by theotherluna

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.

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.

Classic stories meet a fresh twist in today's Contemporary Fantasy books. Imagine receiving your own letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Contemporary Fantasy success, J.K. Rowling inspired a generation with her bestselling Harry Potter series. It's little things like that, those special moments in our lives as readers, like joining Harry on the Hogwarts Express, is what makes Contemporary Fantasy a shining star among other Fantasy genres. We want stories where good prevails against evil and our friends fight with us to the end. It stretches our world and makes it a little less gloomy. Contemporary Fantasy reminds us that there's still room to dream in a world filled with so much grief, whether we're searching for friendship, love, or glory.  A hint of magic could be enough to light the way.

Some might say that the genre isn't nearly as popular as its counterpart High Fantasy, but Contemporary Fantasy authors have proven that we need their stories. As seen by the success of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series, readers are more than willing to come along in the hunt for a dead Welsh king with their favorite fictional pals.

It's this idea that we're never truly alone that makes the genre so radical.

Example of Contemporary Fantasy on Wattpad
by theotherluna

Synopsis:

Gwendolyn Lockhart is a real life Cinderella.

Her beloved father is dead. Her stepmother is an urchin. She hasn't seen her best friend Dylan in weeks. And there's a splinter lodged in her finger from a broom handle.

When an invitation to work for The Ever After Local Ministry lands at Gwendolyn's feet, even her irritable stepsister is lost for a witty retort. ELM, established in NYC by Fairy Godmother Armenia, seeks to unite all humans and Evers in the quest for a happily ever after. Framed by her stepsister for a family heirloom that vanishes the same day, Gwendolyn's HEA is short lived.

ELM has no tolerance for hoodwinks.

On the run in an NYC overrun with fairy tale creatures, Gwendolyn catches the eye of a rogue group of Evers, including the one and only Prince Charming whose chivalry is as real as Cinderella's talking mice. On street corners, in nightclubs and forgotten cafes, the Evers talk of the real reason they left Ever After and the tyrant fairy who stole it all away.

ELM is the key to a happily ever after, humans or no.

Excerpt:

It was hard to tell in the beginnings of a snowstorm if he was real or made of snow. He was too fair for a real bird, and too perfect for Essey's prank. I blinked away the snow on my lashes.

A note was tied with gold ribbon around the bird's neck.

"To Miss Gwendolyn Lockhart," I read, "at 1008 Duke Road."

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