Who says that dragons can't rampage Madison Square Garden, or that elves, faeries, and goblins aren't allowed to cocktail hour at our favorite pubs? Contemporary Fantasy makes it all possible if we're willing to imagine. Once we've done that the possibilities are endless.
It's a genre simply defined as magic in our world. Take all that you love about your favorite high fantasies, put them in the modern world, and you'll have a story that's equal parts magic and realism. I think that balance is key to a tale that readers will love again and again.
It's hard to imagine a time when we weren't fascinated by the impossible. There's always been some part of us that longed for the incredible to add a glimmer of magic to our everyday lives. From fables to fairy tales, the stories we tell are a prime example of our want for adventure. Books set in our world gives us readers the opportunity to experience life through kaleidoscope glasses. At last, we can slay the troll without having to step through a magical wardrobe, not that magical wardrobes don't have their benefits. It's all a matter of perception. There's just something about magic—real magic—existing in our world that gives us warm, fuzzy feelings. To quote a certain red headed wizard, it is wicked.
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As a genre, Fantasy rose to its acclaim in the Victorian Era, thanks to works like A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and books by fairy tale authors, The Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Anderson. It's thanks to these pioneers of Fantasy and their peers that we get to enjoy a more modern take on the genre we're all obsessed with.
Urban Fantasy, at times synonymous with Contemporary Fantasy, has been one of the most read sub-genres of Fantasy since the early eighties. Books like the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and the Magic Bites series by Ilona Andrews have gathered up legions of loyal and dedicated readers, making it obvious that we just can't get enough of the genre, and that we love seeing our favorite, entirely flawed humans, snuggle up close to fey and vampires alike. It's the epitome of forbidden romance.
In YA, series like The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead have taken readers on whirlwind voyages. I'm a big fan myself, falling in love with the grittiness of famed cities overrun with faeries, Shadowhunters, vampires, and werewolves. While any writer could rehash a classic, putting a spin on the stories we already know is what readers want. Readers are always eager for fresh takes on their favorite supernatural creatures. After all, vampires didn't sparkle until the hit Paranormal Romance Twilight.
