Something has come to my attention today and given me the boost I needed to update this blog once more. Unsurprisingly, it is due to something I found on the internet. Even more unsurprising is that it has to do with books and the publishing industry. I think I'm beginning to sense a theme to this blog... but I won't put any labels on it because I like a little ~creative freedom~ in my life.

The topic today is: Reimagining books. What does it mean? Who is doing it? Why is it relevant?

In order to answer these questions, we're going to need some specific examples. Thankfully, there are two relevant examples in the media that are butting heads for I wish could say was the first time:

Twilight and Harry Potter.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, we have been transported back to 2008. Refresh your MySpace profile page and tug on your Ugg boots. It's time to party.

Now, before I delve in, I want to first clarify that these two franchises are using two different types of "reimagining" techniques, one of which I believe is a justified use of the term and the other is not . This is a completely biased opinion and by that I mean it is completely my own and I am 100% bringing my own thoughts and experiences into play. This post is not meant to offend or rile up anyone. I just felt like this opinion should be shared on the internet because I have a blog and it's in my right to do as such.

Good? Good.

Now onto the first question: What does "reimagining" mean? Let's turn to Google, shall we?

Easy enough to understand. Now, how are our two examples using this term? For the Harry Potter franchise, J.K. Rowling has decided to reimagine the world in terms of the artwork that accompanies the books. She (or rather, Scholastic) is doing this in a very dramatic way by releasing a fully illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. She is definitely not the first author to do this, as there are multiple examples of book-to-graphic novel adaptations out there on the market as well as illustrated editions. Potter is simply among the more recent and publicized.

For children's books especially, re-releasing certain editions with illustrations is a great way to introduce the story to children who might find reading intimidating or are simply entranced by the pictures. It is also a great marketing technique to make money - something I won't skim over because it's not only a fact but its also important. Re-releasing books makes money. Publishing houses need money to survive the same as any other business. I won't criticize that. I will, however, criticize it when the only goal of said money-making is to bring home the bacon and not to provide their audience with new, entertaining perspectives on life via the written word. Arguably, this should be the goal of any publishing company, but unfortunately that is not the case. This is a good segway into our second example of Twilight.

As I have found out today, author Stephanie Meyer is releasing a reimagined version of Twilight called Life and Death. This interpretation of "reimagining" is far different from what Potter is doing. Instead of enhancing the already ridiculously popular series in a different genre, Meyer has chosen to change the book by gender-swapping the characters and rewriting it for the books tenth anniversary (see Figure 1).

My first thought: "What the fuck?"

My second: "This is stupid."

My third was interrupted by a bought of nausea and an urge to write up this post.

Let me preface this by saying that I used to be a massive Twilight fan, like many girls in my generation before me. Then, I grew up and realized how many awful messages it was sending to young girls. And don't even get me started on the movies. But I am now 22 years old and clearly not in the demographic for teenage vampire books anymore (save for a few, which I talked about here). Young girls still love it and I have nothing bad to say about that. I've read plenty of trashy stuff in my youth - and even today. If a book entertains a person and makes them happy, why criticize? Especially when reading is considered sub-par to the growing media craze. We should be encouraging people to read, not criticizing their book choices. 

No matter how easy it might be in this context, this is not an attack on Twilight. This is an attack on how unnecessary and manipulative the franchise is being with the release of this "new" installment.

Now that the "what" and the "who" of our two examples have been identified, let's move onto the "why." Why are these two franchises reimagining their stories? What purpose is it serving? The answer is simple and unfortunate: money. I don't want to say that all of the products released with a Harry Potter sticker are only made to make money and not enhance the magical experience. I really, really don't. But money obviously has something to do with it because it has something to do with everything. The world is cruel like that. The same can be said for Twilight and the line of beauty products released during the movie hype. Anything with Twilight or Harry Potter stamped on it will fly off the shelves given the right amount of press. They practically print money for their publishers, which is both good and bad. Good, because it keeps the house going and able to release other amazing stories for book addicts and casual readers alike. Bad, because they run the risk of pissing people off if they overstep the ridiculously thin line between "applying to popular demand" and "taking advantage of a hyped fan base."

It is my opinion that Harry Potter is just below the line. These books are beloved and cherished by millions of children, teens, and adults. The story is bewitching, teaches life lessons, and is by far one of the most detailed and expansive worlds in young adult literature. So much so that there is an entire website dedicated to releasing new news about Harry's world that still brings up harrowing questions and debates that span across the world. Plus, thanks to the internet, anything has the potential to live forever as a horcrux meme (see Figure 2). It's safe to say that Harry is not going away any time soon and he and his story continue to fly off the shelves, benefiting everyone who participated in the book's creation and success - the author, their agent, the publisher, and even the fans. Think about it: If Harry Potter wasn't a successful book and movie franchise, do you really think you would have that somewhat-cheap replica of Hermione's wand on your desk? I don't think so.

