Posted on 02/23/2009 12:39:22 PM PST by nickcarraway
These days, America is menaced by zombie banks and zombie computers. What’s next, a zombie Jane Austen?
In fact, yes. Minor pandemonium ensued in the blogosphere this month after Quirk Books announced the publication of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” an edition of Austen’s classic juiced up with “all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem” by a Los Angeles television writer named Seth Grahame-Smith. (First line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”)
Then, last week, the monster alert at Meryton went from orange to red when it was reported that Elton John’s Rocket Pictures was developing a project called “Pride and Predator,” in which the giant alien from the 1987 cult classic pays a call on the Bennet family.
Holy Northanger Abbey! Is this some mutant experiment in intellectual property law escaped from the lab? Proof of the essentially vampiric nature of today’s culture industry? Or an attempt to make Austen safe for audiences — read “boys” — raised on “Mortal Kombat” and “Evil Dead”?
According to Mr. Grahame-Smith, who confessed to being “bored to tears” by “Pride and Prejudice” in high school, the idea was mostly to sell resistant readers on the joys of Jane while having a bit of fun. The book, probably the first Austen/horror mashup to make it into print, is roughly 85 percent Austen’s original text, with references to monsters, putrefying flesh and ninja swordplay added on just about every page.
“I think Austen would have a sense of humor about it,” said Mr. Grahame-Smith, whose previous books include “How to Survive a Horror Movie.” (Rule No. 1 in a zombie attack: “Stop Being So Pathetic.”) “Or maybe she’s rolling in her grave. Or climbing out of it.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Maybe because this is one of the most conservative novels in literature?
ping!
Actually, there have been quite a few short stories published since 1980 (when I began reading SF and fantasy magazines, and purchasing anthologies of SF , fantasy,and/or horror)that have combined Jane Austen and fantastic tropes. One recent one (2007 or 2008, F & SF magazine) had Mary Austen meet Dr Victor Frankenstein. Susanna Clarke did several short stories about the Austen sisters using paranormal powers and espionage to bring down Napoleon Bonaparte. And Clarke used a "Mrs Bullworth" who was an obvious parody of Mrs Rushworth from Mansfield Park in her great novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
Now that I think of it, zombies and Mansfield Park would be a pretty good fit...
Change Mary Austen to Mary Bennet. Darn it!
Quirk Books announced the publication of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," an edition of Austen's classic juiced up with "all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem" by a Los Angeles television writer named Seth Grahame-Smith.Must be an improvement.
O-Kay then....
:Backing away slowly while keeping Mossberg at the ready:
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