Misplaced Pages

Mashup novel: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 17:43, 1 November 2012 editJack Sebastian (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers13,997 edits this needs some re-working in order to remain viable as an article.← Previous edit Latest revision as of 13:56, 16 August 2024 edit undoOrchastrattor (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users9,910 editsNo edit summary 
(127 intermediate revisions by 56 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Non canonical parody without continuity with the original}}
{{inuse|2 hours}}
{{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 ==
A '''mash-up novel''' (also '''mashed-up novel'''), is a work of fiction which combines a pre-existing text, often a classic work of fiction, with another genre, such as ] into a single narrative. 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 web|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|work=Chapter & Verse|publisher=Christian Science Monitor|accessdate=1 November 2012}}</ref>. These "twists" often include horror fiction elements like ], ] or ].
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>
==History==


== History ==
The term ] or mash-up originated within the ].<ref>Rojas, Pete. "". August 1, 2002. Accessed Wednesday, January 2, 2008.</ref> (also '''mesh''', '''mash up''', '''mash-up''', '''blend''' and '''bastard pop/rock''') 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>, 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>
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''.


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."


== Exemplars ==
'']'', 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>
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>


An earlier novel, '']'' by ], was a 2004 novel combining the ] style of ] with the ] of ]'s ].
==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.


== Copyright issues ==
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.
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 ].


== 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:


{{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>}}


==Examples==
==Copyright issues==
{{more citations needed|date=May 2022}}
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== ==See also==
*]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"
*]
|- valign="bottom"
*]
! Title !! Authors !! Publisher (Year) !! Original text / Historical figure !! Genre
*]
|-
*] – authorised, sometimes ], mixing of characters or worlds from originally separate ]s for new story.
| '']'' || ] || ] (2004) || ] || ]
**] in comics.
|-
*'']''
| '']'' || ] & ] || ] (2009) || '']'' || ]
*] – non-] expansions within the ].
|-
*]
| '']'' || Jane Austen & ] || Quirk Books (2009) || '']'' || ] legends
*'']''
|-
*'']''
| '']'' || ] || Quirk Books (2010) || characters from ''Pride and Prejudice'' || Zombie fiction
|-
| '']'' || Seth Grahame-Smith || ] (2010) || ] || ]
|-
| '']'' || ] & 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
|-
| ''] ]: ]'' || ] || 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
|-
| ''Mansfield Park and Mummies'' || Jane Austen & ] || ] (2009) || '']'' || ] fiction
|-
|''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After''||Jane Austen & Steve Hockensmith || Quirk Books (2011) || Characters from ''Pride and Prejudice'' || Zombie fiction
|-
| ''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 73: 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: