Marvelous Monster Mash-Ups

The trend of taking classic novels or legends and mixing them up with monsters and mayhem has been increasing over the last few years. While it might have started with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it has not stopped there. These novels might make some purists cringe, while others might enjoy the new twist and flavor and appreciate these mash-up as good fun, as I do. I do not mourn the loss of the sacred classics; instead, I revel in the increased awareness and enjoyment of these novels and authors that the trend has provided. Here are some of my favorite mash-ups that have surfaced in the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith is my absolute favorite of all the mash-ups that I have read so far. In this mash-up, Grahame-Smith weaves vampires into the documented life of Abraham Lincoln. The work is done so seamlessly that as you read, it becomes believable that Lincoln really was out there hunting vampires. I was so impressed with the blend of history, which was well researched, that I passed my copy to my mother. She enjoyed it as much as I did and commented on the fact that it all seemed realistic while she was reading the novel. This is not an action adventure novel; although there is some found in the story, this is an amended history for Lincoln. It reads like a biography with journals, letters and photos included in the book.

Valley of the Dead: The Truth Behind Dante's Inferno by Kim Paffenroth is a novel that speculates about what happened to Dante in his seventeen-year exile from Italy that might have inspired his Divine Comedy, particularly the horrors in the Inferno. The novel reads more like an account of history or a travel log, rather than a work of fiction. The combination of historical tidbits and horrifying moments make this a fantastic read. The characters feel very real, and the horrors of the story are not always perpetrated by the monsters. Religion, morality, faith and zombies drive and merge in this thought provoking and entertaining, yet horrifying read.

Robinson Crusoe (The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope) by Daniel Defoe, H.P. Lovecraft and Peter Clines could be considered a classic in its own right. This mash-up takes itself seriously, and is creepier and more intelligent than many of the other mash-ups still flooding the market. Consider the idea that the story of Crusoe that we all know is not the truth, but that Lovecraft finds journals that uncover the full truth. Could Crusoe have really been a werewolf so full of guilt that he did not want to leave his island prison? Could the cannibals of the island be worse than we ever imagined, worshiping an ancient sea monster. The island and everything on it hold secret truths, which are reveled in this brilliant supernatural blend of Defoe and Lovecraft.

Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland is a mash up that pits a vampiric Shakespeare and zombie hunter Katherine against deadly zombies. There is a blend of Elizabethan and contemporary language, and several references to Shakespeare's work through out the story. While not as neat as some of the other mash-up, I found the humor, literary references, and hints of future works from the undead poet added a intriguing flavor to this mash-up. As an added bonus, Handeland does a great job of injecting red-hot chemistry between the characters while still offering great action and fight scenes.

Jane Bites by Michael Thomas Ford Back starts a series that features the immortal author as truly immortal. Jane Austin, Charlotte Bronte and other literary masters as really vampires, and the world has changed around them. Jane has evolved with the world and runs a bookstore, and is being published again. In the midst of promoting her book, Lord Byron returns to her life, and a crazed blogging Bronte fan accuses her of stealing the manuscript. There is both humor and more than a little insanity in Jane Bites, which made it an interesting and entertaining read. The sequel, Jane Goes Batty, continues the entertaining madness.

The Meowmorphosis by Coleridge Cook and Franz Kafka is a mash-up that deserves some extra credit. Instead of dealing with a classic that most everyone knows, and has at least some basic knowledge of, instead we are given a mash-up with a challenging piece of existentialism writing and made it more palatable and accessible. In Kafka's Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa is a salesman that feels like a stranger in his own home, and wakes up one morning to discover that his is a cockroach. In this mash-up, Samsa wakes up instead as a cute little kitten. A further mash up with Kafka's The Trial is included in the book, continuing the story of Samsa as a feline. The contrast of the depressing originals with cat antics make this a fun and thought provoking read for Kafka fans, but those with no knowledge of Kafka's work might not fully enjoy the mash-up.

Other titles that fit the genre that I have not read yet but have had recommended to me include Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen, Jane Slayre: The Literary Classic with a Blood-Sucking Twist by Sherri Browning Erwin and Charlotte Bront«, Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons by Vera Nazarian and Jane Austen, Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange, Mansfield Park and Mummies: Monster Mayhem, Matrimony, Ancient Curses, True Love, and Other Dire Delights by Vera Nazarian and Jane Austen, Alice in Zombieland by Lewis Carroll and Nickolas Cook, The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer by Lucy Weston, Android Karenina by Ben H. Winters and Leo Tolstoy, Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins and Little Vampire Women by Lynn Messina Louisa May Alcott among many more currently available or soon to be published.