Isn't It Necromantic? - A Dark Urban Fantasy

[brecklundin]

D'oh!! Thanks, I still get the two of them bassawkwards...

I've read several of Gibson's books Pattern Recognition, All Tomorrow's Parties and Spook Country. I enjoyed all three. PR was the first of his books I read. I have a reading list if time ever permits but, hey I don't know if I'll be around next week let alone a couple years from now. So I am trying to read as much as I can...

I finally for around to reading Crytonomicon by Stephenson and have a few others I would like to read, some day. I think you describe Stephenson's style pretty well, it's humorous but, yeah, there is a bit of the "let me show you how cleaver I can be". Don't mind it at all. I did have a hard time with both books the first time I read either. And I never have warmed up to Diamond Age for some reason even though people seem to like it the best. It's not bad but it just never registered with me like Snow Crash. I really enjoyed Crytonomicon a lot though.

[Penforhire]

I agree on Diamond Age. The plotting was too choppy or incomplete for me to comfortably follow. Or maybe I'm just slow.

I held off reading his Baroque Cycle books for years after enjoying Cryptonomicon. I thought it might be too 'cutesy,' with his semi-reincarnated family names. Don't hold off. Read them. In it, half-cocked Jack is easily one of my favorite fictional characters of all time and I wished the series never ended. Yeah, it was that good for me. There are certain sequences in the books, stuff Jack does, that still makes me bust out laughing when I think of them (esp. the night with the Hexen and then rising from the phosphorescent pool).

[Xanthe]

Don't know if these are dark enough for you folks, but I like them:

C. E. Murphy - The Walker Papers series
Kelly McCullough - Web Mage series
Lyn Benedict - Shadows Inquiries series
Simon Green - Nightside series
Charles de Lint - Forests of the Heart; Someplace To Be Flying; Jack of Kinrowan

Seanan McGuire - October Daye series
Kat Richardson - Greywalker series
Patricia Briggs - Mercy Thompson series
Jennifer Rardin - Jaz Parks series
Wen Spencer - Ukiah Oregon series

Charles Stross - The Merchant Princes series
Gail Carriger - Parasol Protectorate series
Karen Chace - Cassandra Palmer series
Mark Del Franco - Connor Grey series; Laura Blackstone series
Emma Bull - The War for the Oaks

Terri Windling - The Wood Wife
Karen M. Moning - Fever series
Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake series from Guilty Pleasures through Obsidian Butterfly only (after that the series changes to "sex, sex, story, sex")

[fantasyISbetter]

I second Sandman Slim (Richard Kadrey)- loved it, also Harry Connolly's Child of Fire- love the characters and the absence of schmaltz. For higher level vamp books, try Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (Dracula marries Queen Victoria), Karen Taylor, Nancy Collins, Sherry Gottlieb, Patricia Cacek (Night Prayers), JF Lewis (Staked), Mick Farren (most of these are at least 10 yrs old- much better quality than some of the dreck being turned out today). I noted some suggestions, thanks for the tips.

[bookjunky]

I just discovered Kim Harrison and am loving it. I am on the 3rd book in the Deathly Hollows series. I wanted to see if htere was a Kim Harrison thread before starting one but this thread looks really interesting.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

I finally for around to reading Crytonomicon by Stephenson and have a few others I would like to read, some day. I think you describe Stephenson's style pretty well, it's humorous but, yeah, there is a bit of the "let me show you how cleaver I can be". Don't mind it at all. I did have a hard time with both books the first time I read either. And I never have warmed up to Diamond Age for some reason even though people seem to like it the best. It's not bad but it just never registered with me like Snow Crash. I really enjoyed Crytonomicon a lot though.

I agree about Diamond Age. I really liked it, but I thought Snow Crash was better.

Loved Cryptonomicon though - once of my favourite books.

Regards
Caleb

[jehane]

Could have sworn I replied to this previously. Anyway, here goes again.

