Linkage

[sartorias]

frumiousb has a thought-provoking riff on illustrating the other, or fiction inside a culture not one's own

Comments

[slobbit]

*sigh*

It's been suggested to me that one thing that might be preventing sales for me in the short market is that I *do* show an authentic view of Japan. Ambiguous endings. Bittersweet. Not happily-ever-after. Not pretty, or Anime, or what people expect.

Different, but not Weird in the sellable way.

As for the Heian. Pfft. Give me the Sengoku Jidai. And a woman with an attitude and a 7ft pole arm to back it up.

[sartorias]

What put me over the edge finally was samurai vampires.

[asakiyume]

That seems to be a formula: cool role (e.g., samurai, rock star, ninja) + vampire

EVerything seems to be vampires, from what I hear.

[sartorias]

At least it could be zombies! Samurai zombies, now there's a high concept idea.

[sollersuk]

You have hit on one of my own pet peeves. I find far too much of what I tend to refer to as "stuffing modern attitudes into period costumes".

And I've never yet come across anything where the characters are impoverished Samurai hanging out in Edo, which would be a great setting.

[sartorias]

rachelmanija told me about a fascinating city where there are quakes every day, and a volcano is still flowing. I'd love to read something set there.

[ambyr]

And I've never yet come across anything where the characters are impoverished Samurai hanging out in Edo, which would be a great setting.

It's set in the provinces and it's a movie, but--have you checked out Twilight Samurai? Lovely depiction of the beginning of the Meiji Restoration from the perspective of a very poor Samurai on what would end up being the losing side.

[slobbit]

I haven't seen Twilight Samurai yet, but it was recommended to me by several members of my traditional school of Japanese swordsmanship. Which says something.

**illustrating** the other

[asakiyume]

the word "illustrating" got me thinking of picture books...

I've seen so many picture books that are telling Japanese tales and then get key details wrong (shoes in the house was one particularly jarring one, but the kimonos closing in the wrong direction is one I often see)--sometimes, if the illustrations are really bad, the costumes are a mish-mash of Chinese and Japanese. The reverse happens, too, with stories about China.

Then I think of the really beautiful picture books of Iwasaki Chihiro, illustrating Japanese folk stories like "The Crane Maiden" or "Urashima Taro"... so pretty:

Re: **illustrating** the other

[sartorias]

Mmmm gorgeous!

[sartorias]

Only if it's not a Sad Dead Dog story. I graduated from those in grammar school, and I won't go back!

[april_art]

It sounds as if this is more like a Greyfriars Bobby story, rather than Old Yeller...

[sartorias]

Ah, that's different. I've had it with Old Yller, Lad a Dog, and all the rest of 'em.

[bummble]

Neither the link to the post nor the one to the journal work for me. :-(

Have you read 'Number9Dream', by David Mitchell (one of my favourite writers at the moment)?
After a slightly bewildering start, it's really a wonderful novel, and reads very 'true' Japanese for me. Something about the casual details, the way things are mentioned but not always explained, works very well.
Plus, it's an excellent book.

Of course, it helps that the author is married to a Japanese woman and has lived there for (I think something like) eighteen years.

[sartorias]

Thanks--I believe the links are fixed now.

I haven't! But it's going down on the list.

[bummble]

Yes, they work now, thanks!

Ha, a fellow Dutchie-who-doesn't-read-much-Dutch, apparently....

[bummble]

Er, except not a Dutchie, but an American expat.