Urban Fantasy discussion

I’ve just moved back to the UK after a number of years living in San Francisco so I’m back to having a UK amazon account. I was really surprised at the number of UF books I’d never heard about that popped up when I went looking for something new to read. The ones I’m reading now are grittier and a little darker than what I was reading in SF but really good. Any ideas?

One thing with my work is that I haven't marketed it very well. I did a lot with my first book, but have failed miserably on the second for personal reasons.

Most of it is down to legal stuff. I have noticed a lot of GR friends complaining about books we have raved about and they no idea when they will have them in the Usa.

Thanks. It’s crazy that international copyright law hasn’t kept up with the digital age. It’s currently driving me a bit nuts that I can’t even buy some of the TV series I used to watch over here. Plus books often have different names and descriptions between the UK and the US, so I guess at least the publishing companies think different things sell. I’m not sure if they are right though. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit different in my opinion. Mind you a friend told me she didn’t like British books because we talk funny :)

For me, the problem, as an American reader... It's a lot of little things that add up to "chuck" me right out of the narrative.

For reference... I've read a few of Simon Green's "Secret Histories" series, the first "Peter Grant" by Aaronovitch, the first two "Alex Verus" books by Jacka, "The Rook" by Daniel O'Malley, "Crimes Against Magic" by McHugh... Some of Green's other books too. Some are written by Brits, at least one by an Aussie, but these are all set in the British "Arena" (if I remember correctly).

But... it's is the little differences... like the first time I read about a character driving a "panda". I was like... what? Oh... do they mean a police car? Or "they took the lift up"... and I'm like, "Oh they mean elevator." Or... "I took the tube "... oh, "They mean subway or metro."

You get enough of those cultural shocks in a short amount of time and it really chops up the narrative and makes it hard for me to stay involved. I'm willing to shoulder part of the blame for that by being a uncultured slob, but I tend to enjoy the books where I don't have to put the effort into staying involved in a narrative that jibes with my cultural experiences.

Having said that... Loved "The Rook" and the Peter Grant and Alex Verus kept my attention very well. The super secret agent type books (Histories and Hellequin) that I mentioned above were alright, but I'm probably not going to follow those series any farther.

Practical Mike wrote: "For me, the problem, as an American reader... It's a lot of little things that add up to "chuck" me right out of the narrative..."

Hey Mike,

I partly grew up in Texas and have lived and worked all over the States and I can still occasionally confuse people. Announcing that 'I was going to get some bits and bobs from my boot' rather than 'stuff from my trunk' was one of the more recent ones. I now have images of someone trying to drive a panda bear going around my head in sympathy. It's actually something I'm pretty careful about when I'm writing my own novels but I'd love for somebody to tell me if I'm actually successful.

I guess it doesn't go the other way as much because we get so much of our TV and film from America. Although every time I move back over I still spend at least a couple of weeks looking for the stairs when anyone say something is on the first floor. It's tough and I think when it comes to reading for enjoyment we're all pretty slobby as you've said, it is a shame though. I guess the old adage about two countries divided by a common language is more true than we'd like.

The legal stuff definitely plays into it. I've had to resort to some creative methods to get books that were getting released months earlier in the UK.

You might just be seeing different recommendations though. Other than things like the top hundred and Times Best Sellers etc, our recommendations are adjusted heavily by Amazon's algorithms. They have to be; they've got something like 20+ million paperbacks alone, so doing it randomly for each of us wouldn't work.

Your location factors in, and Amazon picks up on changes quickly. I bought a French language UF maybe two months ago, and it quickly recommended two more French language series. Now, with just a couple of months and maybe eight or so purchases based on those recommendations, about half my "recommended for you" page is French language UF that I never would have known existed.

Amazon's prediction software is probably just super excited to have grounds for a new set of recommendations.

I know some times british books are edited for the Usa market to stop this confusion, but I guess it costs money.

Those sort of adjustments kind of sucks for those of us who think it really adds something to the book.

World building is huge, and having a culturally distinct voice is awesome for that

It's not everyone's thing, but I (and most of my Douglas Adams loving friends) really prefer it.

