As someone who has written a little too much Sookie fan fiction that she is proud of even as she wonders why? I really like this post.
I like to remind people that I read most of Harris and one book of Twilight pretty grossed out- that mind control, and sexual repression and rape-dressed-sexy or dressed like love really do a number on my psyche and make me throw screaming meemies. But it would be more fair to note that I still did read quite a bit of Harris and still wanted to play in her sandbox even if I did hold the rude and arrogant opinion that I could do it better.
Your post, as you try to unravel the fascination, is fascinating. To me, the world that contains the vampire is fascinating- a world with soft edges and dark spots on the map. I guess I always assumed (like I did with Harry Potter) that Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse were less about the story and more about a large mainstream audience forgetting its sci-fi/fantasy hang ups. There's a lot of sci-fi/fantasy that's really very bad. But the good stuff can tell the story of the human condition more universally (if not more honestly) than the best memoir. Fantasy comes from fairytales and fairytales all tell us how we go about growing up and becoming a Man, a Woman, a true Human Being. I was thinking about this when you wrote about all ways we've seen vampires in media. They've become all sorts and raise questions by getting things right or getting things wrong or getting things wrong in front of an audience who forgives them anyway.
I hope some mothers did appreciate your input at the bookstore. Maybe some (or many) didn't and bravo to them for sticking to their guns as well. For me, if I had a 13 year old daughter, I'd pop in True Blood which masquerades very convincingly as vampire porn before I'd hand her Twilight. Granted, that might backfire if she was too young to realize it meant to be sad in gross when men and women put infatuation over their own lives.
I digress. Your post was wonderful. The monkey's paw will always be horrifying. And Caroline will always be wonderful because the first thing she said was, "I remember" and I was completely convinced, had she still just been sweet, jealous, human Caroline she still would have kicked his ass.
I guess I always assumed (like I did with Harry Potter) that Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse were less about the story and more about a large mainstream audience forgetting its sci-fi/fantasy hang ups.
Eeeenteresting. Because, as you point out, sci fi and fantasy allow storytellers to communicate and comment upon the human condition in a way realistic fiction doesn't accommodate, and both Rowling's and Harris' series are (to varying degrees) morality tales about prejudice and violence against those who are different, and therefore considered to be "less human."
I'm not sure what lesson we're meant to learn from Twilight, if any - I never finished the series, though I'm familiar with the events of the later books. Maybe Meyer wants us all to get married young and have eerily precocious babies? That's probably the least offensive interpretation, actually.
I was completely convinced, had she still just been sweet, jealous, human Caroline she still would have kicked his ass.
Word. Caroline's arc this past season was a wonderful surprise, and it's endeared the show to me even more.
I like to remind people that I read most of Harris and one book of Twilight pretty grossed out- that mind control, and sexual repression and rape-dressed-sexy or dressed like love really do a number on my psyche and make me throw screaming meemies. But it would be more fair to note that I still did read quite a bit of Harris and still wanted to play in her sandbox even if I did hold the rude and arrogant opinion that I could do it better.
Your post, as you try to unravel the fascination, is fascinating. To me, the world that contains the vampire is fascinating- a world with soft edges and dark spots on the map. I guess I always assumed (like I did with Harry Potter) that Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse were less about the story and more about a large mainstream audience forgetting its sci-fi/fantasy hang ups. There's a lot of sci-fi/fantasy that's really very bad. But the good stuff can tell the story of the human condition more universally (if not more honestly) than the best memoir. Fantasy comes from fairytales and fairytales all tell us how we go about growing up and becoming a Man, a Woman, a true Human Being. I was thinking about this when you wrote about all ways we've seen vampires in media. They've become all sorts and raise questions by getting things right or getting things wrong or getting things wrong in front of an audience who forgives them anyway.
I hope some mothers did appreciate your input at the bookstore. Maybe some (or many) didn't and bravo to them for sticking to their guns as well. For me, if I had a 13 year old daughter, I'd pop in True Blood which masquerades very convincingly as vampire porn before I'd hand her Twilight. Granted, that might backfire if she was too young to realize it meant to be sad in gross when men and women put infatuation over their own lives.
I digress. Your post was wonderful. The monkey's paw will always be horrifying. And Caroline will always be wonderful because the first thing she said was, "I remember" and I was completely convinced, had she still just been sweet, jealous, human Caroline she still would have kicked his ass.
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Eeeenteresting. Because, as you point out, sci fi and fantasy allow storytellers to communicate and comment upon the human condition in a way realistic fiction doesn't accommodate, and both Rowling's and Harris' series are (to varying degrees) morality tales about prejudice and violence against those who are different, and therefore considered to be "less human."
I'm not sure what lesson we're meant to learn from Twilight, if any - I never finished the series, though I'm familiar with the events of the later books. Maybe Meyer wants us all to get married young and have eerily precocious babies? That's probably the least offensive interpretation, actually.
I was completely convinced, had she still just been sweet, jealous, human Caroline she still would have kicked his ass.
Word. Caroline's arc this past season was a wonderful surprise, and it's endeared the show to me even more.
Reply
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