and has so far spawned an additional two novels in the series - Moon Over Soho and the forthcoming Whispers Under Ground.

S - Sex

Bit raunchy, this one, but you can't discuss urban fantasy these days without talking about the sex. Authors like Laurell K Hamilton, Kelley Armstrong, Charlaine Harris etc all include strong sex scenes in their novels. Of them all, Laurell K has gone down the strangest route, with strong S&M themes, furries, snuff and rain making all now crowding the pages of her novels.

Personally I like a good sex scene, but sometimes it goes a little far in urban fantasy!

And, no, you're not getting any images for this entry!

T - Tattoos

Writinghood came up with a list of urban fantasy cliches, and front and centre was the issue with tattoos:

And while we’re talking about the cover model, what is up with the idea that the woman must always be wearing the same type of clothing (belly-baring or bra-as-shirt and low-rise jeans) and always be covered in tattoos? If we have read more than one urban fantasy series, we get that she’s supposed to be tough. Not to mention, if these tattoos have no significance to the novel ( such as, they don’t serve as a connection to the supernatural, or they aren’t a mark or calling card), they really aren’t necessary.

Read more: http://writinghood.com/writing/urban-fantasy-cliches/#ixzz1W8HOuCQR

Luckily, we are now getting some urban fantasy novels where the tattoos provide a crucial part of the plot, key amongst them the Hunter's Kiss trilogy by Marjorie M Liu:

In addition to this, some of our heroines from urban fantasy are taking back tattoos from the mainstream - making it as ballsy and original a habit as it used to be, such as Stacia Kane's heroine Chess:

I also want to give a shout out to Blood Rights, coming soon from Orbit, where the main character bears the marks on her body of a comarré - a race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility.

U - Urban Settings

Yep, we've already mentioned London. Here are some other awesome urban settings, from the imaginary to the very real.

Stacia Kane - The Downside, part of Triumph City (fictional, but based on an American City)
Kelley Armstrong - Toronto (real!)
Laurell K Hamilton - St Louis (real!)
Jim Butcher - Chicago (real!)
Tanya Huff Blood series - Toronto (popular place)
Kim Harrison - Cincinnati

Pretty much every major urban fantasy series will have a very strong sense of place, and describe the city in depth, which adds to the feel of the novels.

V - Vampires

From the feral and mindless, to the sleek and courtly, vampires have found their way into urban fantasy by the bucketload. One of my favourite characters is Jean-Claude (although he has become toothless in recent novels compared to his restrained hunger from the early Anita Blake novels).

I like vampires still, but I have found they've become ubiquitous to urban fantasy novels. The list of those who still include them would run to many, and it can get a little dull which, I suspect, is why there has been a move away from vampires to tackle other supernatural beings.

Vampires have been around since the writing of Dracula and even prior to that, and I don't see them going away entirely any time soon!

W - Werewolves

From one creature to another. We've seen a rise in popularity of werewolves as well, in recent times, and it is odd how many times how heroine has to pick between a werewolf and a vampire in a love triangle! Probably because of how very different their natures are...

Here is a selection of the novels available featuring werewolves:

- Wolf Moon by Charles de Lint
- Blood Trail by Tanya Huff (second in the Blood series)
- The Anita Blake series (from the second novel onwards)
- Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (second in the Dresden files)
- Bitten by Kelley Armstrong (first in the Women of the Otherworld series)
- Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
- Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
- Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
- The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
- Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar

X - X-Files

Alright, so X is hard as well - and this only loosely fits under urban fantasy. But there were a number of X-Files episodes that dealt with urban fantasy i.e. folklore and fairytales that occurred in cities. I would include the character of Tooms under this definition (still one of the ONLY things to freak me out and give me nightmares!)

For me, the X Files helped to establish the idea of supernatural and investigative work going hand in hand.

Y - YA Urban Fantasy

For me, since Twilight (yes, it can be argued this is paranormal romance rather than urban fantasy, as one of the commentators to the previous A-Z post pointed out, but I class them rather under the same banner since they're so hard to segregate), there has been an explosion of novels that could be deemed YA Urban Fantasy.

I'm talking about series like the House of Night, like Blue Bloods, like Vampire Academy. They take urban fantasy back a stage, so that there is much less sex and more wondering about whether a boy likes you (and, of course, whether he is a vampire!)

This books can be identified in book stores by the black covers, the beautiful cover models in flowing dresses, the dark fantasy aspect of them. Some bookstores now have separate sections altogether for this explosion of category.

Z - Zombies

Again, this is a tenuous link at best, thanks to the difficulty of the letter. If anyone with good knowledge of urban fantasy would like to pitch in and suggest something else, then please do!

For this, I would say that the Anita Blake novels do feature zombies on occasion, and novels like I Am Legend take place in a city, so technically urban fantasy... Yep, I'm scraping the barrel!

