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{{Short description|Non canonical parody without continuity with the original}}
A '''mashup novel''', or '''mashup book''' (also '''mash-up'''), is a work of fiction which combines a pre-existing text, often a classic work of fiction, with a certain popular genre such as ] or ] narratives. '']'', which combines ]'s classic novel '']'' with elements of modern zombie fiction, is certainly one of the most famous and successful works in the genre, and has been credited with spawning a rash of imitations.<ref>Kehe, Marjorie. October 6, 2009, '']''. </ref>
{{about|a novel's unauthorised adaptation but set in an alternative fictional universe|an authorised combination of separate fictional universes|crossover (fiction)}}
A '''mash-up novel''' (also called "'''mashup'''" or "'''mashed-up novel'''") is an unauthorised non-] work of fiction, often ], which combines a well-known pre-existing literature text with another genre. The term was popularized in reference to ] writer ] and his work on the classical novels of ].


== Characteristics ==
The term "Mashup" was borrowed from the world of computers and music, as Adam Cohen stated in his '']'' editorial about ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'': "The idea of combining two data sources into a new product began in the tech world (also think music remixes) and is spreading — including to book publishing."<ref>Cohen, Adam. . April 13, 2009, '']''.</ref>
Marjorie Kehe of the '']'' renders this admixture of classic text as "somewhere between 60 and 85 percent original text, with new plot twists added by contemporary co-authors".<ref name=CSM0115>{{cite magazine|last=Kehe|first=Marjorie|title= 'Android Karenina': no end in sight to mash-up novels|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/0115/Android-Karenina-no-end-in-sight-to-mash-up-novels|magazine=Chapter & Verse|date=15 January 2010|publisher=Christian Science Monitor|access-date=1 November 2012}}</ref> These "twists" often include horror fiction elements like ], ] or ].


While most works in mash-up genre rely on fictional texts as their basis, other works like '']'' or '']'' superimpose the same sort of contrasting genre upon historical figures and events. A more recent phenomenon within the genre is the combination of more than two original works, or genres, as in the case of ''Robinson Crusoe (The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope)'', which combines the ] with elements borrowed from the works of ] as well as the popular genre of ], and is accordingly attributed to three authors – ], H. P. Lovecraft and Peter Clines.<ref>Clines, Peter, Daniel Defoe, and H. P. Lovecraft. ''The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe''. {{ISBN|978-1934861523}}. Permuted Press, 2010. Print.</ref>
==Genre==
Mashup books are seen as distinct from ] novels like '']'', and ] like '']'' or '']'' since they do not merely make fun of the original text, or tell an alternative version of it, but also introduce the themes and characteristics of a wholly different genre.


== History ==
While most works in this genre (or cross-genre trend) rely on fictional texts as their basis, other works like '']'' superimpose the popular genres over historical figures and events. A more recent phenomenon within the genre is the combination of more than two original works, or genres, as in the case of ''Robinson Crusoe (The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope)'', which combines the ] with elements borrowed from the works of ] as well as the popular genre of ], and is accordingly attributed to three authors - ], H.P. Lovecraft, and Peter Clines.
The term ] or mash-up originated within the ].<ref>Rojas, Pete. " {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617042328/http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2002/08/01/bootlegs/index.html |date=2006-06-17 }}". August 1, 2002. Accessed Wednesday, January 2, 2008.</ref> Also called "mash-up", songs within the genre are described as a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another.<ref>Geoghegan, Michael and Klass, Dan (2005). ''Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting'', p.45. {{ISBN|1-59059-554-8}}.</ref> To the extent that such works are "]" of original content, they may find protection from copyright claims under the "]" doctrine of copyright law.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602194555/http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/fair-use/best-practices/online-video |date=2010-06-02 }}, American University, Center for Social Media</ref> Adam Cohen of the '']'' notes that even before that, "the idea of combining two data sources into a new product began in the tech world" before spreading to other media, including book publishing.<ref>Cohen, Adam. . April 13, 2009, '']''.</ref>


