Bella's Favorite Book

I don't think I've made it a secret that I'm not really a fan of the Twilight franchise. (Yeah, I know. I'm going to probably have my YA Writer card revoked.)

But I thought it was quite interesting when I was browsing the Teen section of the bookstore the other day, and came across this cover.



The version I saw had a sticker that said "Bella's favorite book." I found it very interesting that HarperTeen issued a reprint of Emily Bronte's classic "Wuthering Heights" with a very Twilight-esque cover...especially when you consider that Little, Brown is Stephanie Meyer's publisher (not Harper). But hey, I guess everyone wants to cash in on this gravy train.

(Personally, I think Harper should just cash in on some teen vamps they've already contracted...our very own Mel Francis' "Bite Me" totally rocks. And I'm not just saying that because she's my friend. It really does kick some Twilight butt.)

Anyway, I guess I really shouldn't complain. Anything that gets kids interested in the classics is A-Okay by me.

Hmm...I wonder if one of the reasons I never could relate to Bella was that I always sort of couldn't care less whether Cathy and Healthcliff perished on the moors or not. I know it's probably sacrilege, but I couldn't stand "Wuthering Heights."

But hey, to each her own.

What do you think about the new "Wuthering Heights" cover?

Fanfic, sequels, and Twilight...oh my!

A fanfic author has decided to take her "Twilight" tribute out of the fanfic world and actually sell a "sequel" to Stephanie Meyers' best-selling series.

There's a pretty good summary of the issue here:
http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/1201887.html

The author, who appears to also be her own publisher, is trying to claim she's safe, arguing that Meyers' characters are not copyrighted "because she never drew them or hired an artist to draw them."

*smacks head*

She argues that "copyright law will only protect the characterization of a fictional character if the character is portrayed in a copyrighted work." Um, and her point would be what?

Now I know you're going to bring up the whole point about the fanfic world. There are tons of fan fiction stories out there. (Please note, however, that this is not traditional fanfic, in the sense that this writer is commercializing on her fanfic, or at least attempting to do so.)

However, most copyright scholars would argue that it is technically a violation of copyright because you're taking someone else's characters, world, and materials and using them without permission. One of the exclusive rights of the copyright holder is the right to make derivative works. That said, fanfic has been a cultish thriving cottage industry ever since Star Trek, though one even could call the various “pastiches” of Sherlock Holmes fanfic. One reason it’s frequently ignored by the studios and networks is because it helps to stir up enthusiasm among fans.

There are some creators, though, who really hate it and a few people who campaign loudly against it, claiming that if you write fanfic, you can never be considered a “real writer.”

That being said, some authors are flattered by the proliferation of fanfic and grant implicit or explicit licenses. For example, Neil Blair, an attorney with the Christopher Little Literary Agency, which represents J.K. Rowling, indicates that Ms. Rowling is “flattered by genuine fan fiction,” and as such, she has unofficially sanctioned some fan fiction sites by leaving them alone. To those sites that feature adult material, her agents have sent sharply worded cease-and-desist letters.
As for the example of fanfic in the Buffyverse, when asked what fans should do with their extra hour when Buffy was going off the air, Joss Whedon replied “Write fanfic.”

Some writes, like the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, actually collected and edited fanfic, then put out a quite successful series of anthologies of fanfic stories. She said she was explicitly allowing new writers play in her world (called Darkover) and it opened the door for a number of now-successful writers to become known in their own rights. However, she is rumored to have been sued by one of her fan fiction writers, and withdrew support of fanfic in later years.
Some authors have found that fanfic only serves to increase the economic viability of the underlying work, as the fanfic community gobbles up more and more copies of the original story.

Some people argue that fanfic falls into the category of “parody” and is therefore protected under copyright.

I don't have time to get into a discussion of copyright law on here (darn day job getting in the way...you know, the one where I happen to be an intellectual property attorney), but suffice it to say that Stephanie Meyers and Little, Brown publishing house are going to have a field day with this one.

*settles in and pops some popcorn*

Vamps, Weres, Hype, and Choices

Well, dawn broke and you better be careful where you step... those shards are sharp. Stephanie Meyer's blockbuster smash Breaking Dawn is creating quite a buzz. And some critics are making, I think, pretty valid points about concerns of a subtle message of abuse. Others insist the book is ultra-conservative and anti-choice. And some are even accusing Meyer of racism.

Check out the blogosphere:

Dear Author Discussion

Alisa Valdes Rodriguez Discussion

SBTB Discussion

Jezebel Discussion

You know, I think the accusations of racism are ridiculous. I am not troubled by the notion that a book for teen girls might be pro-pregnancy without being anti-choice or particularly pro-life. I AM a bit troubled by a few other aspects of the series that don't seem to be getting as much press.

I'm troubled that Edward is nearly 100 years old, and he's dating a 17 year old girl. So he looks 19 or so. He isn't. And he's condescending, controlling, melodramatic, and has some pretty solid stalker tendencies.

Ok... it's fiction... but still. This isn't really a love story. It's alleged to be a story about hope and love, but really it's a bit of an angsty celebration of dark and broken luuurve and how "nobody gets us" and we're special so we get to transcend and be creepily dark and brooding ever after but really we're all happy cuz it's luuurve.

Erm. K.

It wasn't my cup of tea, though I did think the world building and story were finely crafted. I felt the characters were a tad silly and very unrealistic as teenagers, even nearly-100-year-old teenagers. I was relieved to find many teens I respect agreeing with me. PHEW!

But if you love luurve stories with creepy vampy stuff, and if you love luurve stories with a bit of humor and some weird twists, and if you love a good bit of world building, I can recommend an alternative.


Have you discovered PC and Kristin Cast?

OMG you SO need to. I picked up Meyer and yeah... The Twilight Saga has its merits, but it's not my thing. What the Casts-- a mother daughter writing team and how cool is THAT?-- accomplish (at least in my view) is the world Meyer couldn't sell. In their House of Night Series we get teenagers who sound and act like teenagers, even those with unusual and often spectacular powers. One of the things I immediately liked about the series was the respect paid to Cherokee traditions (my dad is Cherokee) without exploiting them.

The Casts have done something fascinating with their vampire finishing school setting. When teens plucked from the main stream are Chosen to fulfill their destiny, they don't get a guarantee. Zoey Redbird enters this world and finds herself facing greater challenges as she discovers greater gifts. But at its simplest, this series is really a metaphor for adolescence itself-- vampyres have to make it through The Change. It comes without warning; those who survive become full fledged vamps, those who don't die in agony. This is really the secret crux of young adult fear and angst: we all want to grow up, but we all want to stay young forever, too. The tension between longing for freedoms and powers awaiting us in adulthood and wishing to cling to the safety and freedom from responsibility that is youth makes for a heady pull of opposites. There is freedom in lack of responsibility, too. But the ultimate freedom comes in embracing the fear and owning yourself, whatever hard choices may come.

I loved the first three House of Night books, and can't wait for the next (due out in September) for this, among many, reasons. But even if they weren't brilliantly crafted, they're smart and funny. That's one combination I can never resist.

It's all about choice in the end. Meyer certainly has many loyal readers, and I own her books, too. But lest we get caught up in the hype and criticism, remember there are other choices. Making them is the ultimate exercise in personal empowerment, and what young (or old) adult can't get into that?