So, there you have it! My A-Z of Urban Fantasy! Please do chip in with your own suggestions, and don't forget to check out the rest of my A-Z series!

An A-Z of Urban Fantasy (A-M!)

A - Z of Urban Fantasy

Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city.

The term 'urban fantasy' was somewhat stolen by the 'paranormal romance' subset of fantasy/horror - what used to be merely fantasy tales set in cities, such as Charles de Lint's marvellous Newford sequence, now became fantasy about kick ass heroines in leather with guns hunting vampires.

Whichever way you look at it, urban fantasy encompasses some of the finest novels committed to paper. Here is a handy guide taking you from A-Z.

The first part of this A-Z article will take you from A to M - second part coming soon!

A - Anita Blake

It would be impossible to write an A-Z of urban fantasy without mentioning Anita Blake. This is the central character featured in Laurell K Hamilton's long-running series, starting with Guilty Pleasures and heading through 20 novels to reach the latest Hit List.

Anita Blake is an animator, a vampire hunter and sometime girlfriend of a werewolf. In later novels she becomes infected by the ardeur, which creates a need for her to have sex with many different partners, and, at this point, many fans deserted the series. However, there is no gainsaying the influence that Anita Blake had on a genre that now features a glut of heroines in her mould. She was one of the first, and deserves to be read for that alone.

B - Bas-Lag Cycle

This is a series of novels by China Miéville - in chronological order:

- Perdido Street Station
- The Scar
- Iron Council

In the Bas-Lag Cycle, there is a fine example of urban fantasy, since the city of New Crobuzon plays a prominent part in all three novels. China Miéville has often spoke of the importance of cities in his work. About New Crobuzon he says:

I still find myself riffing off books from my past constantly, sometimes without remembering what I’m basing my writing on. New Crobuzon is highly influenced by Brian Aldiss's The Malacia Tapestry [1976] and Tim Powers's Anubis Gates [1983], but they’d permeated me so deeply I was initially less conscious of them than of other influences.

Urban fantasy is also described as fantasy involving the environs of a city - where the city almost takes on a character of its own. New Crobuzon definitely fits this mould.

C - Charles de Lint

There is not a chance of writing an A-Z of urban fantasy and excluding Charles de Lint. He is the grand-daddy of urban fantasy. In a writing career spanning almost 30 years, Charles de Lint has produced over 60 works of fiction, being nominated several times for awards.

He is a master storyteller, with rich prose and vivid imagination. Several of his novels feature the mythical North American city of Newford, with recurring characters stepping in and out of the tale. His influence on modern day urban fantasy cannot be denied - felt in such diverse authors as Neil Gaiman and Kate Griffin.

The Newford series can be dipped in and out of with ease, and one of the best starting points is with 'Memory and Dream':

Isabelle Copley's visionary art frees ancient spirits. As the young student of the cruel, brilliant artist Vincent Rushkin, she discovered she could paint images so vividly real they brought her wildest fantasies to life. But when the forces she unleashed brought tragedy to those she loved, she turned her back on her talent -- and on her dreams.

Now, twenty years later, Isabelle must come to terms with the shattering memories she has long denied, and unlock the slumbering power of her brush. And, in a dark reckoning with her old master, she must find the courage to live out her dreams and bring the magic back to life.

D - Dresden Files

One of the beloved long-running series set in an urban fantasy setting, the Dresden files tell the tale of Harry Dresden. In a first person narrative, Jim Butcher recounts Harry's investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago, in a lively mix of magic and noir detective novels.

Jim Butcher is up to the 13th novel published. According to Wikipedia (so this may or may not be accurate), Butcher is currently planning for approximately twenty books in the "case files" of the series, to be capped by a further "big apocalyptic trilogy".

My review of Storm Front, the first novel in the series, can be found HERE.

E - Edward

When I say Edward, I talk about Edward Cullen, and the reason he finds his way onto this list is more to do with sexy male protagonists. For Edward you could substitute Jean-Claude from the Anita Blake series. Or Ren, from Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Or Trent from the Hollows series. Or Terrible, from the series by Stacia Kane. There are many, many examples of heroines swooning over guys in urban fantasy - from the good guys, who show heroic tendencies, to the bad guys, who our heroine shouldn't even be spending time with.

F - Folklore

Many of the authors writing within the genre of urban fantasy have turned to folklore to inspire them in terms of the creatures that inhabit the pages of their novels. We've seen fae and sidhe of all flavours, but some of the authors will step outside the norm and pick a creature that's a little more unusual.

Laurell K Hamilton is particularly fond of plundering the folklore and history of various countries, and coming up with new nasties. She's used from American folklore in one of her novels, and the lamia from Greek mythology.