I'm not really keen on such adjustments either. Perhaps because English isn't my mother tongue, and different idioms and colloquialisms force me to look up what they mean, which makes me improve in turn. Or for reasons similar to why I never read French translations of books originally written in English: I want the original text, plain and simple. (Yes, even Chaucer, or Beowulf in OE. I kid you not.)

As for why some books aren't made available in the USA or other countries... Beat me. It's been a pain for me as well, especially why ebooks are concerned: it's often more difficult to get those from Amazon than to get paper copies shipped from across the Atlantic ocean. The mind boggles.

Mark wrote: "I know some times british books are edited for the Usa market to stop this confusion, but I guess it costs money."

Would you do it for free?

Dont have much experiance as a editor Mary, would want to ruin your hardwork.

Take the Peter Grants books which are based in the London area some times I had to stop and look things up. They are regional variations and of the all the police operations stuff.

Mark wrote: "Dont have much experiance as a editor Mary, would want to ruin your hardwork."

Huh? I just made the point that of course it costs money. People aren't going to do it for free.

Mary wrote: "Mark wrote: "Dont have much experiance as a editor Mary, would want to ruin your hardwork."

Huh? I just made the point that of course it costs money. People aren't going to do it for free."

Sorry Mary misunderstood.

Yzabel wrote: "I'm not really keen on such adjustments either. Perhaps because English isn't my mother tongue, and different idioms and colloquialisms force me to look up what they mean, which makes me improve in..."

Chaucer in the original! I'm very impressed Middle English makes my brain melt, it's harder to understand than American :0).

I can see why editing can make UK books more accessible and avoid people having to stop for a little google time, we're reading these books for fun after all, but it feels like sometimes they are dumbing things down. Like changing the Philosopher's stone to the Sorcerer's stone in Harry Potter. Were the editors of the opinion that no American child or adult would ever be nerdy enough to know or care about all the crazy stories that revolve around quest for that legendary substance, or maybe they just thought Sorcerers very less scary than intellectuals?

I've recommended British books to friends before only to find they are called something different in the States or have had odd rewrites that make the book more culturally bland, or even occasionally confusing. The books do ended up loosing something. It's a hard line to tread and I know it happens in this direction to. Do you let people make up their own minds and make the original version available to?

In actual translations, the thing that seems strangest to me is sex scenes. It's shocking how many of those idioms just end up sounding gross or messy when they are translated literally word for word

Elizabeth wrote: "Practical Mike wrote: "For me, the problem, as an American reader... It's a lot of little things that add up to "chuck" me right out of the narrative..."

Hey Mike,

I partly grew up in Texas and ..."


I love "bits and bobs from..." That's a great expression.

I read quote a few UK authors, although at least half of them are in the cozy genre. In UF, I've read Simon Green (okay, not my fav) and Benedict Jacka (really enjoy). I don't pay a lot of attention to where a book is released first so long as I can get it.

Who are some of the authors you are seeing over there that you like?

Maria wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Practical Mike wrote: "For me, the problem, as an American reader... It's a lot of little things that add up to "chuck" me right out of the narrative..."

Hey Mike,

I partly gre..."

Hey Maria,

I probably shouldn't tell you that my day is currently going pear shaped because the bloke who came over to give my car a butchers wouldn't stop wagging his chin then.

I've got to admit I've never really gotten into Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series but that is more to do with not liking the main character's talent rather than the writing, which is good.

I'm currently finishing off Mike Carey's Felix Castor series, which it sounds like you might like. I read all 5 books in 2 weeks.

The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronavitch is very good. I think it's just referred to as the Peter Grant series in the States as they changed the title of the first book for the American market for some reason. It's about a small branch of the London police force that deals with magic and the supernatural. I think it has a good balance of mystery and humor.

You could also try but since I wrote it you could probably just say I have a biased opinion and ignore that one. Part of the reason I asked the original question is that people keep telling me I should have based it in San Francisco and not London if I ever wanted it to sell, which got me wondering why so many things don't seem to cross the pond.

Right, I'd better clear off :)

Didn't care much for the Felix Castor--had to skim to finish. The Ben stuff is pretty good.

Ah those chin waggers! They'll get you every time and then try to charge by the hour...

