¸.•*’*+*✰*+ WHAT ARE URBAN ELFS? +*✰*+*’*•.¸
The Second Life group Urban Elfs was formed by Rose Mackie and Steve Reed in March 2007 as an alternative to the Tolkien-esque high-fantasy model of elven fantasy as exemplied by Elf Circle. They wanted to explore the idea that Elven culture and civilization did not stagnate in the 1800′s as a Victorian ideal, but remains a vital and evolving society.
Urban Elfs was based on the urban fantasy* genre as exemplified by writers such as Mercedes Lackey, Charles de Lint, Will Shetterly, and Emma Bull. Urban fantasy is set in a contemporary, real-world setting and includes distinct fantasy elements, such as magic, within it.
Modern interest in magic and the supernatural in today’s world have resulted in television series such as Charmed, The Dresden Files and True Blood.
Films like The Golden Compass, the Harry Potter series, Underworld and even Practical Magic also explore the place of magic in contemporary settings.
The hope was that this modern aspect of Elven life could be explored under the umbrella of Elf Circle and the associated fantasy groups.
They hoped to integrate the idea of “modern” elves and find space within the fantasy continent. Not having much luck, they hung out at mainland clubs listening to punk and heavy metal and spreading their own style of anarchy and, coincidentally, converting round-ears to the pointy life-style, both traditional and urban. It was a fun, irreverent little group who enjoyed dressing as punk pixies, biker fae, grunge drow, and emo elves. They also had cool group titles.
If you want to learn more you might start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_fantasy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fantasy
This page has the following sub pages.
Urbanizing Elves and Drow…intrasting outlook.