Dawn of the Literary Mashup

Put on your thinking caps, dear readers. SRSBZNZ is going to be srsly intellectual today, because we're talking about the phenomenon known as the "literary mashup" (LM). This isn't the first time we've done a post on this topic: a little while ago, we published a brief review of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. We still haven't finished the book, and for various reasons, we probably never will. But before we delve into those reasons, it might be useful to discuss what a "literary mashup" actually is.

Essentially, the LM mixes your favorite works of literature with sci-fi/fantasy tropes. A cursory search on Amazon suggests that zombies are the trope du jour, with vampires getting an honorary mention:

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
• Jane Bites Back.
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim.
• The Undead World of Oz: L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Complete With Zombies and Monsters.
• Mr. Darcy, Vampire
  

We could go on, but we think it's clear from the list that the LM is a growing genre. But what does that mean for the world of literature? According to one literary blogger, the LM is a good thing, because it proves that culture has become a democratic enterprise. Anyone can now reinterpret books that were once the purview of snobby scholars working within the ivory tower of the university. Other bloggers have suggested that LMs will encourage audiences to read the original work of literature that the book is based on.

Well. Those are pretty hefty things to attribute to a novel about zombies. We at SRSBZNZ obviously love zombies (figuratively speaking, of course.) And we love literature. But like sex and alcohol, sometimes two enjoyable things just shouldn't mix.

To us, LMs are gimmicky. Writers and publishers seem to be adding blood, brains, and monsters to Jane Austen simply because it's "cool" to update literature in this way. Although classics need to be constantly reinterpreted in order to survive, the gratuitous addition of violence and horror underestimates the intelligence of readers. It suggests that without gore and pop culture references, we won't expose ourselves to literature voluntarily, because our generation is lazy, and we possess the attention span of a gnat (EDIT: we at SRSBZNZ admit that we're easily distracted. But not when it comes to literature.)

Another point: why can't we promote the merits of literature on its own terms? Why do we need to add monsters to Mark Twain's text in order to convince people that Huck Finn is actually a good story? It's akin to HarperCollins slapping a Twilight-esque cover on classics like Wuthering Heights and declaring the novel "Bella's Favorite." Barf.

LMs do have their good points. It takes a certain amount of ingenuity and wit to rework the opening line of Pride and Prejudice into this: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains will be in want of more brains.” And LMs do have snazzy titles. But whether or not a literary mashup can stand as an interesting novel in its own right is debatable.

Having said all this, we at SRSBZNZ will probably continue to read LMs in the hope of finding The One. After all, people continue to mix sex and alcohol all the time, and sometimes - if the stars are aligned - it can be really awesome.

A Note to Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

When Zachary Quinto suggested that he would be leaving the Star Trek franchise and retiring his Vulcan ears, fans nearly went into cardiac arrest. ZQ has thankfully clarified his statements, but the internet furor got us thinking: if ZQ's Spock is something that we definitely want to keep in the sequel, what sorts of things could we do without? Behold: our wish list for the next ST movie.

Things We'd Like to See in the Sequel

1) Christine Chapel and Janice Rand

ST: TOS never lacked women in its cast, and we're not just talking about Kirk's love interest of the week. Besides Uhura, there was also Christine Chapel and Yeoman Janice Rand. The addition of these beautiful, professional women would be a nod to the old series and a nice way of balancing the number of dicks currently on the dance floor (thanks Flight of the Conchords!) We briefly heard Dr. McCoy bark out Chapel's name in the reboot, so we know that she's on the Enterprise somewhere. Plus, it would be highly entertaining to see Janice Rand's basket weave again.

2) Moar Scotty

Puir wee Scotty. He never gets enough love. Simon Pegg is one of our favorite actors ever, but next to his extremely attractive cast mates, he tends to get overlooked. We'd love it if Scotty had a moment in the next sequel in which he could really shine: for example, TOS Scotty showed his bad-assery by dismantling tubes and wires that threatened to blow up the entire ship. We also wouldn't be adverse to a Scotty/Uhura relationship. It's canon, has the attraction of a beauty-and-the-geek romance, is infinitely more palatable than the Spock-Uhura travesty, and is one way to transform Scotty from mere comic relief to an emotionally complex character.

3) Kirk Being the Genius We Know He Is

In the first movie, we were told that Kirk was the only "genius-level repeat offender in the Midwest." We've already seen Kirk's unique style of leadership emerging in the first film, and we can't wait to see what sorts of villains and conflicts the scriptwriters create in order to show the evolution of the young Captain.

