Urban Fiction

If you're an avid reader who chooses what to read depending on your mood, you may sometimes have 'cravings.' Some days, you may crave a bloody, gory murder mystery. Other days, perhaps you crave a feel-good romance instead. But, what if you want to be wow-ed from the comfort of your own reading spot by a big city that you have always dreamed of visiting or living, say, San Francisco, New York, or Tokyo? Is there a 'name' for this genre? Yes, there is! What you're looking for is Urban Fiction.

Urban Fiction: Meaning

Defining any literary genre can be a tricky endeavour. This is also true for Urban Fiction. While scholars and experts have divided opinions, they largely agree on the 'urban' and 'fiction' part of this genre. That means the backdrop is usually an urban setting such as a big city neighbourhood, multiple neighbourhoods, or even the entire city!

'Urban', here, refers to the quality of life in these locations where life is fast-paced and crowded. Urban settings lend a degree of anonymity to their citizens, and everyone must watch out for themselves. It's easy to feel lost in these cities, and this feeling is often mimicked in works of Urban Fiction. The 'fiction' part simply means that, while these stories may be based on or inspired by true stories, they are largely works of fiction in which the characters and events are dramatised.

History of Urban Fiction

It's not easy to pinpoint the precise beginning of this literary genre. However, there is a consensus on how Urban Fiction has developed over the years. Consider some books from the 19th century, such as Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist (1837) or Stephen Crane's Maggie : A Girl of the Streets (1893). While both of these books were written in different time periods and feature different casts of characters and settings, there are some overarching similarities between the two, such as the troubled socio-economic conditions of the people living in the 'underside' of the big city.

A strong desire to explore the social, economic, and cultural nuances of the myriad of people living in urban environments is what fuelled authors to write Urban Fiction. This is especially true of African American authors due to the obstacles that African American and other minority populations in the big cities of the United States have had to overcome on a daily basis. African American populations in the big cities of the United States who have had to overcome numerous obstacles on a daily basis simply to make ends meet.

Urban Fiction, as we recognise it today, was developed as a literary genre by Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim (the pen name of Robert Beck) in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly during the peak of the Black Power movement. We'll learn more about them in the section below.

Urban Fiction: Authors & Books

Below are urban fiction authors and their books

Iceberg Slim (Robert Beck)

Iceberg Slim was imprisoned in Cook County in 1961 after operating as a 'pimp' for over 24 years. After being released from prison, Slim wrote a book inspired by his experiences and published it in 1967 under the title Pimp. Although it is a memoir, the book elaborates on Slim's gritty and often dark 'street life' experiences as a pimp, thus making it an exemplary work of urban fiction.

Donald Goines

Inspired by Iceberg Slim, Donald Goines wrote numerous novels to support his drug addiction. The settings of Goines' novels were big cities, often featuring Detroit, Kansas City, and Los Angeles as settings for the lives of his fictional characters inspired by real-life street criminals that Goines was acquainted with. Among his most popular works are the Kenyatta Series (1974-1975), Never Die Alone (1974) and Dopefiend (1971).

Further examples of Urban Fiction books written by African American authors include:

• The Coldest Winter Ever (1999) by Sister Souljah
• Flyy Girl (1993) by Omar Tyree
• A Hustler’s Wife (2003) by Nikki Turner
• True to the Game (1994) by Teri Woods

Urban Fiction: Characteristics and Types

Today, most works of fiction can be labelled as a blend of genres rather than being confined to one genre category. A book featuring a romance, for example, could also be a comedy, tragedy, or even feature supernatural or paranormal tropes. Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1938) combines elements of Gothic and Romance genres. The blending of genres is also prominent in works of Urban Fiction.

Urban Fiction can be mixed with romance, erotica, sci-fi, horror, mystery, grit, and violence among many other genres. Typically, you should be able to tell whether a narrative is a work of urban fiction if it includes some of the following features:

• Urban Fiction is set in the backdrop of a city or urban environment. It features the social, political, cultural, and economic ongoings of the various groups living in this environment.
• Urban Fiction typically features a young or young adult protagonist from a socially poor background and often includes violence.
• Urban Fiction is usually fast-paced. The story also features flashbacks and flash-forwards to maintain the pace.
• Urban Fiction is largely character-driven. The reader follows the relationships and struggles of the main character(s).
• The 'street' (or the 'city') plays a significant role in works of Urban Fiction, with surviving or becoming a dominant force on the street being the main objective of the character(s).

The number of features (including but not limited to those listed above) and how they are combined, determine what type of Urban Fiction the narrative can be classified as. While Urban Fiction is not formally divided into types, it may be also known as street lit, hip-hop lit, or ghetto lit, among others. As the names suggest, street lit focuses on 'surviving the street'. On the other hand, hip-hop lit features characters aspiring to become hip-hop artists and often engage in various (and sometimes illegal) actions to accumulate wealth or fame. Ghetto lit includes poor and/or violent neighbourhoods that character(s) aim to either rule or escape.

Urban Fiction: The Street

The street is an important aspect of urban fiction. The street is where most of the events of the narrative take place and where the characters interact. The street can sometimes play the role of the antagonist, making life incredibly difficult for the lead character(s), who must try to survive life in the street or attempt to control it.

By elaborating upon life in the streets, the work of Urban Fiction can take a gritty, dark, or comical role. The street also adds features of realism to the narrative as authors try to accurately depict life in these neighbourhoods, sometimes to explore and dismantle stereotypes. The language of Urban Fiction is also given 'local flavour' by featuring specific dialects or colloquialisms unique to the urban environment and its population.

Urban Fiction: Conclusion

Urban fiction today is a popular genre with a large readership, especially among adolescents and young adults. It grants a voice to marginalised groups at the fringes of society, elaborating upon their rich and diverse lives and cultures. Although many authors of Urban Fiction have self-published their works or worked with indie (independent) publications, the genre has become popular enough to infiltrate mainstream publishing across many different formats, including illustrations and comic or manga-like strips.