One of the term's first appearances is in a review of ]'s 2009 novel '']''. Initially calling it a "parody" and "literary hybrid", Caroline Kellogg, lead blogger for ''Jacket Copy'', '']''{{'}} book blog, later describes the work as "novel-as-mashup".<ref name=JC4409>{{cite web|last=Kellogg|first=Carolyn|title='Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' by Seth Grahame-Smith: The undead meet Jane Austen in L.A. author's horror mashup.|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-zombies4-2009apr04,0,4685367.story|work=Jacket Copy|date=4 April 2009|publisher=Los Angeles Times|access-date=1 November 2012}}</ref> As the popularity of the novel grew and a bidding war commenced over the ] to the book, the term spread. Subsequent works on classical literature include '']'' and ''Little Women and Werewolves''.
==Publishing trend==
], an independent publisher which achieved great success with ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' in April 2009, followed it up with several more mashups of literary classics and in 2010 introduced its "Quirk Classics" imprint made specifically for the genre. Other publishers soon joined in the trend, as Jennifer Schuessler pointed out in a December 2009 ''New York Times'' piece on the phenomenon:
: ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' has spent eight months on the New York Times best-seller list, spawned several imitators and injected some fresh blood -- and male readers -- into an Austen industry dominated by gauzy romances. Goodbye, ''The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy.'' Hello, ''Mr. Darcy, Vampyre,'' '']'' and ''],'' a prequel to ''Zombies'' that lists Austen as an author despite the lack of what Hollywood types refer to as "participation."<ref>Schuessler, Jennifer. . 13 December 2009, ''The New York Times''.</ref>
Several notable publishing houses including ] and ] also started publishing books in the genre, while some smaller publishers such as ] began flooding the market with rashly-made zombie or vampire themed versions of famous works in an attempt to cash in on the fad (similar to the ] phenomenon in film).


Prior to publication, the artwork cover for ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' depicting a "zombified" ] portrait of Marcia Fox by ] altered by ] artist Eric "Doogie" Horner to show her lower face eroded, exposing bone and viscera caught the attention of bloggers,<ref name="JC4409"/> as did the opening line of the novel: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." This is a parody of Austen's original line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man, in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
==Copyright issues==
Mashup novels constitute ]s since they include major elements borrowed from an original, previously created work. Most authors of such novels, however, avoid potential legal issues (and the payment of royalties to the original writers) by basing their books on texts that are in the ]. One notable exception is ''The Late Gatsby'', which combines ]'s '']'' with a vampire narrative - since the original text is still protected by the ] (until 2020) in the United States, the book was published outside the U.S. and remains unavailable to its residents.<ref></ref>


==Notable examples== == Exemplars ==
As previously noted, the novel ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' combines ]'s classic 1813 novel '']'' with elements of modern ] fiction, crediting Austen as co-author. It was first published in April 2009 by ] and in October 2009 a Deluxe Edition was released, containing full-color images and additional zombie scenes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/33926/pride-prejudice-zombies-deluxe-edition-now-available |title=Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Deluxe Edition Available Soon |publisher=Dreadcentral.com |access-date=March 10, 2010}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"

|- valign="bottom"
An earlier novel, '']'' by ], was a 2004 novel combining the ] style of ] with the ] of ]'s ].
! Title !! Authors !! Publisher (Year) !! Original text / Historical figure !! Genre

|-
== Copyright issues ==
| '']'' || ] || ] (2004) || ] || ]
Mashup novels constitute ]s since they include major elements borrowed from an original, previously created work. Most authors of such novels, however, avoid potential legal issues (and the payment of royalties to the original writers) by basing their books on texts that are in the ].
|-

| '']'' || ] & ] || ] (2009) || '']'' || ]
== Reception ==
|-
While initially well-received (''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' spent eight months on the ] and ''Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'' has already been made into a feature film), at least one reviewer has suggested that the genre has run its course in popularity. Jennifer Schuessler, of '']'' reflects the pessimism of critics of the genre:
| '']'' || Jane Austen & ] || Quirk Books (2009) || '']'' || ] legends