G - Guns

Or weaponry in general, I guess. Considering the amount of magic inherent in urban fantasy it's amazing how many people still use guns. Part of this, I'm guessing, it because a lot of urban fantasy is linked to either police work or private investigations, both areas where guns will generally be found (especially in the States).

Most of our heroes and heroines will generally have some form of magic that they use, but it is often backed up by a gun!

H - Hollows

The Hollows is a series a novels by Kim Harrison, featuring Rachel Morgan. Rachel is a private investigator (after a little incident with the Inderland Security department). Accompanied by Ivy (vampire) and Jenks (pixy), Rachel becomes embroiled in a number of adventures that often involve businessman Trent.

The very strongest part of this series about Rachel is the world-building. It is based in Cincinnati, and takes place after the Turn, where a virus carried by a GM-created tomato spread around the world and killed off a quarter of the human population. After this the Inderlanders came out of hiding and took their place in society - non-humans, such as witches, demons, elves, pixys and gargoyles.

Begin with Dead Witch Walking - and enjoy! This is one of the finest examples of urban fantasy around.

I - Investigations

From Harry Dresden, to Rachel Morgan, to Anita Blake, to Chess, to Vicki Nelson - all of these characters perform some sort of investigative work, whether it is alongside the police, or private investigation. I'm not sure exactly why it is that urban fantasy has connected so strongly with investigations - possibly because it allows the characters to become involved with supernatural crime and, by necessity, police work is fairly episodic, which suits a long-running series.

J - Jim Butcher

The rather famous and talented author of the Dresden files, Jim Butcher is one of the very very few men who has successfully broken into the arena of urban fantasy (as it is today).

K - Kate Griffin

Kate is the sickeningly young, beautiful and incredibly brilliant author of A Madness of Angels, The Midnight Mayor and The Neon Court.

She writes urban fantasy very much in the vein of Charles de Lint and Neil Gaiman, with rich prose and quirky magic. In fact, she uses the city of London as a form of magic and energy that can be tapped into - our main character simply can't function and use his magic when he strays too far from the city boundaries.

These three novels are a triumph of imagination and whimsical storytelling from a master of the art, and I highly recommend them as a modern form of urban fantasy that doesn't rely on kick ass heroines to carry the tale. Also, there is nary a sniff of romance!

L - London

Of all the cities featured in urban fantasy, London seems to be the most beloved. From the aforementioned Kate Griffin to Neil Gaiman, from Suzanne McLeod to Ben Aaronovitch, from Mike Carey to Mike Shevdon - all of these fine authors have used London as their setting for all or part of a novel.

London is a city where old and new collide, where the Underground system provides a magic all of its own, where gargoyles still sit atop buildings. It really is no leap to imagine a London that contains creatures out of the ordinary - magic and mystery are present on the streets.

I love London - and I adore my urban fantasy with a dose of London.

M - Music

I've added music here on two counts. One is that novels written by Charles de Lint, in particular, feature music as a big part of the plot. The Little Country is one of my very favourite novels by Mr de Lint, and has a high focus on folk music.

But I also mention music because of the amount of urban fantasy authors writing today who cite it as a massive inspiration to them. Some of them include their playlists at the front of the novel as part of their acknowledgements; others mention the music they write to; and Lauren Beukes created a whole CD of music that influenced Zoo City (which is undeniably urban fantasy, no matter how many science fiction awards it receives!)

It seems as though music and urban fantasy goes hand in hand.

So, here, I leave you at the end of Part 1 in this article concerning An A-Z of Urban Fantasy with a song that is now inextricably linked with Twilight:



Enjoy! And come back soon for Part 2 (N-Z!)

An A-Z of Heroic Fantasy (N-Z!)

Here is my introduction once more to the A-Z of Heroic Fantasy - you can find the letters A-M discussed HERE:

Today I aim to provide you with a quick overview of Heroic Fantasy through a handy A-Z list (this post will cover letters N-Z; a previous post took you from A-M!). We'll be examining heroic fantasy through various forms of media, some of the most famous proponents of heroic fantasy, memorable characters, and familiar tropes.

First, a background:

Heroic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that came into being from an early age - The Odyssey, Beowulf, King Arthur: all were early examples of heroic fantasy. It tends to deal with a hero and his exploits in a serialised fashion, defeating monsters and man at a micro level of fantasy. It is not the sweeping look at civilizations and cultures provided by epic fantasy, nor the more magic-dominated sword and sorcery. It tends to be darker and gritty, although not without moments of great humour. Absolute evil and absolute good tend to be absent from tales of heroic fantasy. Many heroic fantasy tales have been turned into a lengthy series of adventures. Their lower stakes and less than world-threatening dangers make this more plausible than a repetition of the perils of epic fantasy.

N is for...

No women!

