Absolutely! I’m glad you asked, because this is one of my favorite genres as well. Here are some of my favorite urban fantasy books:
1. Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
This book really encompasses what I love about both authors: you have Pratchett’s razor-sharp satirical wit and intelligence, coupled with the lovingly researched devotion to mythology of Gaiman.
It also has some of the best and most memorable characters I’ve ever encountered, and a lot of quiet wisdom wrapped up in a fun and irreverent package. One of my all-time favorite novels.
(If you need any more reason to read it, check out this post.)
2. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman.
This is the kind of book you really can’t forget. Simultaneously dark and colorful, with rich visuals, three-dimensional characters, and a truly unique take on gods in modern society, this book is haunting in the best possible way.
There’s also some great rep for characters of color, queer people, and non-Western religious mythology, in both the book and the show. I highly recommend them both.
(Fair warning, however, that there are child murders, undead wives, and a scene in which a prostitute/love goddess eats a man through her cooch, so it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.)
3. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman.
Okay, I really love Neil Gaiman. His take on urban fantasy is almost everything I aspire to be with my own writing.
As such, it’s really no surprise that this book is awesome: it’s essentially a wonderfully macabre retelling of the Jungle Book, in which a little boy wanders into a graveyard after the murder of his family and is taken in by the ghosts and creatures living there. A bittersweet and surprisingly profound ride.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman.
I’ll try to make this the last Neil Gaiman one, I promise. That said, this book seamlessly encounters the trials, tribulations, and profound beauty of being a child in a world made for adults.
That said, though the central plot is about the unnamed narrator recalling the supernatural events of his childhood while returning home for a funeral, the most gut-wrenching aspects of this book are the painfully real and mundane: from child abuse at the hands of a nanny/Eldritch Horror and alienation from his family as a result of it, to his father nearly drowning him in the bathtub for accusing her, Gaiman manages to make these events rooted in reality enough to feel both painful and realistic.
It can be triggering to some, so be warned.
5. The Percy Jackson series (and its successors), by Rick Riordan.
I first read this series when I was around twelve to fourteen, and I’ve been in love ever since: with faithfulness to Greek mythology that will please both bona fide nerds and laymen alike and a charismatic first person narrative, it’s a ride that even the most reluctant reader will be happy to go on.
I’ve been even more pleased by Riordan’s other series, such as the Kane Chronicles and Trials of Apollo, in which he gives spotlight time to some truly amazing characters of color, queer characters, and more.
I give all his work two thumbs up, and recommend readers of all ages check it out.
6. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency series, by Douglas Adams.
Douglas Adams is probably my favorite science fiction author of all time, so it really doesn’t surprise me that he made it onto this list as well.
My personal favorite of this series is probably The Long Dark Tea-Time of the soul, which features the Norse god Thor blowing up an airport in frustration while trying to book a flight. Miraculously, this is not the most absurd thing to happen over the course of the book.
I highly recommend it.
8. The Colour of Magic (and the rest of the Discworld series), by Terry Pratchett.
Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors of all time, and the Discworld series is a pretty good example as to why. Featuring Death as a recurring character, satirical takes on every tried-and-true trope of the fantasy genre, and one hilarious and unexpected subversion after another, these books are a delight to read.
My favorite installment might be the Hogfather, in which Death takes on the role of Santa Clause with priceless results. It’s amazing, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves urban fantasy and satire.
That’s all I can think of for now, but encourage my followers to contribute with their own favorite books and series from the urban fantasy genre.
Best of luck, and happy reading! ❤
Tag: hitchhikers guide
I’m not like emo nihilist I’m more like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy nihilist like “life is meaningless and the universe does not care about you and it’s full of casual and callous destruction might as well have a party while I still can then”
Like the two forms of nihilism are “nothing matters so why?” and “nothing matters so why not?” and the latter is so much fun
“We’re all gonna die, so let’s throw a fondue party and eat molten cheese until we can’t move and are sweating cheddar”
Douglas Adams is the best when it comes to describe characters
they need to teach classes on Douglas Adams analogies okay
“He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.”
“Stones, then rocks, then boulders which pranced past him like clumsy puppies, only much, much bigger, much, much harder and heavier, and almost infinitely more likely to kill you if they fell on you.”
“He gazed keenly into the distance and looked as if he would quite like the wind to blow his hair back dramatically at that point, but the wind was busy fooling around with some leaves a little way off.”
“It looked only partly like a spaceship with guidance fins, rocket engines and escape hatches and so on, and a great deal like a small upended Italian bistro.”
“If it was an emotion, it was a totally emotionless one. It was hatred, implacable hatred. It was cold, not like ice is cold, but like a wall is cold. It was impersonal, not as a randomly flung fist in a crowd is impersonal, but like a computer-issued parking summons is impersonal. And it was deadly – again, not like a bullet or a knife is deadly, but like a brick wall across a motorway is deadly.”
And, of course:
“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.”
the one that will always stay with me is “Arthur Dent was grappling with his consciousness the way one grapples with a lost bar of soap in the bath,” i feel like that was the first time i really understood what you could do with words.
I will reblog this every time I see it because these are some of my favorite sentences in the English language.
“He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.”
sparksoffandommagic 