Tag Archives : laurell k. hamilton

With This Ring, You’ll Be Dead: Violence Against Female Protagonists in Romantic Vampire Fiction: Part 2: Seduction


Editor’s Note: content warning for violence, abuse, and potentially triggering subject matter. What is seduction? Most people would define it as something pleasant. A series of actions and behaviors performed by someone they find attractive to make them even more alluring. However, if we examine the actual definition of seduction, it’s a bit more sinister than that. Merriam-Webster defines seduction…

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Changing the Map: Meet Me in St. Louis


The Journey thus far….. In our quest for urban fantasy, we have hitherto journeyed only through the realm of fairy and its migration into the cities of Minneapolis and Newford. But how did we arrive in St. Louis? Well, the master of the city, Jean-Claude, invited us, we gave consent, and followed him and his lover, Anita Blake down from…

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Changing the Map: Magic Moves into Town


Until the 1980’s, magic generally occurred in invented worlds, fantasy based itself on pastoral settings, or extrapolations of various time points in (generally) Western history. In the 1980’s though, with Charles de Lint’s Moonheart and Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, fantasy moved into town, magic invaded cities and suburbs, and fairy oaks sprouted in urban sidewalk cracks. From its…

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The Evolution of Vampires in Popular Fiction


Since launch, Speculative Chic has featured articles on personal writing journeys, collections of things people love, and some amazing reviews. So why are we suddenly throwing an academic discussion on vampires at you? Because I’m a huge nerd, that’s why! (See my bio page for official details and credentials regarding my nerdiness.) By now you’ve gotten a taste of me through…

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