I intentionally included Jirel of Joiry in my list, so that it wouldn't be entirely masculine. Heroic fantasy is not an area where you'll find a great deal of strong female characters. There are women, but they tend to be very much of the 'serving the menfolk' ilk - whores, meek princesses and the like. In fact, heroic fantasy is distinctly biblical in that sense - women are all to do with temptation and weakness, and little to do with fire and passion.

There is most definitely a gap for a strong character-driven and female-led heroic fantasy novel! I know for sure that I would read it...

O is for...

The Odyssey.

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work traditionally ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon. Indeed it is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature.

The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (or Ulysses, as he was known in Roman myths) and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War.

Many, many modern works steal shamelessly from the Odyssey - but its influence can be felt in a broader fashion. In any tale that involves a first person narrative telling tall tales, you can see echoes of The Odyssey. Without this seminal work, I doubt we would have seen many of the pieces of classic literature that led forward to the canon of heroic fantasy we now enjoy.

Indeed, the themes that have been identified in the Odyssey are present to a greater or lesser degree in most modern heroic fantasy: homecoming and hospitality; exile; identity; temptation.

P is for...

Prince of Persia.

I'm talking here about the computer game on which the film is based, although I guess both could be counted. The eponymous Prince is the hero in question, battling evil and trying to return the Sands of Time to the hourglass in which they belong. There have been several entries into the computer game series - involving royalty, quests, spirits, and demons. They are heroic fantasy distilled into computer format, and provide an entertaining twist on the usual heroic fantasy, being set, as they are, in a land that contains Persia, India and Babylon. It is an odd alternate land to ours, since the unnamed Prince also visit the Island of Time, which I doubt you'll find on many maps!

Prince of Persia examines deliciously the idea of time travel, and the effects of playing with time. Well worth a try, if clever heroic fantasy is your ideal.

Q is for...

Quests.

I mean, come on... Who isn't on a quest in heroic fantasy? Retrieving various magical artefacts, saving princesses, attacking mythical beasts.

Quests are an absolutely integral part of all fantasy fiction, but seem to be especially beloved of heroic fantasy and sword and sorcery. The trope (or cliché, if you will!) lends itself beautifully to the type of story dealt with in heroic fantasy - it allows there to be an over-arching plotline while the hero can face various encounters en route to successfully achieving his quest. I guess this is why heroic fantasy is so well-represented in the computer games arena as well.

R is for...

Robert E Howard.

He really is the grand-daddy of heroic fantasy, and deservedly takes his place besides such luminaries as Tolkien, in terms of influence on the field of fantasy that he helped to shape.

The list of his works is simply astonishing, especially considering the fact that he committed suicide at age thirty. If he hadn't, it is unthinkable the amount of output he could have produced. He was enormously prolific, most of his genre works finding publication in Weird Tales.

He is probably best known for his creation Conan, who is comparable to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes and Sherlock Holmes.

He and his works are still beloved by many today, and this directory demonstrates as much.

S is for...

Sword and Sorcery.

And this is where all the confusion starts... See, sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy are pretty bloody similar. Alright, there might be a few mages throwing fireballs in sword and sorcery, and more axes in heroic fantasy, but it's not like the difference between heroic fantasy and epic fantasy.

Check out this description of sword and sorcery: "Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural."

Swashbuckling heroes? Hmm, that sounds like it should be heroic fantasy! To be honest, the terms are used in an interchangable fashion, in the most part, and I doubt you'll find many who dispute the term you use.

Apparently Fritz Leiber coined the term 'sword and sorcery': I feel more certain than ever that this field should be called the sword-and-sorcery story. This accurately describes the points of culture-level and supernatural element and also immediately distinguishes it from the cloak-and-sword (historical adventure) story—and (quite incidentally) from the cloak-and-dagger (international espionage) story too! (Fritz Leiber, Amra, July 1961)

T is for...

T. H. White.

Or The Sword in the Stone.

Or The Queen of Air and Darkness.

Or The Ill-Made Knight.

Etc.

I could equally have picked Le Morte d'Arthur, except, y'know, it doesn't start with T...

So, King Arthur - and one of the most beloved tellings of that particular story. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are truly the epitome of heroic fantasy - quests, monsters and chivalry galore.

The story of King Arthur has been told down the centuries, from pre-Galfridian traditions that focus on Arthur as an historical figure to the aforementioned Le Morte d'Arthur, which focuses more on Arthur's legendary companions than the man himself.

King Arthur takes his place as one of the earliest heroes of heroic fantasy in this list, and there is no better telling of the tale than The Once and Future King by T. H. White.

U is for...

Undeserved Reputation.

