Bookbabble Episode 56: Cultural Imperialism and Adam West

Dec 24, 2009 by donny

Bookbabble Episode 56: Cultural Imperialism and Adam West

Recorded 7 Dec 2009
Babblers: Bjorn, Renee, Donny

Synopsis:

This is one weird, psychedelic episode.  We all came out of this one wondering what had happened.  How is this episode any different from the previous episodes, then, you may ask?  Well, among the stuff we covered: 70s/80s American TV series, Twilight/New Moon, how soon till the next Harry Potter-like phenomenon, export of popular culture from US and what Sweden and Malaysia thought of it in the early 80s, King’s Under the Dome, why Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn’t as bad as it sounds.  Also, when Bjorn is hungry, he likes BRAAAAAAAAINS.

Note: The book Donny was trying to remember when he brought up the Jane Austen mashups was Mansfield Park and Mummies.

Show Length: 1:38:50 mins

Mentioned

• A Game of Thrones, George RR Martin
• Under the Dome, Stephen King
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen
• New Moon, Stephenie Meyer

Links

• The Secrets of the Sparkle a.k.a. TWILIGHT: STONIFIED
• Bookalikes – How much harm does a bad book cover do? (Forum post)
• Adam Westing
• Gigantor
• V – Diana is a hungry alien (Youtube)
• Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot
• Stephen King ne “I Griffin”(Youtube)
• Bookeen’s Cybook ebook reader

[audio:http://m.podshow.com/media/17719/episodes/205073/bookbabbletheshow-205073-12-23-2009.mp3]

Download the show here.

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Another Austen Mashup – Sense and Sensibilities and Sea Monsters

Aug 19, 2009 by donny

From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes another Jane Austen action adventure extravaganza!  Quirk Classics is following up that infamous amalgam of classic literature with otherworldly monsters with Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

From Amazon:

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen’s biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. It’s survival of the fittest—and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!

To my surprise, this book isn’t written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who was the writer for Zombies; instead, it’s by one Ben H Winters.  This means Quirk is going full scale with this sub-genre, and with Grahame-Smith’s contracted 2 follow-up books, soon there’s going to be a flood of these things.

Actually, I thought that Zombies was pretty darn funny from what I’ve read, but there’s going to be only so much spilled guts over the quiet English countryside that one can take.  I suppose.

Anyway, back to this.  Not only do they have the Amazon snippet, they have also prepared what is now a trending phenomenon in the book publishing world: book trailers (Pynchon did one for this latest, Inherent Vice).  Here’s the one for this book:

This book will be released September 15, 2009.  Check the Amazon listing here.

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