I like British mysteries. I wouldn't mind British UF at all. Where the author comes from doesn't cross my mind.

Maria wrote: "Didn't care much for the Felix Castor--had to skim to finish. The Ben stuff is pretty good.

Ah those chin waggers! They'll get you every time and then try to charge by the hour..."

Three hours!!!! :)

Sorry I didn't provide you with anything new. It definitely proves it's each to their own when it comes to books. I'm glad we agree on the Peter Grant books though.

You could try Tom Pollock if you don't mind YA. My Goddaughter is making me read it but I haven't gotten far enough to comment yet, so you'd be taking the word of a green (this month) haired teenager who thinks his series is 'sick'.

try this one, brit police UF but darker than the Grant series.

Mark wrote: " try this one, brit police UF but darker than the Grant series."

Bother I forgot about this one, thanks Mark. I quite liked the first one London Falling but haven't gotten around to this book yet.

Practical Mike wrote: "For me, the problem, as an American reader... It's a lot of little things that add up to "chuck" me right out of the narrative."

sometimes it cuts both ways (especially for a non US and UK reader).

I read "Demon Jack" recently and the author's use of the word "drug" as opposed to "dragged" drove me nutty (personally it's the visual equivalent of nails scratching on chalkboard). was about to send a grammar blast to the editors when i googled the useage. turns out it is colloquially accepted in some parts of the US.

as to Peter Grant / Rivers of London series, the author has a website which explains some of the more obscure english references e.g. ASBO etc

I'm wading in here because I am that rare animal, a Uk author published by a US company. During the editing process, things were constantly queried and I was for ever explaining colloquialisms. However, because my stuff is darkly humorous, no one really objected.
And i agree, it doesn't seem to bother us UK readers when it comes to US authors. I refused to alter too much because the books are set in the UK. I do, however, get comments about the funny words...

D.C. wrote: "I'm wading in here because I am that rare animal, a Uk author published by a US company. During the editing process, things were constantly queried and I was for ever explaining colloquialisms. How..."

As an American, this really embarrasses me!!!

This is an interesting thread I have never thought much about it.

Personally I prefer British English like glue instead of gum or knackered instead of tired.

Anyway this explains why my Peter Grant kindle book is called Midnight Riot but my paperback is called Rivers of London. Now I cannot wait to read them both and see which I prefer.

Elizabeth wrote: "It’s crazy that international copyright law hasn’t kept up with the digital age."

Not really crazy. It's greed and protectionism. It's 100 times worse for books from Australia.

Experiment BL626 wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "It’s crazy that international copyright law hasn’t kept up with the digital age."

Not really crazy. It's greed and protectionism. It's 100 times worse for books from Australia."

I'm in New Zealand, and trying to purchase ebooks can drive me batty half the time. Amazon UK and Amazon Australia won't sell them to me at all, just sorry, you live in the wrong country. Amazon US will sell them to me half the time, and not the other half. Yet all these places will happily put a physical copy in an envelope and post it to me! How does that make any sense?

Generally I end up at those times going to my local bookstore and asking them to get it in for me - with a preference for UK editions if possible, as we use UK spelling over here so I prefer it.

I recently received an email from an American concerning a book I wrote with a Welsh MC living in London. The reader wished to point out several errors in the book. What she was referring to were differences in English and American usage. Can't please everyone.

B.R. wrote: "I recently received an email from an American concerning a book I wrote with a Welsh MC living in London. The reader wished to point out several errors in the book. What she was referring to were d..."

I'm soon to publish a book written mostly in Scots Standard English (i.e. a blend of the two languages), and I'm going to put a note at the front explaining differences in spelling etc, to hopefully stop this sort of thing. I don't want anyone thinking I'm a bad speller!

In general, I like to read colloquialisms, so long as they are helped with context. I wouldn't like to read a book where I didn't know half the words used.

Practical Mike wrote: " I was like... what? Oh... do they mean a police car? Or "they took the lift up"... and I'm like, "Oh they mean elevator."

I knew that about a lift.

I would like to claim it's because I'm cultural and all that jazz, but it was actually from this cheesy horror movie about a killer elevator called "The Lift"

:D