Heroic fantasy is laughed at a little. It is seen as pulp fiction, as disposable, as easy entertainment. But I consider it to be so much more than this. Many teenagers will cut their fantasy reading teeth on such heroic fantasists as David Gemmell and I hate to get all heavy here, but the Gemmell books explore such concepts as right and wrong, balancing one life against many, compassion, bravery in the face of the greatest danger. Sure, sometimes these themes are overdone, but I do think that lessons can be learnt from the writing.

In terms of the prose on offer in the heroic fantasy field - well.... Some people list The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss as heroic fantasy, and finer prose you will not read.

I do feel the slightly sneering reputation at this arena of fantasy is undeserved. Sure, it's no New Weird. Maybe it doesn't use fancy words all the time. But it is exciting, and immediate, and incredibly entertaining.

Highbrow is over-rated anyway!

V is for...

Vallejo (Boris) - and let's throw in some Bell (Julie) as well.

You want heroic fantasy artwork? These are two of the most recognised names in this field. Okay, so maybe they don't help the undeserved reputation, presenting, as they do at times, half-naked barbarian ladies wielding huge swords, but their work is nothing but heroic fantasy.

Check it out:

W is for...

Warriors.

I'm talking here about the anthology of short stories chosen and edited by George R R Martin and Gardner Dozois:

The aim of the anthology is to tell stories of warriors - some of the tales are incredibly traditional, and some take an unusual slant at the idea of warriors. I included it here because a) it's very good, b) it presents a good entry point into heroic fantasy and c) many of the authors featured have written heroes of their own that you might consider reading about in the future.

The table of contents is as follows:

"Stories from the Spinner Rack," by George R. R. Martin
"The King of Norway," by Cecelia Holland
"Forever Bound," by Joe Haldeman
"The Triumph," by Robin Hobb
"Clean Slate," by Lawrence Block
"And Ministers of Grace," by Tad Williams
"Soldierin'," by Joe Lansdale
"Dirae," by Peter S. Beagle
"The Eagle and the Rabbit," by Steven Saylor
"Seven Years from Home," by Naomi Novik
"The Custom of the Army," by Diana Gabaldon
"The Pit," by James Rollins
"Out of the Dark," by David Weber
"The Girls from Avenger," by Carrie Vaughn
"Ancient Ways," by S. M. Stirling
"Ninieslando" by Howard Waldrop
"Recidivist" by Gardner Dozois
"My Name is Legion," by David Morrell
"Defenders of the Frontier," by Robert Silverberg
"The Scroll," by David Ball
"The Mystery Knight," by George R. R. Martin

X is for...

Who else?

Xena: Warrior Princess.

I love Xena. She is strong, courageous, brave and clever - everything you would want a warrior princess to be. She makes mistakes, she falls in love, she creates enemies and has adventures galore. This TV representation of heroic fantasy is like a modern-day, female Conan the Barbarian.

It gives us girls a genuinely strong heroine to care about, and yet follows all the ideals of heroic fantasy. Brilliant!

The series narrative follows Xena (played by Lucy Lawless), a warrior in a quest to seek redemption for her past sins as a ruthless warlord by using her formidable fighting skills to help people. Xena is accompanied by Gabrielle (played by Renee O'Connor), who during the series changes from a simple farm girl into an amazon warrior and Xena's greatest ally; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the "greater good".

It ran for six seasons, and showed 134 episodes, between 1995 and 2001 - and, damn, I miss the humour, silliness and genuine joy in the concepts of heroic fantasy.

Excuse me, I'm off to buy the DVDs...

Y is for...

Ye, yesteryear and yonder.

Or, in other words, faux medieval settings. This is how you will experience much of your heroic fantasy. Hence all the axes and swords and things. In fact, I don't know of any modern heroic fantasy, honestly, that brings the sub-genre up to date. Would love to hear if you can think of any examples!

Z is for...

Zelda

Way back in 1986 a game was released called The Legend of Zelda, considered now to be a spiritual forerunner of the many RPGs which flourish across all gaming systems. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom in order to rescue Princess Zelda from the antagonist, Ganon.

Umm, can anyone say quest? Featuring a hero? This is a very early example of computer games reflecting heroic fantasy precepts.

Here is a little more detail about that there plot: In an attempt to prevent Ganon from acquiring the Triforce of Wisdom, another of the pieces, Princess Zelda splits it and hides the eight fragments in secret dungeons throughout the land. Before the princess is eventually kidnapped by Ganon, she commands her nursemaid Impa to find someone courageous enough to save the kingdom. While wandering the land, the old woman is surrounded by Ganon's henchmen, though a young boy named Link appears and rescues her. Yep, that's definitely heroic fantasy!

The Legend of Zelda is often featured in lists of games considered the greatest or most influential, and its commercial success helped lay the groundwork for involved, nonlinear games in fantasy settings, such as those found in successful RPGs. The Legend of Zelda spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs and is one of Nintendo's most popular series.

So, there we have it!