|-
{{cquote|Publishers in search of a marketing hook aren't above trumpeting even their most middling wares as a mix of Dickens, Chekhov and Dan Brown. This year, a small publishing house in Philadelphia hit on a more effective formula: Take some Jane Austen, add a healthy dollop of gore and start counting the money.<ref name=NYT121309>{{cite news|last=Schuessler|first=Jennifer|title=Undead-Austen Mash-Ups|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E3DC1E39F930A25751C1A96F9C8B63 |department=Book Reviews|work=] |access-date=1 November 2012}}</ref>}}
| '']'' || ] || Quirk Books (2010) || characters from ''Pride and Prejudice'' || Zombie fiction

|-
==Examples==
| '']'' || Seth Grahame-Smith || ] (2010) || ] || ]
{{more citations needed|date=May 2022}}
|-
*'']''
| '']'' || ] & Ben H. Winters || Quirk Books (2010) || '']'' || ]
*'']''
|-
*'']''
| ''I am ]: A Zombie Story for Christmas'' || ] & Adam Roberts || Gollancz (2009) || '']'' || Zombie fiction
*'']''
|-
*'']''
| ''Little Women and Werewolves'' || ] & Porter Grand || ] (2010) || '']'' || ]
*'']''
|-
*'']''
| ''Little Vampire Women'' || Louisa May Alcott & Lynn Messina || ] (2010) || ''Little Women'' || Vampire literature
*'']''
|-
*'']''
| '']'' || A.E. Moorat || ] (2009) || ] || ]
*'']''
|-

| ''Jane Slayre'' || ] & Sherri Browning Erwin || ] (2010) || '']'' || Vampire literature
==See also==
|-
*]
| ''] ]: ]'' || ] || Gallery Books (2010) || ] || Zombie fiction
*]
|-
*]
| ''Robinson Crusoe<br />(The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope)'' || ], ]<br />& Peter Clines || Permuted Press (2010) || '']'' || Cthulhu Mythos;<br />Werewolf fiction
*]
|-
*] – authorised, sometimes ], mixing of characters or worlds from originally separate ]s for new story.
| ''Mansfield Park and Mummies'' || Jane Austen & ] || ] (2009) || '']'' || ] fiction
**] in comics.
|-
*'']''
|''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After''||Jane Austen & Steve Hockensmith || Quirk Books (2011) || Characters from ''Pride and Prejudice'' || Zombie fiction
*] – non-] expansions within the ].
|-
*]
| ''The Meowmorphosis'' || ] & Cook Coleridge || Quirk Books (2011) || '']'' ||
*'']''
|-
*'']''
| ''The Damned Highway: Fear and Loathing in Arkham'' || ] & Briane Keene || ] (2011) || ], ] || Cthulhu Mythos
|-
| ''Grave Expectations'' || ] & Sherri Browning Erwin || ] (2011) || '']'' || Vampire literature/]
|-
| '']'' || ] & ] || (2012) || '']'' || Vampire literature
|-
| ''Mansfield with Monsters'' || ] & Matt and Debbie Cowens || Steam Press (2012) || Katherine Mansfield's short stories || Various monsters
|-
| ''The Vampire Count of Monte Cristo'' || Matthew Baugh || ] (2013) || The Count of Monte Cristo || ] / Various monsters
|}


==References== ==References==
Line 68: Line 58:


==External links== ==External links==
* - imprint of ] dedicated to Mashups. * – imprint of ] dedicated to Mashups.
* - overview of genre and review of '']'', ], 6 September 2009. * – overview of genre and review of '']'', ], 6 September 2009.
* - ], 28 April 2010. * – ], 28 April 2010.

]
]
]


]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 13:56, 16 August 2024

Non canonical parody without continuity with the original This article is about a novel's unauthorised adaptation but set in an alternative fictional universe. For an authorised combination of separate fictional universes, see crossover (fiction).

A mash-up novel (also called "mashup" or "mashed-up novel") is an unauthorised non-canonical work of fiction, often parodical, which combines a well-known pre-existing literature text with another genre. The term was popularized in reference to horror writer Seth Grahame-Smith and his work on the classical novels of Jane Austen.

