The biggest difference between Urban Fantasy and Elfpunk is that Elfpunk only uses Faerie creatures. But they don’t have to be of the Celtic persuasion, they can be Norse, Japanese, Slavic…the options are endless. The creatures stay as close to the original mythos as possible and any differences are explained as part of the world building. That means when writing Elfpunk you have to do your research thoroughly. (Though you should be doing your research anyway.)
But how is Elfpunk different from books with Faeries in it?
Ah, that’s where the “punk” comes into play. There are some very good, accurate, and well researched stories out there using Faeries that aren’t Elfpunk. Elfpunk isn’t always full-on dystopian like cyberpunk, but there’s often themes of rebellion, of fighting against society and challenging social norms. These stories can get dark and gritty.
The term “Elfpunk” got popular in the 1980s and 1990’s when there were some great “rock and roll elf” stories on the market. One of my favorites is Gael Baudino’s Gossamer Axe. Elfpunk can be for any age group and doesn’t necessarily have to even be in this world.
So there you go, that’s Elfpunk.
Suzanne Lazear, Author 