That was my journey through the A-Z of heroic fantasy? What did I miss?

For me, the main authors to go and seek out now (if this article interested you) are David Gemmell and Robert E Howard. Consider going back to some of the epics that are the source of modern heroic fantasy. And then, after all that, kick back watching some Xena! That should have you immersed in the heroic fantasy canon.

Look out for future A-Z's in the future, taking a look at other subgenres of fantasy!

An A-Z of Heroic Fantasy (A-M!)

Today I aim to provide you with a quick overview of Heroic Fantasy through a handy A-Z list (this post will cover letters A-M; a future post will take you from N-Z!). We'll be examining heroic fantasy through various forms of media, some of the most famous proponents of heroic fantasy, memorable characters, and familiar tropes.

First, a background:

Heroic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that came into being from an early age - The Odyssey, Beowulf, King Arthur: all were early examples of heroic fantasy. It tends to deal with a hero and his exploits in a serialised fashion, defeating monsters and man at a micro level of fantasy. It is not the sweeping look at civilizations and cultures provided by epic fantasy, nor the more magic-dominated sword and sorcery. It tends to be darker and gritty, although not without moments of great humour. Absolute evil and absolute good tend to be absent from tales of heroic fantasy. Many heroic fantasy tales have been turned into a lengthy series of adventures. Their lower stakes and less than world-threatening dangers make this more plausible than a repetition of the perils of epic fantasy.

A is for...

Axes! And weaponry in general. But mostly axes. Conan the Barbarian carried a sword, but Druss the Legend (from various novels by David Gemmell) carried an axe he called Snaga. In heroic fantasy the weapon of the main character often has a history of its own - either handed down from forbears, or hard-won in a duel/quest. The typical hero will look after his weapon carefully, and, during many quiet campfire scenes, can be found polishing it.

B is for...

Beowulf.

This is one of the early examples of heroic fantasy, being written somewhere between the 8th and 11th centuries. In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who has been attacking the resident warriors of the mead hall of Hroðgar (the king of the Danes), Grendel's mother, and an unnamed dragon. After the first two victories, Beowulf goes home to Geatland in Sweden and becomes king of the Geats. The last fight takes place fifty years later. In this final battle, Beowulf is fatally wounded. After his death, his servants bury him in a tumulus in Geatland. There are echoes of modern heroic fantasy in this ancient epic poem - the episodic nature, the great hero defeating his foes, funerals of note.

We do not talk about Ray Winstone, people.

C is for...

Classical Epics.

This fits neatly with the mention of Beowulf. Alongside this incredibly famous piece of heroic fantasy history, you can add The Odyssey, Norse sagas and the Epic of Gilgamesh. All were heavily linked with oral traditions of storytelling, and it has been demonstrated that oral epics tend to be constructed in short episodes, each of equal status, interest and importance. This facilitates memorization, as the poet is recalling each episode in turn and using the completed episodes to recreate the entire epic as he performs it.

D is for...

David Gemmell.

One of the greatest proponents of heroic fantasy - from his writing we have such heroes as Druss the Legend, Waylander, and Skilgannon. All are extremely typical of heroic fantasy - reluctant to perform heroic acts, often simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, definitely shades of grey rather than black and white. Their heroism can mostly be attributed to an attitude of 'looking out for number one' and personal gain.

Gemmell has provided a lasting legacy in the field of heroic fantasy, and has never been surpassed.

Since his untimely death, other authors have been celebrated with the Legend award for writing fantasy fiction that follows in Gemmell's footsteps.

Still missed and never forgotten. If you haven't read any David Gemmell, go out immediately and pick up a copy of Legend or Waylander or Sword in the Storm. All are brilliant examples of his strong heroic fantasy.

E is for...

E. R. Eddison.

Eddison was one of those authors who rode the early wave of heroic fantasy - somewhere between Gemmell and Alexandre Dumas. His most noted work is probably The Worm Ouroboros, at the end of which the heroes pray for the revival of their enemies so that they may defeat them again!

The style of Eddison's prose steals rampantly from Homer and Shakespeare, Norse saga and French medieval lyric. His influences can be seen most strongly, and all are from a field that has fairly strong ties to the subgenre heroic fantasy.

Fantasy historian Brian Attebery notes that "Eddison's fantasies uphold a code that is unbashedly Nietzschean; had he written after World War II, his enthusiasm for supermen and heroic conflict might perhaps have been tempered."

F is for...

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

These two are commonly classed as sword and sorcery heroes, but they follow the usual parameters of heroic fantasy: named weapons, periodic adventures, down-and-dirty survival with little magic. They are the creation of Fritz Leiber, who wanted to write about more humane characters than those such as Conan the Barbarian.

