Changings aspects of fictional creatures?

[AkumaTakeshi]

Hey guys I was hoping you could tell me what are your thoughts on changing some particular aspect of a fictional creature? Like Stephenie Meyer with the sparkly vampires (curse you !!!).

For now I'm going to focus more in possibilities for different kind of zombies so bear with me a bit.

- For example what would you think of smart zombies? If the disease was well explained and all. They could lose emotions but still be able to think a bit. It would be fine to change a trait or it would be better to invent some kind of new creature or hybrid one?

- Other change could be that when the zombie feasts on their delicious diet of brains and flesh they would regenerate their rotting flesh. What do you think about that? To supplement the first idea they could retain sanity or become more smart as a zombie when eating their victims brains.

So in conclusion, change traits and break some rules or create a different creature?

Well this is research for an idea I had to a book (my first attempt at writing), but don't worry it will probably be free if I really write it but if all goes well it can become a trilogy or something similar.

Well give your opinions and ask for opinions yourself if you're thinking in changing some aspect of a fictional creature.

[Jeff Rivera]

I think as long as it's well explained or makes sense for the story and world that you've created, you can alter certain aspects.

As odd as Stephanie Meyer's sparkly vampires were, the idea worked for some people. I personally find a spin on a fictional creature that's been done to death refreshing when done right.

[mr ploppy]

Do whatever you want to do with them, but stray too far and traditional zombie fans will hate you just as much as traditional vampire fans hate the sparkly ones. I never really understood this brain eating thing myself, seems a bit far fetched to me when there are much easier parts to get at. That seems to have come from Return of the Living Dead, which was one of the worst zombie films ever.

[AkumaTakeshi]

I understand that the eating brains part isn't practical too. I mean how they gonna crack open your skull to reach them? Only by brute force and slamming your head against the wall or floor and even so I guess it wouldn't be that easy, but they can still feed on the flesh of the living

*edit* but in my case I think it would be more practical because they would retain some knowledge on how to use instruments.

Thanks for your opinions so far, if more people want to hop in I would appreciate

By the way I normally don't mind changes on creatures, but sparkly vampires are just too ridiculous. What? Did they mated with ponies or something? And they're so emotional and sensitive. Oh well, better not talk about it

[VydorScope]

It really depends... if you are changing a minor trait its one thing... but if your making some change to a core thing that defines the creature, then you should just make a new creature.

So what is the core of a zombie? Well im not an expert but i would guess they are dead and rotting, and want to eat people. I would think dumb is probably also core, but what if yours get dumber with time? I.e. they start off with some intelligence, and then it fades but they can slow down the fade by eating brains? I dunno... not a zombie expert. But I think the principle applies, as long as what ever is the core of a zombie stays in tact then changing the fringes is not uncommon.

[AkumaTakeshi]

Ye the changes I was thinking are probably too great, but it will be hard to do a zombie like creature without being one.

[VydorScope]

Or you could start them off as normal zombies and then something happens to them to mutate them in to the new generation of super-zombies. Its your world, your rules.

[AkumaTakeshi]

Was already thinking about doing that, but the way I found to do it, at least some zombies had to be already a bit smarter than usual.

Maybe if it's only 2 or 3 in a group of 100 it isn't too bad. I don't know. Anyway I will put all my ideas on paper (actually Word ) and I can always check them later. As I read somewhere, something that seems completely nonsense at the time may prove useful later.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by AkumaTakeshi

Was already thinking about doing that, but the way I found to do it, at least some zombies had to be already a bit smarter than usual.

Maybe if it's only 2 or 3 in a group of 100 it isn't too bad. I don't know. Anyway I will put all my ideas on paper (actually Word ) and I can always check them later. As I read somewhere, something that seems completely nonsense at the time may prove useful later.

You introduce a crazy doctor that changes them... or what about cyborg zombies?

[crich70]

You wouldn't be the 1st to change some details. Bram Stoker for example re-created the vampire with Dracula. At one time their fangs were for ripping a victims throat out rather than biting ala Dracula and they didn't look so good as our old friend 'the count' does either. And I'm sure a lot of the 'traditional' look for vampires owes a lot to Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula in the 1930's as well. The so called 'traditional' appearance of monsters isn't always as old as we might think.

[AkumaTakeshi]

Hum so, who wrote about the original vampires? Thought Dracula was the traditional one. Oh well you learn something new everyday.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by crich70

You wouldn't be the 1st to change some details. Bram Stoker for example re-created the vampire with Dracula. At one time their fangs were for ripping a victims throat out rather than biting ala Dracula and they didn't look so good as our old friend 'the count' does either. And I'm sure a lot of the 'traditional' look for vampires owes a lot to Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula in the 1930's as well. The so called 'traditional' appearance of monsters isn't always as old as we might think.

Not quiet true. Varney the Vampire, for example, which was released in 1845 was had the puncture wounds from the fangs,has hypnotic powers, and has superhuman strength. He appears to have been the source for Bram Stoker's inspiration.

Vampire legends go way way back though, and vary greatly across cultures. The modern concept appears to have grown out of the Victorian era... but to your point authors do shift monsters... but my point is that it is not usually all at once.

No law says he cant try, and its been done before... its his world.

[AkumaTakeshi]

Well it will be my world but I don't want people to hate me and yell at me

I would feel just honored to have someone read something I wrote but it would be good that they enjoy it too

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by AkumaTakeshi

Well it will be my world but I don't want people to hate me and yell at me

You will always get someone doing that, whatever you write about.

But if you call them something else you would get copyright over them, even if they did do a lot of the things that zombies do. You could still get the zombie audience by putting some hands thrusting out of a boarded up window on the cover.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

You will always get someone doing that, whatever you write about.

But if you call them something else you would get copyright over them, even if they did do a lot of the things that zombies do. You could still get the zombie audience by putting some hands thrusting out of a boarded up window on the cover.

Yep like mr ploppy said you can't please everyone. There will always be those who have a complaint about something new whether it's a twist on a fictional character type or something in the real world.