I’m not sure exactly how the “take a classic story, insert mythical monster” genre was started (think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters), but it’s certainly taken off. Alas, the most intriguing story in the series has arrived this week. From master of the form Seth Grahame-Smith comes Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, the inspiring tale of the United States president who freed the slaves – and kicked vampire ass, Buffy-style.
The “true” history of our 16th president is finally here. Even more exciting – it looks like there will be a film adaptation (it’s reportedly already in the works).
Yes, it’s incredibly silly, but you have to admit that inserting nerdy horror elements into classic works of literature (and now, biography!) is kind of a wonderful idea. There are plenty of musty classics that I’d stand a chance of getting all the way through if my inner 5-year-old was better appeased. Imagine War and Peace and Werewolves, for example, or how about Frankenstein: Lord of the Flies. Seth, if you’re reading this, you can have those titles for a very reasonable royalty fee.
In other fantasy-tinged news, the gorgeous-looking HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin‘s epic fantasy novel A Game Of Thrones has been green lit. Fans have a lot to look forward to – Martin had quite a bit of creative control in the pre-production process, and the series itself is absolutely phenomenal. A sort of realpolitik take on the usual “swords and sorcery” tropes, it’s one of the best-written fantasy series of all time. It doesn’t hurt that the world of Westeros is populated with amazing characters, like the power-hungry (and totally hot) Cersei (played in the series by the always-awesome Lena Heady) and the badass Danerys (played by Tamzin Merchant).
The book series weighs in at 4 massive novels (with another three on the way), so there’s plenty of material to draw from if Thrones does well. I’m sharpening my sword in anticipation.
