published fic

[rivendellrose]

The housemates and I had a brief discussion last night about published fanfiction - specifically, the 'real books' stuff like Geraldine Brooks' March, or the often-godawful licensed novelizations of movies/tv shows.

And today, I saw the best example ever of this: It's called Darcy and Elizabeth: Days and Nights at Pemberly.

Clearly, Victorian-era fanfic is the way to go, if you want to make something of it. On the same table at the bookstore near my work is My Jim, an account from the perspective of the wife of Jim from Huckleberry Finn. Same story, folks. Derivative fiction is not necessarily bad fiction. Hell, the frigging Aeneid was glorified fic of Homer's Illiad, and Shakespeare would barely have a play to his name if we discounted the stuff he borrowed from other people. So anyway. Fic away, my friends!

...Just consider doing it for the works whose copyrights have come up, if you want to get somewhere with it!

And since I'm already on the subject...


Equal Rites, Terry Pratchett
The Telling, Ursula K. Le Guin
Going Postal, Terry Pratchett
Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett
Daily Life in Civil War America
Joys of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta
Stiff, Mary Roach
Just Add Hormones, (also can't recall atm)
Second-Class Citizen, Buchi Emecheta
Culture as Given, Culture as Choice, Dirk Van Der Elst
The Swamp Thing: Saga of the Swamp Thing, Alan Moore etc.
The Igbo of Southeast Nigeria, Victor C. Uchendu
And a Time to Die, Kaufman
Carried to the Wall, ?
Jingo, Terry Pratchett
The Middle Man (vol. 1)
Fast Food Nation
Fantasy Girls, Elyce Rae Helford
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, vol 2, Alan Moore
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Spook, Mary Roach
Autobiography of a Fat Bride, Laurie Nataro
Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (!!!)
Rules for the Unruly

Guests of the Sheik, Elizabeth Warnock Fernea (!!)
A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
King Lear

Fruitflesh is turning out to mostly be boring and worthless. I had high hopes, but it pretty much combines the worst of writing-advice books and squishy "chicken soup for the woman's soul" type books. I normally like those, but the bad ones... boy are they bad.

My most exciting revelation from Lear so far has been the source of the name Regan. You guessed it - Simon and River's mum seems to have been named for one of Cordelia's unpleasant sisters. Fitting, no?

Comments

[reve-lucide.livejournal.com]

Have you read the Serenity novelization?

If you haven't, DON'T. Ugh.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I read part of it in the bookstore, for fun. It was... umm... wow. If somebody had put it up online, I would have been impressed with their dedication... but otherwise completely nonplused. On the other hand, that's my attitude about a lot of published novels, nowadays. "Wow, if I'd seen this on the internet, I might've been vaguely impressed." Or not, often. Knowing it made it through the publication process... just kind of depresses me.

I especially liked the part where Jayne's first thought after finding out Wash was dead was to wonder whether Zoe'd want a 'real man' now. I don't have a lot of faith in Jayne's morals, but I don't think even he's that much of a bastard.

[reve-lucide.livejournal.com]

I got it for like four bucks along with the book of essays (name escaping me atm) which is what I was really interested in purchasing, but I never did get more than a chapter or two into it. I had to quit reading once he started implying that his made up backstories for some of the characters were canon.

Which means I never got to read about Jayne's complete and utter assholishness in the face of Wash's death. WOW. That's some pretty spot-on characterization there, buddy. How much did they pay you, again?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Finding Serenity! Yes! I borrowed that book from a friend - some of the essays in there were so wonderful. As for the Serenity adaptation... I only skimmed, so I must've missed the backstory bits. What all did he say?

Yeah, it was truly impressive. In that "did you even watch the series?" kind of way.

[scearley.livejournal.com]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844163814/sr=8-1/qid=1151705886/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8789993-8327806?ie=UTF8

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Snickers* Oh, I am so not surprised....

[scearley.livejournal.com]

But she also did the novelisation of Final Destination 3!!!!!!!!

[windrose.livejournal.com]

My stepmom gave me a "sequel" to Pride and Prejudice called Mr Darcy's Daughters. I have never had the courage to read it.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Mr Darcy's Daughters? Wow. That's about as confidence-inspiring as "SON of FRANKENSTEIN!"

Not to mention causing me to wonder... what would Darcy and Elizabeth be like as parents? Hmmm....

[windrose.livejournal.com]

I looked it up on Amazon to be sure I had the title right as the copy my stepmother gave me has *cough* mysteriously disappeared. *cough* Anyway, it turns out that the author has written an entire series of books based upon Darcy and Elizabeth post P&P. I'm now wondering if the book you mentioned was part of it.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Maybe it is! This one was on the new releases table, and it looked like it focused on the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth pretty... exclusively. I'm betting it's mild erotica, honestly. XD

[windrose.livejournal.com]

I'm betting it's mild erotica, honestly.

LOL! Oh, my. That almost makes me want to read it. ;)

And no, it isn't the same author as Darcy's Daughters. I checked. *g*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I know! I'm seriously considering. I mean... really!

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Actually, I rather liked it. Let me know if I should return it. (:

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Liked which - Fruitflesh? Or one of the others?

Sorry, my brain's kind of gone splut. *Laughs*

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

"Darcy's Daughters".
My Florida Rose foisted her copy of it off on me along with a Dracula sequal called Mina. (:

[windrose.livejournal.com]

Okay, now that you've mentioned it, I remember loaning you Darcy's Daughters. Mina, otoh, does not ring a single bell. Are you sure that one was me, or am I simply getting senile in my dotage?

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I am *fairly* certain, at least. It was high quality trashy romance novel stuff, and I'm not likely to buy that sort of thing myself. (:

[cassildra.livejournal.com]

Mina was pretty good! I really enjoyed it!

[arcane.livejournal.com]

I see the point you're making about Shakespeare, but while Mr. Shake-'n-bake did borrow ideas from other people (I think he only wrote two "original" pieces) he also created his own cannon and universe for those people to live in. If a fanfic writer did that she would be tar and feathered and run out of town on a rail. Unless it's slash. Dirty fic writers.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

First off, because I'm sad like this, I have to take a moment to be amused by the mental image of Shakespeare with a cannon.

Sorry.

Anyway, I realize that comparing Shakespeare to fanfic is hyperbolic and a bit silly - that's why I felt like it was a good comparison to make for the sake of argument. It was largely a joke, but a joke that was pointed at something that I think is a serious issue in the field of literary study right now. It's just my way to make points via sweeping generalizations and exaggeration, unfortunately. No disrespect was intended to the great bard. ;)

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Did you get Smoke and Ashes?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I promise, I will post when I do. I haven't gotten a notice yet.

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Damn, I can't wait to talk to you about it!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Just one question - are you liking it?

(I'm so mad it hasn't come yet!!!)

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Am I LIKING IT????????
Holy Shit, YES!!!!