Dreams UnderFoot.

Dreams Underfoot is Charles De Lint’s first collection of short stories, published in 1993, and is a wonderful introduction to Charles De Lint’s city Newford and his major characters. This collection contains 19 short stories: from his major character Jilly who is a painter constantly chasing after the faeries living in the city, to Geordie the fiddle-playing busker who has his own magical encounters, and to a woman named Angel who helps anyone on the streets from runaways to magical creatures.

This collection of short stories falls under Urban Fantasy, and is a wonderful introduction for anyone trying to find a new author without committing time to a whole entire novel.

Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher is the New York Time’s Bestselling author of the Dresden Files, which are Contemporary Fantasy novels set in Chicago. Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files are a subgenre underneath Contemporary Fantasy, which is set in our period and the protagonist (Harry Dresden) is typically dealing with everyday issues besides his everyday job of being a wizard.

Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files have recently been turned into a T.V. show on the Sci-Fi Channel, but he also uses Web 2.0 to promote his work by offering a blog and a pod-cast on his website.

Charles de Lint Book List

1. Ascian in rose (1986)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

2. Blue girl, The (2004)
by De Lint, Charles, (Young Adult Novel).

3. Circle of cats, A (2003)
by De Lint, Charles, (Children’s Novel).

4. Dreaming place, The (1990)
by De Lint, Charles,(Young Adult Novel).

5. Dreams underfoot (1993)
by De Lint, Charles,(Short Stories).

6. Drink down the moon (1990)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

7. Forests of the heart (2000)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

8. Ghostwood (1990)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

9. Greenmantle (1998)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

10. Handful of coppers, A: collected early stories, vol. 1 : heroic fantasy (2003)
by De Lint, Charles.

11. Harp of the Grey Rose, The (1985)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

12. Hour before dawn, The: and two other stories from Newford (2005)
by De Lint, Charles,(Short Stories).

13. Into the green (1993)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

14. Ivory and the horn, The: a Newford collection (1995)
by De Lint, Charles, Short Story.

15. Jack of Kinrowan (1995)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

16. Jack, the giant-killer (1987)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

17. Little country, The (1991)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

18. Medicine road (2004)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

19. Memory and dream (1994)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

20. Moonheart (1994)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

21. Moonlight and vines: a Newford collection (1999)
by De Lint, Charles,(Short Stories).

22. Onion girl, The (2001)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

23. Quicksilver & shadow: collected early stories, vol. 2: contemporary, dark fantasy, and science fiction stories (2005)
by De Lint, Charles.

24. Riddle of the wren, The (2002)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

25. Seven wild sisters (2002)
by De Lint, Charles,(Young Adult).

26. Someplace to be flying (1998)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

27. Spirits in the wires (2003)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

28. Spiritwalk (1992)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

29. Svaha (1994)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novels).

30. Tapping the dream tree (2002)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

31. Trader (1997)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

32. Triskell tales: 22 years of chapbooks (2001)
by De Lint, Charles.

33. Triskell tales 2: six more years of chapbooks (2005)
by De Lint, Charles, (Novel).

34. Waifs and strays (2002)
by De Lint, Charles, (Young Adult Novel).

35. Widdershins (2006)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

36. Wild wood, The (1994)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

37. Yarrow: an autumn tale (1997)
by De Lint, Charles,(Novel).

Charles de Lint

Charles de Lint is a musician/artist/writer who is a mix of Celtic, Native American, and urban throughout his writings, art, and music. Charles de Lint’s novels and short stories breath life into imagination and fantasy, by creating memorable characters and worlds that leave the reader longing for the the chance to once again delve into de Lint’s imagination.

Charles de Lint tends to have his books set in Newford, which is a made up Canadian city, and where his characters live and interact with all types of fantasy creatures on a daily basis. Charles de Lint often writes strong female protagonists, and is one of the few authors who can truly capture the female perspective.
Charles De Lint’s Awards

2006
2006 White Pine Award, Ontario Library Association Best Canadian young adult fiction	The Blue Girl (2004)
2005
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association/American Library Association	The Blue Girl (2004)
2003
Booklist Top 10 Fantasy Books for Youth selected by the American Library Association	Waifs and Strays (2002)
2003
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association/American Library Association	Seven Wild Sisters (2002)
2003
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association/American Library Association	Jack of Kinrowan (2002 edition)
2000
World Fantasy Award for Best Collection	Moonlight and Vines (1999)
1999
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association/American Library Association	Trader (1997)
1997
Prix Ozone for Best Foreign Fantasy Short Story	“Timeskip” (translated as “Comme un disque rayé” in Territoires de l’inquiétude 9, Denoel, 1996)
1992
New York Public Library’s Best Books for the Teen Age	The Little Country (1991)
HOMer Award for Best Fantasy Novel presented by the CompuServe Science Fiction & Fantasy Forum	The Little Country (1991)
1991
Reality 1 Commendations Best Fantasy Author Award (known as the RICkie), presented by TV Ontario’s Prisoners Of Gravity	“The Drowned Man’s Reel” (1988)
1989
Readercon Small Press Award for Best Short Work
1988
Canadian SF/Fantasy Award (formerly known as the Casper; now called the Aurora) for Best Work in English	Jack, the Giant-Killer (1987)
1984
William L. Crawford Award for Best New Fantasy Author of 1984 presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts
1982
Small Press and Artists Organization Award for Fiction-Information from Charles De Lint’s Website.

