Modern Elements in High (or Low) Fantasy Books

[Jonathan]

Does anybody know if there are fantasy worlds, worlds made from scratch, created to look and feel somewhat similar to modern society? I remember seeing a movie adaptation of Titus Andronicus that came out in 1999, where the look and feel is sort of like a fantasy world, where the Roman Empire appeared to have lasted all the way into the modern era.

Sometimes I feel like there's an unwritten rule that says the era has to be based on a genre that falls under somewhere between sword-and-sandal and steampunk (or gaslamp fantasy), although this rule doesn't seem to apply to movies or video games like Final Fantasies VII, VIII, and XV.

[Dawn, Dawnerys, Mother of Modding]

A lot of Historical Fiction is like this.

Also, Guy Gavriel Kay.

[Paul]

China Mieville's fantasy books have a lot of those elements Perdido Street Station feels like quite a modern type of city with robots as well as magic.

I seem to remember that Bone Song is set in a fantasy world but with cars etc.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Mercedes Lackey had a series (or a couple of series) that is more Historical Fantasy. The last one I read was based around "what if ___ heir to the throne of England didn't die in childhood." Pretty Good.

[Paul]

I would also throw in mid-world in Stephen King's Dark Tower series as a fantasy world with modern elements.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Paul wrote: "I would also throw in mid-world in Stephen King's Dark Tower series as a fantasy world with modern elements."

Ohh yes. And the way they tie in to his other series.

[Mary]

Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos and Robert A. Heinlein's Magic, Inc. are classics of this type.

More recently Robin McKinley's Sunshine and Shadows are definitely not the modern world but look like it.

[Jonathan]

Mary wrote: "Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos and Robert A. Heinlein's Magic, Inc. are classics of this type.

More recently Robin McKinley..."

Thanks for bringing them up! :D
By the way, in what ways do the settings of the books look like our modern world?

[Jonathan]

Paul wrote: "China Mieville's fantasy books have a lot of those elements Perdido Street Station feels like quite a modern type of city with robots as well as magic.

I seem to remember that [book:B..."

I've heard about his books! I've also heard very good things about him! :)

[Mary]

Jonathan wrote: "Mary wrote: "Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos and Robert A. Heinlein's Magic, Inc. are classics of this type.

More recently [author:Robin M..."

Anderson's is actually situated in a modern-day USA, in a world where Einstein discovered how to prevent cold iron from inhibiting magic and magic took over a lot of what you would expect technology to do.

Heinlein doesn't give a divergence point, but it also looks to be situated in a magitek USA.