Burning out on genre

I think I’m burning out on the whole urban fantasy genre.

For the sake of this post, take urban fantasy to mean the modern interpretation of such (vampires, werewolves and other assorted paranormal creatures set in our world or a world like our own).  I don’t like the reclassification of the genre, to be honest – for me, urban fantasy is Charles de Lint and his ilk, but that’s another post entirely.

Back to urban fantasy/paranormal as a genre.  I’ve been reading it for a while, now, and have read some of the “big” series – Anita Blake, Sookie Stackhouse – as well as a lot of other books in the genre.  And overall, I’m getting pretty underwhelmed by it.

I’m tired of seeing the same formula – female protagonist, first person point of view, some random paranormals, love triangle, snark, leather pants.

It’s been done, and I really have to wonder sometimes why even more books are being published that hold to the same exact formula.  Of course, the easy answer is that it sells.

I also have to wonder how much genuinely good stuff in the genre is being drowned by all of the other cookie-cutter novels.  I’ve read some good books in the genre (though if we’re talking the formula I described above, I actually can’t remember one right now that’s really inspired me, which probably says a lot).

There’s some really good stuff that’s being marketed as urban fantasy that isn’t part of this formula.  Which almost makes it not part of that specific genre right now.  Catherynne M. Valente’s Palimpsest (which I know I use endlessly as an example, but that’s just because it’s that good) leans more towards the traditional definition of urban fantasy, for example.

This isn’t an attempt to put down anyone who is writing the formulaic urban fantasy, of course.  I’m sure there’s some amazing stuff being published (and if you want to recommend anything, feel free to do so in comments).  I’m just tired of seeing books being published in the genre that, frankly, are at times nigh-unreadable.

And of course the irony of it all is that I define myself as an urban fantasy writer.  My current WIP features shapeshifters, my protagonist is female (but to be fair, doesn’t wear leather pants.).  I’m trying to do something a bit different to the other books I’ve read.  And maybe I’m just cranking out the formula myself.

But insofar as the genre goes, it seems to be becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure – something I read for pure escapism, not something to inspire me to be a better writer, or to make me think.  Which is fine, but a diet of pure sugar doesn’t help anyone if that’s all that you’re getting.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.

As an addendum to my previous post

Who’s doing it right in the urban fantasy/paranormal genre?

I’ve already mentioned Palimpsest, and a comment reminded me of Caitlin R. Kiernan’s work (of which, admittedly, I’ve only read two of her books – but have the rest on order or on my to-be-read shelf).

Someone who’s really doing it right, but is as-yet unpublished in terms of novel-length work, is Shira Lipkin (mostly active at livejournal as shadesong – if you don’t already read her, you should).

Others, who you might argue don’t really write in the genre (it can be difficult to define its boundaries, and honestly, I don’t really want to get into a discussion about what defines it right now, maybe another day): Storm Constantine, Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Marr.

I’m sure that there are many more whom I’ve missed, as well.  Feel free to add to the list.

Mirrored from Stephanie Gunn.