4) Spock and McCoy Bickering like an Old Married Couple

The good-natured rivalry between these two characters gave TOS some of its greatest moments. Honestly, we just want to see McCoy rib Spock about his alien background, and then see Spock lay the verbal smack down on the good doctor.

5) Interiors of the Enterprise

Most of the action in the first film takes place on the bridge or in the hallways of the Enterprise, with brief sojourns to the Engineering Room, Transporter Room, and Sick Bay. Nevertheless, we think that an inside peek at the Captain's quarters, the Officers' Mess, or Sulu's famous botanical garden in the sequel certainly wouldn't go amiss.

Things We Could Really Do Without

1) The Spock-Uhura-Kirk Love Triangle

Please, scriptwriters, for the love of God. PLZ JETTISON THIS TERRIBLE PLOT DEVICE. Kirk has no time for a serious romantic relationship - the Enterprise is a jealous mistress, after all - and he's got to start developing a closer connection with his First Officer (which won't happen if he's too busy looking up Uhura's skirt.) And we're still not convinced by Spock/Uhura. If the first film had done a better job of setting up their romance, we'd have less of a problem. As it is, the teacher-student vibe squicks us out, and the turbolift scene looked like Spock was rejecting Uhura's advances rather than confirming their love. We can't figure out the point of their relationship. Please. No more.

In Defense of Hikaru Sulu: An Asian in Hollywood

I love Hikaru Sulu. Although the Enterprise pilot has never been as popular as the Holy Trinity (Kirk-Spock-Bones), I am one of those fans who have made Sulu her personal Chuck Norris. As one fellow admirer said, "Hikaru Sulu wakes up to Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' every damn morning. Just before drinking hot lava, slicing some redshirt in half, and driving his spaceship through the ravaged corpses of other lamer ships." Nevertheless, a Livejournal discussion amongst fans proves that not everyone is happy with JJ Abram's reinterpretation of the iconic character. For example:

FAN #1: I just hate how they were like, "Oh, you're Asian? Let's give you a sword! Phaser? Nonono. You're Asian, silly!"

FAN #2: Now is it because he's Asian, or because swords are the coolest weapon and he is the coolest dude?

I'd like to think Fan #2 won that argument. Nevertheless, Fan #1 brings up an interesting issue: does Hikaru Sulu perpetuate Asian stereotypes created by Hollywood, or does he defy them? As someone with Chinese ancestry, I understand Fan #1's feelings: the film industry has a dismal track record of casting Asians in roles that don't involve some form of chop suey, a weird accent, or in most cases, both. Still, I'm going to argue that the characterization of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek XI is extremely positive, which fits perfectly with Star Trek's all-inclusive, utopian vision.

In Hollywood, there are two common stereotypes of Asians: "the strong, silent" Asian and the extremely voluble, "funny-man" Asian. The former is usually found in Westernized kung-fu movies; their conversational skills are limited to grunting and harrumphing in response to other people. In contrast, the "funny-man" Asian provides comic relief by babbling in his native language and broken English (Jackie Chan, I'm looking at you.)

How does Sulu in the reboot film measure up to these stereotypes? It's true that the pilot isn't a talkative character. When Spock calls Sulu out on his parking break whoospie, the latter's only response is to silently release the external inertial dampener and say, "Ready for warp, sir." However, is this reticence such a bad thing? I think not. I think it merely emphasizes Sulu's calm, professional exterior in spite of his embarrassment, which is a unique character trait and not a reinforcement of an Asian stereotype.

OK, but what about Sulu's sword? Isn't that just reinforcing the myth that all Asians know martial arts? In the original series, Sulu is shown as an 18th-century swashbuckler at heart with a love for fencing. Giving an Asian character a European hobby is a bold move that plays against stereotypes. Unfortunately, fencing foils don't translate into effective Romulan ass-kicking instruments. Hence the sword. As for the "funny-man" Asian, Sulu unquestionably has a sense of humor: his quip to Kirk about "fencing" proves that he's a witty mofo. However, we laugh at Sulu because of his deadpan humor. His race is a non-issue in the movie, and is never used as a launching pad for comic relief.

Having said all this, maybe I'm missing the point here. Perhaps what makes Sulu unique is that he embodies the most positive aspects of these stereotypes: a cool, unruffled exterior and an ability to kick ass. As a result of these traits, Sulu becomes a character defined by his personality and talents, not race. Fan #2 recognized that fact, and I think such characterization would have made Gene Roddenberry proud.