Fafhrd is a tall (seven feet) northern barbarian; Mouser is a small, mercurial thief, once known as Mouse and a former wizard's apprentice. Both are rogues, existing within a decadent world where to be so is a requirement of survival. They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, and are seldom fussy about who hires their swords. But they are humane and—most of all—relish true adventure. The series includes many bizarre and outlandish characters. The two who most influence—and, some would say, cause the most trouble for—Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are their sorceress advisers, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face. These two lead the two heroes into some of their most interesting and dangerous adventures.

Gollancz have handily included the first four tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in a handy omnibus called The First Book of Lankhmar, so there is no better time to catch up with the barbarian and the thief.

G is for...

God of War.

Here we move away from literary interpretations of heroic fantasy, and plunge into the world of computer games. Many computer games are heavily influenced by heroic fantasy, and this is one of the best examples of such.

I have to confess, I've never played God of War (1, 2 or 3), but a good friend of mine has - so here are his words on the subject and a link back to his review of God of War 3:

Kratos is not a happy man.

Kratos was never a happy man.

Kratos pretty much does what he’s doing to Helios there, except to everyone. He did it to the former deity of war: Ares. He did it to the former deity of wisdom: Athena. And now, having slaughtered close to a fourth of the Greek pantheon, he has returned, riding atop the backs of the formerly imprisoned Titans, to finish the rest of them off, climbing Mount Olympus to kill vengeful Zeus and eviscerate, decapitate, decimate, annihilate and sometimes masticate all of the mythical Chimeras, Minotaurs, Gorgons and Cerberi standing in his way.

The single word that would summarize this game is epic. There is absolutely nothing about this game that isn’t cranked up to 11, graphics or content-wise. From the great, primordial Titans that carry Kratos to face the Gods, brimming with their own heavenly fury, everything about this game is completely balls-off-the-wall.

Kratos is our anti-hero here, our chap who faces down man and God with gay abandon. He adventures across the world, reluctantly performing feats of heroism to be reunited with his family and to commit revenge against those who have wronged him. And it is very pretty.

H is for...

Highlander.

And now a quick hop, skip and jump into the medium of film. Highlander couldn't be more heroic fantasy if it tried! Mighty swords, epic battles, and characters who live forever.


From the Dawn of Time we came, moving silently down through the centuries, living many secret lives, struggling to reach the Time of the Gathering, when the few who remain will battle to the last. No one has ever known we were among you, until now.


Yes, the film is cheesy - the dialogue, the hammy acting, the bombastic soundtrack provided by Queen - but I adore it. I love the exploration of ideas such as what it would mean living forever, and watching loved ones die. The sword fights are tremendous, and the aforementioned music is *cough* a guilty pleasure of mine.

Just please.... don't watch the sequels!

I is for...

Iron Gauntlets.

This is an RPG produced by Precis Intermedia (formally Politically Incorrect Games and Spectre Press).

Here is the sales spiel:

Remember when fantasy roleplaying was simple? Go back to basics with Iron Gauntlets and create a customized campaign to fit your style. The rules are simple, yet robust, and keep the action moving. No classes or experience levels, Iron Gauntlets keeps it simple with consistent and flexible rules. The game is designed for people to tinker with it--because gamers almost always do. Add your own races and skills, or even create new magical powers.

FEATURES:

Traditional Fantasy
Elves, dwarves, orcs, dragons, skeleton warriors, swords, treasures, magic... They're all here, just like you remember. 8 player races, 12 player backgrounds, 17 player vocations...

Versatile System
Iron Gauntlets is both easy to learn and easy to play. The rules are simple, yet robust, and keep the action moving using ten-sided dice. Diceless play is also possible when used in conjunction with Active Exploits Diceless Roleplaying. Or use with genreDiversion i games like HardNova 2, Coyote Trail and EarthAD 2 for 2D6 play.

Customizable
Create your own special abilities, races, creatures, and even combat and magic styles. Iron Gauntlets provides a foundation with which you can play, but it also gives you the freedom and guidance to go beyond.

Versatile Magic
Four forms of magic (crafting, divinity, essence and totem) give you the diversity you need with enough flexibility to create your own effects and styles. What you won't find are tons of spells wasting space and forcing you to read information you probably won't use.

Sample Setting Included
Amherth is a base setting for Iron Gauntlets, providing an overview of the world and its gods, as well as detailed information for several locations, peoples, lands and its focus, the Kingdom of Tyr. Plus, several story seeds and a sample adventure are included to help guide directors.

Ready-to-Run Adventure Included
In addition to the short introductory adventure included with the Amherth setting, a longer, more involved adventure is included to get your players into the action more quickly.

Obviously the greatest RPG heroic fantasy was Dungeons and Dragons (but I couldn't possibly relinquish David Gemmell from my list, so we have Iron Gauntlet instead! *grins*)

J is for...