Characteristics

Marjorie Kehe of the Christian Science Monitor renders this admixture of classic text as "somewhere between 60 and 85 percent original text, with new plot twists added by contemporary co-authors". These "twists" often include horror fiction elements like vampires, werewolves or zombies.

While most works in mash-up genre rely on fictional texts as their basis, other works like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter or Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter superimpose the same sort of contrasting genre upon historical figures and events. A more recent phenomenon within the genre is the combination of more than two original works, or genres, as in the case of Robinson Crusoe (The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope), which combines the original novel with elements borrowed from the works of H. P. Lovecraft as well as the popular genre of werewolf fiction, and is accordingly attributed to three authors – Daniel Defoe, H. P. Lovecraft and Peter Clines.

History

The term mashup or mash-up originated within the music industry. Also called "mash-up", songs within the genre are described as a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another. To the extent that such works are "transformative" of original content, they may find protection from copyright claims under the "fair use" doctrine of copyright law. Adam Cohen of the New York Times notes that even before that, "the idea of combining two data sources into a new product began in the tech world" before spreading to other media, including book publishing.

One of the term's first appearances is in a review of Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Initially calling it a "parody" and "literary hybrid", Caroline Kellogg, lead blogger for Jacket Copy, The LA Times' book blog, later describes the work as "novel-as-mashup". As the popularity of the novel grew and a bidding war commenced over the film rights to the book, the term spread. Subsequent works on classical literature include Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Little Women and Werewolves.

Prior to publication, the artwork cover for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies depicting a "zombified" Regency portrait of Marcia Fox by Sir William Beechey altered by Quirk Books artist Eric "Doogie" Horner to show her lower face eroded, exposing bone and viscera caught the attention of bloggers, as did the opening line of the novel: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." This is a parody of Austen's original line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man, in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Exemplars

As previously noted, the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies combines Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice with elements of modern zombie fiction, crediting Austen as co-author. It was first published in April 2009 by Quirk Books and in October 2009 a Deluxe Edition was released, containing full-color images and additional zombie scenes.

An earlier novel, Move Under Ground by Nick Mamatas, was a 2004 novel combining the Beat style of Jack Kerouac with the cosmic horror of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

Copyright issues

Mashup novels constitute derivative works since they include major elements borrowed from an original, previously created work. Most authors of such novels, however, avoid potential legal issues (and the payment of royalties to the original writers) by basing their books on texts that are in the public domain.

Reception

While initially well-received (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies spent eight months on the New York Times Best Seller list and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has already been made into a feature film), at least one reviewer has suggested that the genre has run its course in popularity. Jennifer Schuessler, of The New York Times reflects the pessimism of critics of the genre:

Publishers in search of a marketing hook aren't above trumpeting even their most middling wares as a mix of Dickens, Chekhov and Dan Brown. This year, a small publishing house in Philadelphia hit on a more effective formula: Take some Jane Austen, add a healthy dollop of gore and start counting the money.

Examples

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Mashup novel" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

See also

References

  1. Kehe, Marjorie (15 January 2010). "'Android Karenina': no end in sight to mash-up novels". Chapter & Verse. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  2. Clines, Peter, Daniel Defoe, and H. P. Lovecraft. The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe. ISBN 978-1934861523. Permuted Press, 2010. Print.
  3. Rojas, Pete. "Bootleg Culture Archived 2006-06-17 at the Wayback Machine". August 1, 2002. Accessed Wednesday, January 2, 2008.
  4. Geoghegan, Michael and Klass, Dan (2005). Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting, p.45. ISBN 1-59059-554-8.
  5. Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video Archived 2010-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, American University, Center for Social Media
  6. Cohen, Adam. Mr. Darcy Woos Elizabeth Bennet While Zombies Attack. April 13, 2009, The New York Times.
  7. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (4 April 2009). "'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' by Seth Grahame-Smith: The undead meet Jane Austen in L.A. author's horror mashup". Jacket Copy. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  8. "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Deluxe Edition Available Soon". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  9. Schuessler, Jennifer. "Undead-Austen Mash-Ups". Book Reviews. The New York Times. Retrieved 1 November 2012.

External links

Categories: