Wokół definicji fantastyki miejskiej

Abstract

Fantasy literature in the 1980s underwent a revisionist change, which resulted in the emergence of a number of subgenres that challenged the dominant Tolkien model of fantasy writing. One such subgenre, which continues in popularity today, is urban fantasy. Urban fantasy is distinguished by real-world urban settings unsettled by the presence of the supernatural and the non-rational. The classification of the subgenre has predominantly been commercial or industry-based, with little critical or theoretical evaluation undertaken to define or establish its parameters. Within a limited frame of refe­rence the article Theorizing the Emergent Subgenre of Urban Fantasy aims at offering a classificatory framework that identifies the distinctive elements of urban fantasy to further the generic understanding of unique fantasy subgenres.

Keywords

• urban fantasy
• genology
• genre theory