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paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:
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jedi timothy
Posted 2012-01-25 6:01 PM (#2948)
Subject: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: Dallas,Tx.		I was just wondering if there are any fans of the gener?

currently reading:

the vampire lestat by anne rice I plan to read the entire series along with her witches books.
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DrNefario
Posted 2012-01-26 7:24 AM (#2949 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: UK		I'm beginning to irrationally hate the genre, since it makes the Fantasy section of the UK Amazon Kindle Store basically unusable.
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jedi timothy
Posted 2012-01-26 11:09 PM (#2950 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: RE: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: Dallas,Tx.		that's funny since a lot of them being english.

Simon R. Green being one of my favorite writers.
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DrNefario
Posted 2012-01-27 7:50 AM (#2952 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: UK		I mean that I'd like to see them split off into their own genre. Waterstones bookstores have a Dark Fantasy section where all the vampire books go. In the Kindle store, there is little chance of finding any regular fantasy in the fantasy charts (except for Game of Thrones, which I've already read).
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Administrator
Posted 2012-01-27 8:14 AM (#2953 - in reply to #2952)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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I'm with DrNefario on this one.  I'd like to see the vampires/paranormal shelved eleswhere too.  There is too much lower back tattoo looking over the shoulder in leather pants whilst weilding a katana with my bestest wolf by my side in the sci-fi and fantasy section for my liking.  It completely took over the section at Borders and I suspect contributed to their demise.  I literally stopped shopping there because of it.

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jedi timothy
Posted 2012-01-28 9:49 AM (#2959 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: RE: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: Dallas,Tx.		but do you any of you read urban fanatasy or vampire series or werewolf based series?

currently I am reading for the first time THe Vampire Lestat by anne rice.
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Administrator
Posted 2012-01-28 9:58 AM (#2960 - in reply to #2959)
Subject: RE: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: Dallas, Texas		I read the first couple Anne Rice Lestat books years ago.  I thought they were pretty good but it's not really my cup 'o tea.  I liked the Dresden books I've read so far too.
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jedi timothy
Posted 2012-01-28 10:17 AM (#2961 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: RE: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: Dallas,Tx.		I highly recomend the strain by chuck hogan it is a awesome trilogy. and Fever dream by george r.r. martin.
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upperhi
Posted 2012-02-12 8:40 PM (#3020 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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I'm a fan of the genre- I gravitate to the action-packed books, but enjoy variety within the genre, so sometimes read the gritty ones, and sometimes the humorous, etc. Some of my favorite UF authors are Jim Butcher, Kim Newman, Richard Kadrey, Harry Connolly, Charlie Huston, Mario Acevedo, TA Pratt, Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, lots more. I am constantly on the lookout for recommendations and new authors, through discussion boards like this.
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dustydigger
Posted 2012-05-29 12:16 PM (#3256 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: UK		Love Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden Books,its always agonising waiting for the next! Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson books are great too.I started off enjoying Charlie huston's Joe Pitt books,but gradually they veered right over to outright horror.I started to read the last book.and gave up after about 30 pages,when he fainted as someone was snipping off his fingers joint by joint.I almost fainted with him.Perhaps I will get up the courage to read on some day,to see the series ending,but I get the feeling it must be very,very dark...(shudder)
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Deven Science
Posted 2012-06-05 1:47 PM (#3307 - in reply to #2953)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Administrator - 2012-01-27 4:14 PM

There is too much lower back tattoo looking over the shoulder in leather pants whilst weilding a katana with mybestest wolf by my side in the sci-fi andfantasy section for my liking.



Dave, that line is hilarious! It's funny because it's true. Dead on. You had me at "lower back tattoo."

As to the genre itself, while I would not call myself a fan of paranormal fantasy, I have read and enjoyed some.

I have read all of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles books. Even the later ones. I have not read her witches/lasher series, though the later vampire books tie into them. The second and third books of the VC (The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned) are definitely the best.

I have voraciously consumed anything Harry Dresden. What are there, 11 books now? I even got a Dresden graphic novel called "Welcome to the Jungle." Those are almost a paranormal cheat, though. Dresden as the narrator often speaks of magic in the language of physics. He makes it about taking kinetic energies from one place, and transferring it to another. Jim Butcher writes his magical world within the boundaries of known science, which I had never seen done before, and which helps me enjoy it, since I enjoy the language of science much more than the language of elfs and fairies.

