Dark Fantasy: sub-genre or marketing ploy?

In recent years a new sub-genre has appeared in UK bookshops. Always located close to the Science Fiction & Fantasy shelves, the proudly labelled "Dark Fantasy" section contains a somewhat strange mix of books, mostly written by women.

But what IS Dark Fantasy? Is it a bona fide sub-genre? Or is it a marketing term, used to cover the range of paranormal romance/urban fiction/young adult titles that have proliferated since the success of Twilight, aimed at the post-Harry Potter generation of female readers?

Wikipedia gives a definition of sorts, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_fantasy] but starts by stating

"A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down."

The entry goes on to say that

"The term itself may refer collectively to tales that are either horror-based or fantasy-based."

but what DOES seem clear is that there is a supernatural element, be it monsters, magic or a combination of both. Classic books such as Dracula by Bram Stoker or Grimm's Fairy Tales fall into this definition as they straddle the divide between Horror and Fantasy. They contain elements of both and have sinister undertones, as do the works of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P.Lovecraft. By the same definition, Stephen King - particularly his early novels, like Carrie and Salem's Lot - could be classified as Dark Fantasy; so too many books by Neil Gaiman, Angela Carter, Clive Barker, Tanith Lee or Anne Rice. Yet these authors are not to be found on the Dark Fantasy shelves.

So what do the booksellers and publishers classify as Dark Fantasy? Well... from recent browsing in my local Waterstones [one of the last remaining UK chain of bookshops] it seems to be a combination of Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, light Horror and Young Adult books - mostly written by women and largely aimed at women too. I sometimes wonder if this section has been created in the light of the Twilight phenomena, a marketing ploy to capture the (mainly) teenage readership of the popular Stephenie Meyer series.

The feisty, 'kick-ass' female protagonist protecting the world from the 'evil' supernatural beings is a popular theme. There are a number of long-running series that fit in this category - the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, the Anita Blake novels by Laurell K. Hamilton or the Women of the Underworld series by Kelley Armstrong for example. Another series that is similar is Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, however, the protagonist here is a male wizard and you will find these books shelved in the general Science Fiction & Fantasy section, not under the heading of Dark Fantasy!

A high proportion of Paranormal Romance books can be found in the Dark Fantasy section. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunter series, J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood novels and Christine Feehan's Carpathian series are some of the more well known examples, all involving some form of the vampire mythology. But it isn't all 'sexy vampires'. P.C. Cast's Goddess Summoning series draws from Celtic and Greek mythologies. Atlantis is the basis for the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter. But in all of these series romance is a central theme, with the the mythology and worldbuilding providing context. However, it is fair to say that the background and history of the central characters, whether they be ancient Greeks converted to Dark Hunters by Artemis or Atlantean warriors, is worthy of any speculative fiction novel. It is the emphasis on romance that places these books firmly in the marketing section 'Dark Fantasy' thus keeping them well away from the sword and sandals aficionados and the space opera fanboys!

So, in conclusion, it seems clear that what is now labelled 'Dark Fiction' in UK bookshops today is a marketing construct, catering for the current fashion for vampires (mainly of the non-sparkly type, thankfully!), werewolves, shape-shifters etc. with a loosely romantic plotline. The publishers and booksellers are keen to feed the appetites of the older teenage/early 20's women, now that the Twilight series is complete. Five years ago this section didn't exist, now it commands 4 or 6 columns of shelves in my local shop, albeit tucked away around the corner from the 'real' Fantasy and Science Fiction. Dark Fantasy is quickly becoming speculative fiction's 'dirty little secret' and is dismissed (or completely ignored) by many  genre commentators. Yet there are some very good writers tucked away there. One thing I would suggest, however... if Gail Martin, Poppy Z Bryte, Nancy Collins or Tanith Lee were starting out today, would their books be classified as Dark Fantasy?