Classic Mash-ups

BenG · 01-03-2011, 10:11 AM

What hath Pride and Prejudice and Zombies wrought?

Since its publication we have seen:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
Little Women and Werewolves
Jane Slayre
Little Vampire Women
Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter
Emma and the Werewolves
Android Karenina
Mansfield Park and Mummies
The Undead World of Oz
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
Robin Hood and Friar Tuck: Zombie Killers - A Canterbury Tale
Emma and the Vampires
Alice in Zombieland

queentess · 01-03-2011, 10:27 AM

Seth Grahame-Smith's books actually have very good reviews (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). I haven't read either yet, but they are on my tbr list. The others.... well, seems like they're just following a trend. The typical market over-saturation when something does well.

BenG · 01-03-2011, 10:34 AM

Actually, I've reads those two books. PPZ is the better one. Probably it was helped by having mostly Jane Austen's prose. Abraham Lincoln was OK. Mostly these seem to be of interest as a novelty rather than as a story in their own right.

ATDrake · 01-03-2011, 01:47 PM

They'd be vastly more interesting if anyone ever bothered to expand them beyond the standard Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves, oh my! horror movie clichés.

And maybe tried to mimic the style of the writing of the times a bit more instead of having these clunky modern-sounding substitutions into the original text. (I read PPZ, SSM, and PPZ: DotD from the library; 1st 2 were decent attempts at approximation, 3rd wasn't even trying and read like a cheap cash-in quickie.)

Some eldritch abominations wouldn't come amiss. In fact, there was a rather good Sherlock Holmes/Lovecraft anthology before all this, Shadows Over Baker Street, which spawned Neil Gaiman's excellent A Study in Emerald, available for free reading from his website. Admittedly PDF, but it mimics the look of a Victorian penny dreadful tabloid, complete with "period" ads.

That's what all these mash-up writers should aspire to.

Also, they should have more imaginativeness in the settings if they're just going to take mostly random popular elements and mix them up. Pride & Prejudice & Paranormal Investigations in the Wild Wild West, anyone? Or maybe Pride & Prejudice & Political Shenanigans in the Urban Courts of Faerie.

And finally, I can't believe no one's done a Northanger Abbey mash-up yet. You'd think that would be natural for it, what with the gothic horror mockery and all. Maybe they just can't find some properly alliterative item to "and" it with?

queentess · 01-03-2011, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Some eldritch abominations wouldn't come amiss. In fact, there was a rather good Sherlock Holmes/Lovecraft anthology before all this, Shadows Over Baker Street, which spawned Neil Gaiman's excellent A Study in Emerald, available for free reading from his website. Admittedly PDF, but it mimics the look of a Victorian penny dreadful tabloid, complete with "period" ads.

That's what all these mash-up writers should aspire to.

I haven't heard of Study in Emerald before... but now I shall have to download it as soon as I'm home -- it sounds fun.

Probably 75% of the appeal of PP&Z is the cover, which is fantastic. (The other 25% of the appeal is Zombies.)

BenG · 01-03-2011, 11:42 PM

They aren't part of the current fad, but Loren Estleman's Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Mr Holmes are pretty good.
And there's a short story call The Eldritch Horror of Oz by L. Frank Craftlove.

stop__dreaming · 01-17-2011, 04:57 AM

Just finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Am a Lincoln fan and thought it was very well written and most of all, fun to read. That's what these genre-mash up novels are all about.

BenG · 01-17-2011, 12:15 PM

I agree, but I have to roll my eyes a little after so many titles appeared in the last year.

Pickering · 01-17-2011, 10:00 PM

I've never heard of these... I think I'll check out Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!

ATDrake · 01-26-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

They aren't part of the current fad, but Loren Estleman's Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Mr Holmes are pretty good.

Orbit's been reprinting some of the older Holmes mashups as "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and I've gotten a couple via the library. Estleman's in their series list (but not yet available via the library).

