Zombies and sea monsters added to classic literature

Zombies, vampires and sea monsters have been added to classic works of literature in a new wave of horror "mash-up" literature.

By Ben Leach
Published: 7:20AM BST 13 Aug 2009

Mr Darcy, Vampyre, by Cheshire-based writer Amanda Grange, which imagines a bloodsucking private world of the celebrated romantic hero, will be released next month.

The idea for the book came while the author was watching the cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its release follows a wave of successful books about Vampires, including the Twilight and The Southern Vampire Mysteries series.

The publication of the book follows the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which has sold more than 700,000 copies and is to be made into a film.

The reinterpretation of Jane Austen's novel will be followed with the release of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and later in the autumn a third book, Jane Bites Back, which imagines the author fighting off the zombies.

The books were created by US-based publishing house, Quirk Books. Jason Rekulak, the editorial director, said he pioneered the format after meeting dozens of Austen fans at a Californian sci-fi convention.

He told the Independent that he was a "lifelong fan" of the works of Jules Verne, and thought it would be fun to enliven the follow-up with some rampaging giant squid and man-eating octopuses.

"I just thought it was a funny idea. There were concerns from our sales department who thought Jane Austen fans wouldn't like the mayhem while zombie fans wouldn't get on with the original, but so far we have managed to get both audiences," he said.

Despite some objections from Austen fans the books have been a huge success – aided by the fact that her books are no longer under copyright and so are open to wholesale reinterpretation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6019956/Zombies-and-sea-monsters-added-to-classic-literature.html