This may be the old fogey in me coming to the fore, but I suspect it's probably the (mildly tortured) artist in me wanting to blow off a little steam.
My opinion of the recent mash-up trend in fiction has been previous documented - I'm against it - and I cannot wait until the day when those poor, innocent public domain novels are left alone and we see the end of those opportunists who insist on cramming zombies, werewolves, sea monsters and vampires into Jane Austen, Leo Tolstoy, H.G Wells, Louisa May Alcott and anyone else too out of copyright to do anything about it.
But things are getting worse, I think. An alarming new trend is the 'gender switch' whereby an old tale is given a 'new' twist by simply changing the gender of the protagonist. So we have Norawest Smith, Conyn the Cimmerian and Erica Joan Stark to name but three (trampling all over the legacy of C.L Moore, Robert E. Howard and Leigh Brackett).
When - or worse, where - will it end? Erica of Melnibone? Jerry of Joiry? Samantha Spade? The Continental Post-Op?
We're through the looking glass here people. (Alistair in Wonderland)
Stop you're giving them ideas.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I hope I didn't give them the idea when I (only half-facetiously) suggested they cast Lucy Lawless or Pam Grier as Conan... Still, I admit a bizarre curiosity in Conyn, mostly for how it affects the lesbian undercurrent of "Xuthal of the Dusk" and "Red Nails."
ReplyDeleteThe name is straight-out ungodly, though. Reminds me of "womyn," a term I truly despise for its lack of respect for etymology. Almost as bad as "herstory."