readers advisory for all discussion

Editing post so it meets the guidelines that I originally overlooked lol

Pacing: Preferably quick. I like good dialogue, and just enough description to keep me in the story.

Storyline: Urban fantasy-ish in the way of including both the real world and a fantasy world. However, the fantasy world and the real world should not exist on the same "plane". Instead, the characters should move between them. Consider portal fantasy like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, though a portal is not mandatory. If the fantasy world is more industrial and less Medieval or mythological, the better.


Frame: Bittersweet, or can have a sense of humor but nothing silly.

Characterization: Third person, preferably. Male protagonist, definitely.

I suggest trying something by China Miéville. Maybe Perdido Street Station (the first of a series), or Kraken. I'm not sure what you mean by "move between the two worlds"--in Miéville's novels there is one world, with fantasy elements that many don't know about or see. Does that make sense?

I was thinking China Miéville as well, but I was confused about what you mean by moving between the two worlds. Could you clarify that part?

I might also suggest Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (a series that begins with Storm Front). It is certainly urban fantasy, built on a foundation of noir detective style, with a male protagonist.

Something from the Nightside or A Madness of Angels

Apologies about the confusion. I meant instead of the fantasy world and the "real" world existing in the same "plane", the chars move between them. Like a portal fantasy (think The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) but doesn't necessarily have to be a portal. Not sure I helped much there. lol

Great suggestions. Keep 'em coming =)

That makes sense. I'm not sure that my earlier suggestions work for that particular part of the request, though. Maybe check out Lev Grossman's The Magicians.

this is very dark and violent. it's also open to interpretation as to what is real (if both worlds are real or not), so i don't recommend it if that's not going to be okay. if it is, then The Marbury Lens.

All of the suggestions seem great, many of which I have been suggested before when posing this set of stipulations on other websites. So I think we're onto something.

However, something about The Marbury Lens, which was never suggested before, really intrigues me.

I have Mieville around here somewhere, and I'm really interested in the other mentions. I will get back when I read them :)

Ted Chiang has a couple of stories in this collection that talk about exactly this. Stories of Your Life and Others

Elizabeth Bear, some of her work meets your criteria.

If you haven't read it already, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere also sounds like it would fit.

i keep coming up with terrible ideas. can you give an example of a book like this that you have already read and enjoyed, so i can see if any of the RA resources can do a better job than my brain??

so far i have thought of, and rejected the terry brooks "magic kingdom" series (which may not be the name of the series, but whatever), the first of which is: Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold, but that is not "urban", Coraline, which is female protag, and Draw the Dark, where there is a dark portal and a male protag, but he doesn't actually enter the portal... maybe there will be a sequel?? and The Castle in the Attic, but that is for children, and also medieval. grrr!! i want to be more useful!

okay - here are some

The Concrete Grove
Weaveworld
Those That Wake

concrete grove and those that wake are definitely urban and fast paced.those that wake is definitely a male protag, but i don't remember what person it is told in. it might be first, i can't remember

concrete grove - one (or more) of the protags is male, and it is in third person.

weaveworld is more of a wildcard. it is probably too slow and meandering for your tastes, but i was getting desperate, a little...

Possibly The Dragons of the Cuyahoga? The magical world does get into the "real" world but the idea is it all comes from another reality. Child of Firemay not meet your criteria as it is uber violent. But the paranormal baddies all get summoned from elsewhere. In children's Brandon Mull has the first book in his Beyonders series A World Without Heroeswhere the main male character is from the "real" world and winds up in a fantasy realm.

Realized there are a few more I can add. Stalking The Unicorn. This one should fit your requirements pretty faithfully. Urban fantasy, other world, male protagonist and some humor but not ultimately silly. There's also the Spellsinger books. I've never read the series and only glanced at the first book years ago, but it does meet your criteria.

I also remembered The Dragon and the George, Her Majesty's Wizard, The Compleat Enchanter, and The River of Dancing Gods All of these are series, most are pretty old and probably out of print. Other than these, I know probably a few handfuls more with female protagonists, but the modern hero traveling to otherworld premise seems to have been more popular in stuff from about twenty years ago than right now.

this just got starred reviews in publishers weekly 7.11.11, sounds like it could be just what you're looking for, maybe

The Revisionists

there is a book, sort of sci fi y, about india, it could be a good one for this criteria River of Gods

The Lives of Christopher Chant
The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl (not a male protag, but not "girly")
A Dark Traveling
Castle Perilous
The Book of Lost Things
Mister Monday
The Myth Hunters
Dirty Magic

Although I'm not really a King fan, I liked The Talisman, and it has characters going back and forth between the "real" world and the "fantasy" world. I remember it being very fast paced and a quick read despite being a pretty big book.

I haven't read any of the series, but I think Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever has the title character going into a fantasy world and coming back, and then going back again. The series is pretty highly regarded.

The Silent Tower has an alternate world that has magic but is undergoing the equivalent of Europe's Industrial Revolution.

Bittersweet, or can have a sense of humor but nothing silly.

Maybe The Secret Country, even though it is vaguely medieval. The protagonists are kids, but the writing is very good.

did you end up reading any of these suggestions?