Jirel of Joiry

Heroic fantasy is heavy on the men, no doubt about it. Rough barbarians carrying large weapons - truly, a masculine paradise. Jirel of Joiry is one of the few women to gain a foothold in this subgenre. She is the proud, tough, arrogant and beautiful ruler of her own domain - and is probably more sword and sorcery than heroic fantasy, if I'm honest (although the lines blur frequently and often between these two subgenres of fantasy). I wanted to have Jirel in this list to demonstrate both that women could be written, and to show how very few there are. A gap in the market, perhaps? At the moment the only female heroic characters that I can bring to mind are those written in the Tale of the Einarinn by Juliet E McKenna (a decent heroic fantasy series that is often overlooked).

The esteemed Mark Charan Newton read some tales featuring Jirel and had this to say:

Then, onto C. L. Moore, the first lady of weird fantasy. I read the collection Black Gods And Scarlet Dreams, the Masterworks edition, and even in the first story, I could see it contained more imaginative power than a lot of this year’s combined fantasy output. My initial excitement wavered a little after that, for there were endless descriptions of psychological reaction, of emotion, of fear, of abstract shapes and entities. And I’m all for a little exposition, but some of this was way beyond heady. I admit I stopped halfway, after the adventures of Jirel of Joiry – a hugely important character in genre taxonomy, because she was the first proper female warrior/lead. I was impressed: Jirel was utterly non-sexualised, not made into some leather-clad male fetish – she was properly hard as nails, the equal of any male warrior.

K is for...

Kull of Atlantis.

Another creation of the legendary Robert E. Howard (alongside Conan the Barbarian and Solomon Kane, amongst others), I decided to focus on Kull because he presents a different take on the heroic fantasy setting. Rather than faux medieval, Kull exists 100,000 years BC, born onto pre-cataclysmic Atlantis. Kull spends time as a slave, a ship captain and a gladiator, all occupations which are found time and again within heroic fantasy, so we can see a direct link between these works and modern heroic fantasy.

Amusingly (to me, anyhow - I'm very juvenile), in the Finnish translations of the short stories Kull was renamed "Kall" since the original name is in many common grammatical cases (including genitive) the same as a slang name for a penis.

L is for...

Legend.

That would be the book. By David Gemmell. Love it or loathe it, this novel is pretty much the definitive article when it comes to heroic fantasy. Its importance cannot be understated, and Legend certainly had a hand in developing future works such as A Song of Ice and Fire and the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Joe Abercrombie's gritty anti-heroes owe an awful lot to Druss the Legend.

Here are links to a variety of reviews of Legend:

Fantasy Book Review: This is not Gemmell's best but surely his most important, a great place to start if you have not read any of his work before and a great blend of sword, sorcery and heroism. A MUST read for any heroic fantasy fans.

Graeme's Fantasy Book Reviews: Fantasy literature has moved on a lot since ‘Legend’ was published (1984) but it remains a book that’s worth going back to for a re-read. The message might be coming across a little too loudly but the story itself is first rate.

The Ranting Dragon: Legend undoubtedly earned its place in the canon, and thus deserves to be read by those interested in the development of the genre, but it is dated. It lacks the sophistication that experienced readers of modern fantasy tend to demand. It has potential as an entry point for new readers who would be scared off by typical epic “doorstop” tomes. The story is enjoyable if generic, but I have never seen an ending kill a book like this.

M is for...

Mythology.

Our last entry for today - and, fittingly, one of the first locations of heroic fantasy. Linked into classical epics, the traditional oral storytelling involving Gods versus Man was a place that heroic fantasy had its roots.

Take a look at this description, for instance, of Gaea:

She was the mother and wife of Father Heaven, Uranus. They were the parents of the first creatures, the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Giants - the Hecatoncheires (Hundred - Headed Ones). Uranus hated the monsters, and, even though they were his children, locked them in a secret place in the earth. Gaea was enraged at this favoritism and persuaded their son Cronos to overthrow his father. He emasculated Uranus, and from his blood Gaea brought forth the Giants, and the three avenging goddesses the Erinyes. Her last and most terrifying offspring was Typhon, a 100-headed monster, who, although conquered by the god Zeus, was believed to spew forth the molten lava flows of Mount Etna.

That is some pretty heavy duty storytelling and heroics right there!

My personal favourite of the myths is Bellerophon and Pegasus - but then I've always been a sucker for a horse in a story!

Both Greek and Roman mythology has been plundered in the writing of modern heroic fantasy. In more recent times we've also seen people turn to Mayan myths and culture (Aliette de Bodard), Indian (Ashok Banker), and Norse (M D Lachlan). It is a rich garden of morality, monsters and magic.

Thanks for bearing with me in this initial look at the A-Z of Heroic Fantasy, and join me soon for Part 2!