“Darrell Schweitzer Canadian writer and folk musician: Charles de Lint has been a steady producer of fantasy fiction that shows clear respect for what Tolkien accomplished in The Lord of the Rings, yet has moved beyond it, into something distinctly his own. De Lint can feel the beauty of the ancient lore he is evoking. He can well imagine what it would be like to conjure the Other World among ancient standing stones. His characters have a certain fallibility that makes them multidimensional and human, and his settings are gritty. This is no Disneylike Never-Never Land. Life and death in de Lint’s world are more than a matter of a few words or a magic crystal”(de Lint)

American Gods

American Gods is a whirlwind of adventures for the main protagonist, Shadow, who has just been released from prison, to find himself becoming employed by a man named Mr.Wednesday. Mr.Wednesday turns out to be the mythological god Odin, who came over to America with other mythological gods and the immigrants from there home countries. The major problem with the old gods is that they are in retirement, while a batch of new gods (internet, global consumerism) from America has cropped up with a desire to take out the old gods. Mr.Wednesday must rally the old gods into battle, and Shadow is taken through the Midwest and other realties, without quite knowing where he is going to eventually end up.

This novel has an intricate plot line, which the reader can become lost in by the varying stories of gods and their mythologies. Neil Gaiman’s writing takes American Gods into literary fiction and surpasses the bar for other fantasy writers to attain.

Neil Gaiman Book List

1. 1602  (2004)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Graphic Novel).

2. Absolute sandman, vol. 1, The  (2006)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

3. American gods: a novel  (2001)
by Gaiman, Neil.

4. Anansi boys: a novel  (2005)
by Gaiman, Neil.

5. Angels and visitations: a miscellany  (1993)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Collection of Short Stories).

6. Books of magic, The  (1993)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Graphic Novel).

7. Coraline  (2002)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Young Adult Novel).

8. Creatures of the night  (2004)
by Gaiman, Neil.(Novel).

9. Day I swapped my dad for two goldfish, The  (2004)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Children’s Picture Book).

10. Death, the high cost of living  (1994)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

11. Fragile things: short fictions and wonders  (2006)
by Gaiman, Neil.

12. Good omens: the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch; a novel  (1990)
by Gaiman, Neil.

13. Last temptation, The  (2000)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Young Adult Novel).

14. Melinda  (2004)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Young Adult Novel).
15. MirrorMask  (2005)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Young Adult Move).

16. Neverwhere  (1997)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Novel).

17. Sandman: a game of you, The  (1993)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

18. Sandman: brief lives, The  (1995)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

19. Sandman: dream country, The  (1999)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

20. Sandman: Endless nights, The  (2003)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

21. Sandman: fables & reflections, The  (1994)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

22. Sandman: preludes & nocturnes, The  (1993)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Graphic Novel).

23. Sandman: season of mists, The  (1994)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

24. Sandman: the doll’s house, The  (1991)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

25. Sandman: the dream hunters, The  (1999)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

26. Sandman: the kindly ones, The  (1996)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

27. Sandman: the wake, The  (1997)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

28. Sandman: world’s end, The  (1995)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Graphic Novel).

29. Signal to noise  (1992)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Novel).

30. Smoke and mirrors: short fictions and illusions  (1998)
by Gaiman, Neil.

31. Stardust  (1999)
by Gaiman, Neil,(Novel).

32. Tragical comedy or comical tragedy of Mr. Punch: a romance  (1995)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Novel).

33. Violent cases: words & pictures  (1998)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Novel).

34. Wolves in the walls, The  (2003)
by Gaiman, Neil, (Children’s Books).

Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman’s writing puts him on par with literary fiction, but his writings fall into the realm of urban and contemporary fantasy.

“He is listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living post-modern writers, and is a prolific creator of works of prose, poetry, film, journalism, comics, song lyrics, and drama.”(Gaiman)

“Neil Gaiman is the winner of 3 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, 1 World Fantasy Award, 4 Bram Stoker Awards, 9 Locus Awards, 1 British Fantasy Award, 2 British SF Awards, 4 Geffens, 1 International Horror Guild Award, 2 Mythopoeic Awards.”(Gaiman)

Contemporary Fantasy

The Fantasy Genre market is a deluge of varying types of Fantasy, but the genre that is surfacing the most often is  Contemporary Fantasy. The authors in Contemporary Fantasy tend to mix fantasy within a modern setting, typically hiding the characters magical attributes, having one of the main protagonists discover the ability to see outside there modern world, and  tending to mix in classical mythology and fantasy within the novels.

Contemporary Fantasy has seen a rise in popular culture from such great writers as Neil Gaiman, Charles De Lint, Jim Butcher:to movies, graphic novels, and even television shows. This genre reaches out to other sub-genres within Fantasy from magical realism(Isabel Allende) to urban fantasy, and the purpose of this blog is to create a voice for this genre on the internet.

This blog will take suggestions, reviews, comments, to aid in the quest of Reader’s Advisory in libraries, and also create a space on the internet to expand these genre’s further. The next five postings will include some of the biggest names in this genre, with additional information about the authors from: links, to movies, and additional book lists.