Quality varies, but so far I really liked the Harry Houdini team-up by Daniel Stashower, and the Holmes/War of the Worlds/Professor Challenger three-way mashup was amusing enough.

On the other hand, Fred Saberhagen's Holmes/Dracula sequel was a bit disappointing, though I understand his original Holmes/Dracula tale is something of a minor classic.

Penforhire · 01-26-2011, 07:28 PM

Don't neglect Jonathan Maberry's "Patient Zero," a wonderful horror/espionage mash-up... with zombies!

01-03-2011, 10:11 AM	#1
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Classic Mash-ups What hath Pride and Prejudice and Zombies wrought? Since its publication we have seen: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls Little Women and Werewolves Jane Slayre Little Vampire Women Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter Emma and the Werewolves Android Karenina Mansfield Park and Mummies The Undead World of Oz Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters Robin Hood and Friar Tuck: Zombie Killers - A Canterbury Tale Emma and the Vampires Alice in Zombieland

01-03-2011, 01:47 PM	#4
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	They'd be vastly more interesting if anyone ever bothered to expand them beyond the standard Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves, oh my! horror movie clichés. And maybe tried to mimic the style of the writing of the times a bit more instead of having these clunky modern-sounding substitutions into the original text. (I read PPZ, SSM, and PPZ: DotD from the library; 1st 2 were decent attempts at approximation, 3rd wasn't even trying and read like a cheap cash-in quickie.) Some eldritch abominations wouldn't come amiss. In fact, there was a rather good Sherlock Holmes/Lovecraft anthology before all this, Shadows Over Baker Street, which spawned Neil Gaiman's excellent A Study in Emerald, available for free reading from his website. Admittedly PDF, but it mimics the look of a Victorian penny dreadful tabloid, complete with "period" ads. That's what all these mash-up writers should aspire to. Also, they should have more imaginativeness in the settings if they're just going to take mostly random popular elements and mix them up. Pride & Prejudice & Paranormal Investigations in the Wild Wild West, anyone? Or maybe Pride & Prejudice & Political Shenanigans in the Urban Courts of Faerie. And finally, I can't believe no one's done a Northanger Abbey mash-up yet. You'd think that would be natural for it, what with the gothic horror mockery and all. Maybe they just can't find some properly alliterative item to "and" it with? Last edited by ATDrake; 01-03-2011 at 01:52 PM. Reason: Keep :D from turning into smiley in title abbreviation.

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01-03-2011, 10:27 AM	#2
queentess Reading is sexy Posts: 1,303 Karma: 544517 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	Seth Grahame-Smith's books actually have very good reviews (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). I haven't read either yet, but they are on my tbr list. The others.... well, seems like they're just following a trend. The typical market over-saturation when something does well.

01-03-2011, 10:34 AM	#3
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Actually, I've reads those two books. PPZ is the better one. Probably it was helped by having mostly Jane Austen's prose. Abraham Lincoln was OK. Mostly these seem to be of interest as a novelty rather than as a story in their own right.

01-03-2011, 11:42 PM	#6
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	They aren't part of the current fad, but Loren Estleman's Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Mr Holmes are pretty good. And there's a short story call The Eldritch Horror of Oz by L. Frank Craftlove.

01-17-2011, 04:57 AM	#7
stop__dreaming Addict Posts: 202 Karma: 1211098 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bristol, England Device: Kindle 3	Just finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Am a Lincoln fan and thought it was very well written and most of all, fun to read. That's what these genre-mash up novels are all about.

01-17-2011, 12:15 PM	#8
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	I agree, but I have to roll my eyes a little after so many titles appeared in the last year.

01-17-2011, 10:00 PM	#9
Pickering Connoisseur Posts: 66 Karma: 29886 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Colorado Springs Device: Kindle 2, Kindle 3	I've never heard of these... I think I'll check out Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!

01-26-2011, 07:28 PM	#11
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Don't neglect Jonathan Maberry's "Patient Zero," a wonderful horror/espionage mash-up... with zombies!

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