When I started writing The Devil’s Jukebox I knew 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.
This genre shaped my following adventures into the words. There are some paranormal and romantic elements, but I don’t write Paranormal Romance. It’s fiction with supernatural elements. It’s set in an urban environment, and deals with fantasy — but is it Supernatural Fiction or is it Urban Fantasy?
Urban Fantasy — Not quite. Not anymore. When I started writing the Devil’s Jukebox 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. Not where I wanted to go.
Paranormal Fiction, on the other hand, could be the umbrella genre, covering UF and SF. I wanted something that fit into both, or neither. A literary version of Shoegaze or Post-Punk, a fictional Britpop or Darkwave. A subgenre with a twist.
This is where my characters live. The humans, the Muses, the Immortals, the Elementals, the dead. Vampires and not quite vampires, Werewolves and shape-shifters, Curses, Voudou, and Magic. People who believe in all of it, and those who don’t.
These are characters who have seen the remake of Dark Shadows. These are beings who have seen Bauhaus play live. These are Immortals who want to enjoy a good drink and listen to some music.
This is the world of Paranormal Pop Fiction, and there’s enough room in it for all of us.
Marcel Feldmar 