Learn me something, internets

[megwrites]

Okay, if you had to define the difference between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, how would you go about doing that?

I'm actually more stumped by this question that I expected to be.

Comments

[fashionista-35.livejournal.com]

I'd think that urban fantasy has a more post-apocalyptic, urban feel whereas paranormal could take place in any sort of setting, in a world very much like our own other than exceptional beings populate it.

[summers-place.livejournal.com]

I'd say that, by definition, paranormal romance contains actual romance, whereas urban fantasy doesn't need to contain romance. I'm writing an urban fantasy right now that doesn't center on romance.

If the story you're writing centers on romance and involves the paranormal but not fantasy-type beings like analogs of elves, etc., I'd call it paranormal romance. Bring in fantasy beings (other than vampires, which seem to have become mainstream in recent years) and you've got urban fantasy.

As always, YMMV.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

I've heard tell that the difference is the amount of love interest and sex in it.

Urban fantasy has more of a main story thrust while paranormal romance has the love interest and sex as a large part of that story.

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

I say a partial yes to the previous three.

Urban fantasy tends to be more city-oriented.

Both tend to "play" in our world and the protagonists are often human. (Not full-bore secondary world, for example.)

Paranormal romance, the protags are almost always women, even more so than in UF.

PR is more likely to have a bunch of romantic (chaste or explicit) love scenes, multiple suitors, etc.

UF is more likely to have the questy problem-solving be about a problem that doesn't fully involve romance. To me that, if I were to read the whole book, would be (if I felt I had to embrace what are essentially marketing labels) the key. Is the story about (without splitting hairs on what is dark fantasy and what is, etc) a love affair and there's some other stuff, or is it about an adventure and there's some romance at the beginning, a little in the middle and then at the end.

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

What's central to the story? If it's the romance -- then you can throw in fantasy elements, mystery elements, spy-story elements, a dollop of political preaching, and a few kitchen sinks, but it will be a romance.

Another way of deciding -- if romance readers buy it because they think it's a romance, and they don't feel they've been cheated, then it's a romance. If fantasy readers buy it, and don't feel that romance stuff takes up enough of the story that they've been cheated, then it's a fantasy.

Of course, it might happen that the writer thinks it's fantasy; it gets published as romance; and then it's reprinted as YA.

[irysangel.livejournal.com]

It's easy. :) The paranormal romance is a romance novel. The urban fantasy is a fantasy novel. The rest is just trappings.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Just playing devil's advocate for a moment (you know me, *g*): how do you decide, if you're given a certain book, whether it is a romance novel or a fantasy novel if it has equal elements of both?

Because I've come across novels that could viably be classified as either, because the romance is just as integral to the book as the fantasy and vice versa.

Does it come down to structure or something?

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

Yep, Paranormal romance is romance with fantasy elements, while urban fantasy is more adventure, 'our time' with fantasy elements.

I know that I'm stretching the 'urban' a little, but so much of urban fantasy is not set in cities that it's hard to think of it as city-centered, really. Well, I should say that I think I write urban fantasy, but it's more set in the 'burbs.' I'd hate be writing Burb Fantasy, so, there you go, lol.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Well, I should say that I think I write urban fantasy, but it's more set in the 'burbs.' I'd hate be writing Burb Fantasy, so, there you go, lol.

I've always had a bit of a problem with this, too, because I've seen books that were labeled as Urban Fantasy but were not set in big cities like New York or L.A. or London or anything - but I've also seen people assert that if it isn't set in the city, if it's not city-based, then it's "contemporary fantasy" or something like that.

I suppose it's part of why I asked, because I'm not sure if Urban Fantasy is an umbrella under which all things fit or not.

[ladyslvr.livejournal.com]

IMO, the world is one of the characters in a UF story. It may be a fairly minor character, but it is one nevertheless.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Verrrrrry interesting point. I wonder, how does one go about making the world a character in a story, and how do you know (as a reader) if that's being done?