I'll also add Fred Saberhagen's Dracula novels to the conversation. Starting with The Dracula Tapes and The Holmes/Dracula Files, and on up the series, those books are always engaging and enjoyable.
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Administrator
Posted 2012-06-05 11:59 PM (#3315 - in reply to #3307)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Deven Science - 2012-06-05 1:47 PM You had me at "lower back tattoo."

It's amazing to me how fast those covers became cliche!  You know the first few to come out were edgey and stylish I'm sure.  Now they're a bit of a joke.  Over-saturation has been the death of many a fad. 

Jim Butcher writes his magical world within the boundaries of known science, which I had never seen done before, and which helps me enjoy it, since I enjoy the language of science much more than the language of elfs and fairies.

There you've hit it on the head, methinks!  I read the first couple Dresden books and liked them a lot which was a surprise to me as it's not my usual cuppa.  They do have more appeal than fairy logic would give them.

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dustydigger
Posted 2012-06-06 3:13 AM (#3324 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: UK		Dave,the first book in the Dresden series is pretty much a scene/character setter,the second was my least favourite in the series,but after a few enjoyable but nothing to set the world on fire books the pace and tensions start to ratchet up.From about book 8 onwards in the series the books get better and better,which is pretty unusual in itself,and to me the apotheosis was book 12,Changes,absolutely brilliant.Butcher says he intends to go at least up to book 20,so his fans are doing a happy dance.Good stuff
I too smile at the cliched covers,but it happens in every genre. I love Urban Fantasy,with the kick butt females etc,but cringe from Paranormal Romance(see,there are even sub-genres,lol)
It is a fact that as kindle use took off,the number of women reading Harlequin romances went up by about 20%,when woman who wouldnt be seen dead reading them in the open could enjoy them on their kindle without ridicule in public! :0)
There was one amusing website when a man (with a rather unprepossing appearance,which made it all the funnier) decided to try to reproduce those looking over your shoulder at your own backside poses,and nearly crippled himself.Only a contortionist could do it easily.
Wonder what the next fad will be in illustration
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DrNefario
Posted 2012-06-07 7:50 AM (#3340 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: UK		I read the first Dresden book some time ago, and it really didn't work for me. I know a lot of people really love them - and I gave mine away to someone who does - but there was just something about the setup that put me off. Some kind of assumption about the underlying framework of the universe and the "rules" of the supernatural. I remember having the same problem with the Hellblazer comics, which cover pretty much the same ground. Some stories were great, and some assumed a cosmic order that just didn't work for me, and I couldn't enjoy them.

It's like when they keep one of the really dumb "rules" for vampires, like having to be invited in, or not being able to cross running water (is that even vampires?). You have to get past the illogicality somehow, or it's never going to happen for you.
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iftyzaidi
Posted 2012-06-07 8:41 AM (#3341 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: Karachi, Pakistan		I thought the Dresden books were decent enough to read until around about the 5th or 6th when they just went to another level and really sank their hooks in me. Loved the Dresden files after that! I actually don't read a great deal in the urban fantasy genre though I have dabbled. I thought the first 3 Iron Druid Chronicles were pretty good by Kevin Hearne. I was less interested in Benedict Jacka's first book in the Alex Verus series though it is obviously very closely patterned on the Dresden Files though a little too po-faced and lacking the same zip!
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dustydigger
Posted 2012-06-07 9:08 AM (#3343 - in reply to #2948)
Subject: Re: paranormal, Urban fantasy and vampires:



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Location: UK		I always advise new readers of Dresden to give it time,the series is slow in starting,but wow,once you are hooked thats that. As for Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid books,I thought the first book Hounded was so brilliant.Loved the characters,loved Atticus 's shop,and of course the wonderful Atticus and Oberon scenario.Hilarious.Wasnt quite so keen on Hexed,with the witches,but still very good.Wasnt too happy with Hammered,the whole norse mythology stuff,I was disappointed in how Atticus became so violent.It seemed out of sync with what I had thought he was.And it was devastating that he totally dismantled his life in the little town.All the main factors that made me love the series have gone-even the old lady!Havent read Tricked yet,which apparently focused on Coyote,but all in all its not getting my attention.Pity. Are you a fan of Patricia Briggs or Kim Harrison,two favourites of mine?
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