Because of the longevity and continued success of the Harry Potter brand, the people responsible for reimagining Potter into an illustrated book probably didn't need to think about how to make it more marketable or change it to fit a new generation. Anything Harry Potter-related is going to sell well. It just has that "it" factor. Instead, they could focus on how to make it better without really changing anything. It was originally a children's book (arguably developing into young adult as Harry aged), so why not do an illustrated edition? It serves as a way to honor the story, reimagine it by way of hiring a new artist, and make them a decent amount of dough. Simple. Everyone is happy and excited. Money people have their money. Fans have their new edition. The line has not been crossed.

Twilight, I believe, has crossed that same line.

I think it's safe to say that the world is basically over Twilight. The last movie was released three years ago, the shock over the 50 Shades of Twilight Fan Fiction has dissolved into a light simmer after the release of the film - it's a post-sparkling vampire world out there. So with the 10th anniversary of Twilight's publication on the horizon, it's not surprising that something big was going to happen in terms of the book being reimagined. Normally when a book hits a certain landmark, such as a publication anniversary or a spot on the best seller list, the cover is changed or a special edition is released with some author's notes. If Twilight did this, it probably would have sold decently as the world was once again reminded of the long ago time when Team Edward vs. Team Jacob was more ruthless than actual professional sports teams. Old fans could collect the new edition and have it stand against their bookshelf. All would have been well.

A gender-swap? A rewrite? That's a whole other story. 

While the book has yet to be released, it seems like the story will remain exactly the same only with the roles reversed. Meyer is quoted as saying: 

Meyer also confessed that the idea came to her when she was faced with people calling Bella a typical "damsel in distress." Instead of defending her character, she decided to write a story with the man in the front seat. I won't go into why I don't agree with that for the sake of my already aching fingers.

Doing another story in the same universe? Go for it. Writing another vampire book? Sure, go ahead. Releasing a companion graphic novel to compliment the original plot? Excellent. But literally rewriting the same exact plot with the perspective shifted and claiming it's to "reintroduce" the story to a new generation is lazy and a clear manipulation of two major audiences: the past and future fans. If the point was to reintroduce the story, it would have made sense for book shops to put on nice shining displays to commemorate the milestone. Maybe Meyer could have written a short story to include as a bonus, as Life and Death was originally meant to be. That would have achieved the same effect without having to "write" 400 more pages. I put quotes around "write" because, well, nothing new is being brought this story. The plot is the same. The characters are the same, save for their new body parts and, probably, their thought processes. 

I won't lie and say that the premise of a girl vampire seducing a mortal boy isn't interesting. It would have been interesting on its own, in a new story. Even if it was written by Stephanie Meyer, I would still be a little intrigued because it goes against the norm. But I already know the plot of this book and that depresses me. The fact that Meyer is probably going to be making money by rewriting a story that has already been devoured by millions makes me nauseous. I don't know whether she is at fault or her publisher for going along with it.

It also makes me sad because Meyer has already proven that she is a good writer. I have read The Host twice and still enjoy it. The sci-fi/romance was a great improvement from Twilight and showed that Meyer has the potential to move forward from her controversial past (see Figure 3). With the release of this book, it is clear that she has no intention of moving forward as a writer onto new and exciting things. While Meyer probably has enough money to never have to write again, a part of me was always rooting for her to continue and come out with newer and better stories to share with the world.

"Reimagining" should be a term used for highlighting what made the book resonate with audiences. With Harry Potter, it was Harry and his magical world. With Twilight, it was Bella and Edward's forbidden love and the multiple obstacles they had to overcome before finally being happy. It was also the somewhat transparent character of Bella and how many girls - myself included - could easily slip into her shoes and imagine that we were the ones that Edward and Jacob were fighting over. By gender-swapping the story, that element is completely thrown away in favor of "shocking the world." Well, Stephanie, I am shocked. And disappointed.

If the goal was to remind the world about Twilight and continue to squeeze money out of easily-manipulated fans, goal achieved. If it was to commemorate the story - something an anniversary edition of a book should do - then it failed. So hard. In fact, releasing a "rewrite" of a story on the anniversary of the original's publication is kind of a dick move. Twilight may not be great, but it was still a bestseller. That should be acknowledged, not completely redone. Besides, isn't using the term "rewrite" giving all the haters that came with the original series a stronger argument? To me, a commemorative edition should be a giant "Fuck You" to everyone who tore it down. It shouldn't add fire to the flame.

But that's just me.

❤ Dae