An author I haven't yet seen mentioned is Sergei Lukyanenko with his four-book Watch series, beginning with Night Watch. AFAIK they are his only works to be translated into English. Set in contemporary Moscow (most of the time), each book contains three linked novellas. Each book and each novella has a complete story arc, though the series as a whole less so.

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by bookjunky

I just discovered Kim Harrison and am loving it. I am on the 3rd book in the Deathly Hollows series. I wanted to see if htere was a Kim Harrison thread before starting one but this thread looks really interesting.

I'm a new fan too! I'd love a Kim Harrison thread because I'm not sure how "dark" her urban fantasy is compared to what is recommended here. I'm anxiously awaiting her latest book on Feb 22. Recs for similar authors would be fantastic.

[emonti8384]

Couldn't get into Kim Harrison, Illona Andrews, or whatsherface, Yasmine Galenorn. I liked Jeaniene Frost-1st one was awesome,slowly declined after that, Kresley Cole if I'm in the right mood- sometimes there's too much sex but I love the stories. Larissa Ione, Richelle Mead-by far my favorite one out there. Both of her adult series are awesome. Jennifer Estep, Cynthia Eden, and Kelley Armstrong-fantastic writer! In my TBR list is Lillith St. Crow, Jenifer Rardin, Karen Chance, Carrie Vaughn, Monica Burns, and Skyler White.

[C.I.Bond]

Originally Posted by emonti8384

Couldn't get into Kim Harrison, Illona Andrews, or whatsherface, Yasmine Galenorn. I liked Jeaniene Frost-1st one was awesome,slowly declined after that, Kresley Cole if I'm in the right mood- sometimes there's too much sex but I love the stories. Larissa Ione, Richelle Mead-by far my favorite one out there. Both of her adult series are awesome. Jennifer Estep, Cynthia Eden, and Kelley Armstrong-fantastic writer! In my TBR list is Lillith St. Crow, Jenifer Rardin, Karen Chance, Carrie Vaughn, Monica Burns, and Skyler White.

Ah. I love Kim Harrison but she isn’t really dark. Jeaniene Frost is almost PnR although I did like her first book and would happily read another. Richelle Mead and Kelley Armstrong were too light to hold my attention but that doesn’t mean they are bad books at all. It is really a matter of figuring out what you want in a story.

If you like world building – this is something I love then Kim Harrison is good for that even thought the persona is a little more “goody good” that I normally prefer. I also like Rosemary and Rue for her world building

Lillith Saintcrow has written a lot. I loved her Nightside books but they are dark. Basically hell has an open door and “things” are running most of the underworld now and they trade in souls.
Stacia Kane has the Unholy Ghosts stuff and that is also pretty good – main character is a serious drug addict and everyone’s ghost is a raving psychotic waiting to be set free.
Sandman Slim is about a gladiator who escaped from hell and has a list of people who need killing.
Ilona Andrews is a little darker than Jim Butcher but the shading is similar, the world is more damaged though.
Simon Green is similar to Ilona Andrews still detective style but darkish.

[DoctorOhh]

For a great Dark Urban fantasy read Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series.

[bucsie]

Can I ask, does urban fantasy have to be paranormal? Most of them seem to be.
Is there a good series that is not paranormal?

[Penforhire]

Aren't you getting into a definition issue? From Wikipedia's definition of fantasy (I know, not authoritative, just convenient) -- "Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting."

What sort of fantasy do you have in mind that wouldn't also be considered paranormal?

[bucsie]

my mistake, i read fantasy and my mind interpreted fiction
I was thinking something without vampires and shapeshifters. A bit of magic would be fine, just no more fangs or fur

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by bucsie

I was thinking something without vampires and shapeshifters. A bit of magic would be fine, just no more fangs or fur

Generally speaking I'm with you. Most of the vampires and shapeshifters urban fantasy novel are more paranormal romance than urban fantasy. And most that lean to the paranormal romance are rarely Dark urban fantasy.

Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series is vampire based, but this series is not your typical touchy feely vampire series. Joe Pitt is more of a hard-boiled crime or noir type of vampire.

Definitely qualifies as a dark urban fantasy.