Why I can't take pitch lines seriously.
First, the disclaimer: I have great respect for both Caitlin Kiernan and Merrilee Heifetz. The below commentary is in no way whatsoever intended as a dig at either them or their professionalism.
On to the post:
In today's Publisher's Lunch, under the recent sales, we have the following:
Caitlin Kiernan's BLOOD ORANGES, pitched as "if Quentin Tarrantino wrote an urban fantasy," to Penguin, in a three-book deal, by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.
And of course the first thing I thought was, "So she's written Pulp Fiction, then? Or perhaps From Dusk Til Dawn?"
Pulp Fiction is certainly an urban fantasy for an only slightly loose definition of "urban fantasy."
Urban? Obviously. It takes place in and around Los Angeles.
Fantasy? The Jules/Vincent plotline. People debate whether the mystically glowing contents of the briefcase are Marcellus Wallace's soul. And of course The Miracle--when Jules and Vincent are untouched by bullets that appear to have passed around or through them without touching them.
FDTD is more obviously urban fantasy--it has vampires! Fantastically sexy vampires, even!
I'm sure that Kiernan's new book/series are well described by the phrase "if Quentin Tarrantino wrote an urban fantasy." I understand why people need pithy pitch lines, and I am absolutely intrigued by what I imagine will be books with the wit and overblown violence of a Tarantino film, but more magic. I'm just kind of amused at that "if." The man has written urban fantasy.