The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep by Claire Fayers

It's a good time to go walking in the woods when the trees are full of autumn.

I recently went to Bristolcon - a sci-fi and fantasy convention that happens every October in Bristol. I was particularly interested in the panel on rural fantasy, as my last book, Storm Hound, draws heavily on the magic of the Welsh Black Mountains.

With authors Paul Cornell, Peter Morwood, Diana Duane and Juliet McKenna on the panel, I knew it would be a fascinating discussion. All of them have written extensively in the genre - if it can be called a genre at all. That was the first question.

Urban fantasy is well-recognised as a genre nowadays, often dark, with its roots in classic horror fiction. The term 'rural fantasy' is less defined. It's a half-formed genre, existing around the edges of other things. It feels strangely appropriate as many of the superstitions and folklore traditions it draws on exist quietly around the edges of our lives. Almost forgotten until something happens to bring them to our attention. A stormhound falling out of the sky into a field of sheep, for example.

I researched heavily into local folklore when I was writing Storm Hound, and also its predecessor, Mirror Magic (which is set both on the literal border of Wales and England, and the metaphorical border of our world and the fairy realm.) I drew on some of the familiar stories - the Wild Hunt and the sorceress Ceridwen both make an appearance in Storm Hound. The best part, however, was going beyond the better known folklore and digging out the 'small stories' - sightings of the Welsh fairy people, the Tylwyth Teg, often by someone staggering home from the pub late at night. The many occasions when the Devil paid a surprise visit to someone who'd skipped chapel that Sunday. Why a certain mountain has a peculiar shape.

For anyone who's interested, I recommend starting with:

British Goblins; Welsh Folk-Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends, and Traditions (1880) by Wirt Sikes

Welsh Folk-lore: a collection of the folk-tales and legends of North Wales (1887) by Elias Owen

Both are available free on Project Gutenberg and are fascinating to dip into.

Back to the discussion, and the panellists agreed that rural fantasy is a long-established tradition, right from books such as The Wind in the Willows and Peter Rabbit.

Now, with the emergence of urban fantasy, rural has become more deliberate as a genre, intentionally flipping the established tropes of the urban. Many authors are finding that the countryside is full of potential.

I have always been drawn to quest narratives where the hero sets forth on an epic journey into the unknown and for many of us who live in cities, the countryside is the great unknown on our doorsteps. We don't understand the countryside, we don't know what makes it tick. Used to the constant background noise of the city, the quiet of the country can be unsettling. There are also many tensions, and as we know the heart of drama is conflict. Newcomers versus families who have lived in the area for generations. The rich versus the poor - often exacerbated by the lack of public transport and facilities in rural areas. Environmental concerns and the effects of climate change.

One interesting idea that came up was the notion that we go to the countryside seeking an authenticity that may not be there. Many of the 'ancient' traditions are not actually that old, after all. It's another conflict worth exploring: our idealised view of something versus the reality.

Finally, the discussion turned to sub-genres. Is there any such thing as rural sci-fi, for example, and if so, why not? And what of rural fantasy for children and young adults? The panel were quick to cite old classics - Alan Garner, Susan Cooper - but they were slower to come up with newer examples. Maybe there's a gap waiting to be filled?



Claire Fayers is the author of the Accidental Pirates series, Mirror Magic and Storm Hound. Website www.clairefayers.com Twitter @clairefayers