Paranormal Pop Fiction??

From my guest blog at Mythical Books:
( http://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/... )
Defining a genre: What is Paranormal Pop Fiction?

When I started writing The Devil’s Jukebox I knew that it was “Fantasy”. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure. I wanted to finish the story first and then figure out what it was. That may have been a mistake, but I didn’t want the genre to define the book—I wanted the book to find its own genre.

I toyed with YA, but the characters grew up and probably smoked too many cigarettes. There’s some paranormal and romantic elements, but it doesn’t work as a Paranormal Romance. It’s fiction, and there are definitely supernatural elements. It’s set in an urban environment, and deals with fantasy—but is it Supernatural Fiction or is it Urban Fantasy? Paranormal Fiction?

These genres are loosely defined, but I wanted something to stand behind. First, I thought Supernatural Fiction. Nope—this is traditionally tied to ghost stories, and more recently, horror fiction. The Devil’s Jukebox holds a little horror, but also mystery, music, and poetry. There’s art, humor, compassion, and conflict. I did want to keep the “Fiction” part, though.

Then Urban Fantasy—this would have been the genre of choice if this was written twenty years ago. While The Devil’s Jukebox may look like another entry into the Urban Fantasy milieu, it really isn’t. When I started writing the book I wanted the act of reading it to be similar to walking through a crowded record store and reading a horror comic while a poetry slam took place outside. I wanted High Fidelity meets On The Road meets The Vampire Lestat. Between start and finish, my vision shifted, but so did the Urban Fantasy genre. Now it seems to be full of seductive vampires, sexy werewolves and lusty demon hunters. Urban Fantasy as a genre has been co-opted by Paranormal Romance, and that’s not my world.

So does that leave Paranormal Fiction? I believe this is the umbrella genre, covering UF and SF; but what about something that fits into both, or neither. Some literary version of Shoegaze or Post-Punk, a fictional Britpop or Darkwave. A subgenre with a twist.

That’s where I wanted to be. Paranormal with a pop culture twist. I wanted to have something that would stand out. I wanted something that might get those invested in Literary Fiction, those who dismiss Popular (Genre) Fiction as worthless and clichéd, to give it a second look. So it’s a hit of Pop, for the musical reference; and then also a slight tongue-in-cheek nod to Popular Fiction. Given by someone who appreciates and incorporates elements of Literary Fiction into a paranormal world. This is where Paranormal Pop Fiction lives.

We are dealing with the real world, but there are other planes of reality attached to it. The Muses, The Immortals, The dead. There are vampires and not quite vampires, there are werewolves and shape-shifters, Curses, Voudou, and Magic. There are people who believe in all of that, and those who don’t. There are records, comics, toys, movies. These are characters who have seen the remake of Dark Shadows. These are beings who have seen Bauhaus play live. These are Immortals who just want to enjoy a good drink and listen to some music. These characters live in a literary world of supernatural proportions, where there is a great importance placed on images created; the lyrical flow of words, the emotions given to the reader, the touches of beauty that can sometimes take precedence over plot. This is the world of Paranormal Pop Fiction, and there’s enough room for all of us to live within it.