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Ten Urban Fantasy Series – on screen and in writing
These series have influenced my own writing, last but not least my latest novel The Glint of the Luopan, an Urban Fantasy novel about psychic spies.
1. Twin Peaks
This series follows an investigation, headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and local Sheriff Harry S. Truman, into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. I just love its wonderfully quirky characters and the 90s vibe of the first two seasons. Season 3 is set 25 years later and really whacky, at times surrealist.
2. X-Files
Another cult series from the 90s revolving around FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigate paranormal phenomena. I know the show has its lengths, but the main characters are so well-written that they always manage to engage the viewer.
3. The Metamorphosis series (Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko)
This is a rather unknown series by a Ukrainian writer’s couple, starting with the novel Vita Nostra. It’s about Sasha Samokhina who has been accepted to the Institute of Special Technologies. Sasha undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time; experiences that are nothing she has ever dreamed of. At first, it's a bit hard to get into, but as you read on, this novel makes you more and more feel like you're constantly on the brink between reality and fantasy.
4. Inkheart (Cornelia Funke)
How I loved this trilogy when I was young! It’s about a girl and her dad who has a special ability where he can bring things out of books just by reading aloud. Yet, for everything that comes out, something must go in… a feast for someone who loves books about books, such as myself.
5. What We Do In The Shadows
This is some sort of paranormal comedy series, a mockumentary about four vampires in Staten Island. It follows the day-to-day of these vampires, from grocery shopping to parties and encounters with other paranormal beings. One of my favorite characters is Colin Robinson, an “energy vampire” who gains his energy from boring others with anecdotes.
6. The Twilight Zone
Of course, how could I forget the Twilight Zone? It could serve as a masterclass in Sci-Fi writing. Many episodes are written with such care as is rarely encountered these days.Alien invasions, time travel, murderous dolls, twists of fate – the Twilight Zone did it first.
7. A Thousand Li (Tao Wong)
This is a trilogy in a genre that has evolved in China: Xianxia. Xianxiagenre of Chinese fantasy heavily inspired by Daoism and influenced by Chinese mythology, Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, and Chinese alchemy. It’s about Wu Ying, a young farmer who suddenly finds himself on a path to become a “cultivator”, an immortal being fighting for the good.
8. The Great Cities Duology (N. K. Jemisin)
Urban fantasy by an author who has a rather unique voice. A story of culture, identity, magic and myths in contemporary New York City.
9. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
Ready for great British humor? Then try out an episode of Garth Marenghi’sDarkplace. The series is presented as a special release of the fictional television series Darkplace, written by horror writer Garth Marenghi. Darkplace's fictional show-within-a-show includes deliberately poor production and special effects, sub-par acting, choppy editing and storylines that lead nowhere. Another delightful mockumentary!
10.1899
This is a relatively new series about immigrants travelling on a steamship who get caught up in a mysterious riddle after finding a second empty ship on the open sea. I did enjoy its diverse cast of characters, and the way they interact with each other, as well as the inclusion of theories about the mind and the brain. However, the end of the first season is rather overloaded.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/7PxNNSQuUmQ
Excerpt
The elevator jerked to a halt and the doors slid open to a circular room with high Greek-looking columns in the corners. Everything was in muted colors, beige, and blue-grey.
“Oh wow.”
In the middle, there was a circular table with a model of China on it.
“So, this is where we plan our utopia, or at least its rough outlines.”
Izzy went up to the table and propped her hands on it.
“These are all regions in China where we have established so-called cities in the sky. You might even have seen a picture of it on the news that went viral a couple of years ago, in Foshan.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to prevent it from becoming public. Of course, most people took it for a mirage, a Fata Morgana.”
“Cities in the sky?” I had actually thought that nothing could shock me anymore, but this was just unbelievable.
“Yes. As of now, about half a million Chinese people live there. We are still in our experimental phase, but so far, we have made good progress.”
She talked about it as if it was an everyday thing.
“You know, China has had a demographic explosion during the last couple of years, after the pandemic. Even during the one-child policy, population growth was significant, especially in the countryside. China couldn’t admit that to the rest of the world. The outcry and the fear would have been enormous. Not to mention, the Chinese themselves began to suffer from the density of the population in the cities. They began to house people everywhere: in cellars, in tents, but there were just so many. Also, the space programs didn’t bring the desired success.” She stroked the table.
“So, the Dreamer Society began to look for other options. They rounded up a team of people from all disciplines – geologists, biologists, remote viewers – to map out a future for the Chinese population. What they found was just so, so much more interesting than anyone had ever thought.”
Izzy took a deep breath and pushed a button next to the model of China. There was a whirring sound, something opened in the middle of the model, and a glass pillar rose up. At the same time, a hissing sound rang out as the pillar f illed with smoke. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Slowly, very slowly, tiny outlines began to form out of the smoke. They looked strangely solid. The smoke pooled into walls and roofs, culminating in towers...
“What the-?”
“This is Jindan, the substance used for creating the sky cities. It’s a kind of energy that can condense into something solid. Initially, it was only used for manipulating the weather, like at the Olympic Games. Then we found out how powerful it really is. If you achieve a tremendous degree of compaction, you can actually create solid bodies. It is said to be inspired by the early Daoists who practiced inner alchemy.”
The smoke in the glass pillar was still forming and condensing. By now I could also see small roads. I slowly circled the pillar, keeping a cautious distance, and found more and more details.
“I mean…how do you create whole, life-sized cities?” It seemed suitable for a small project in chemistry class, but how could you create something lifelike with it?
Izzy circled the model and looked at the pillar as well. “Guess why it’s called the Dreamer Society?”“Dreams?”
“It turned out that the Jindan substance interacts very well with dream energy. Before that, the Society experimented with all sorts of things – hydrogen, carbon, and so on. Then, someone had what is called a ‘happy accident’. They fell asleep in the lab, and when they awoke the next morning, their dream was hanging from the ceiling. In 3D and touchable. Then, they went from there. Actually, what you see in the pillar is a sky city in its purest form, without dream energy.”
I searched Izzy’s face, but I couldn’t find any trace of exaggeration.
I didn’t know how much more absurdity I would endure. I only knew that the sky city in the vessel was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen: an airy, fluffy-looking, slightly glittering thing, like cotton candy that seemed to be constantly reassembling itself.
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