A few days ago, I dropped in on a reading by Seth Grahame-Smith, co-author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the new bestselling tale about the genteel fight against the shambling undead. He was pretty cool. I told him about my blog, so if he's reading this now, hi.
He didn't read much from his book though. He can't really, since there are huge sections of it he had almost nothing to do with, but that left time for a lengthy question and answer period. First question, "When's the movie coming out?" Sorry. He's not supposed to talk about it.
He discussed the uproar from loyal Jane Austenites, their horror at what he's done to this classic work of literature. There are people out there who've spent their entire lives pouring over every word this woman ever wrote, but even they have to admit that yeah, the book is actually pretty funny.
The new stuff has a decidedly modern tinge to it. I'm pretty sure Austen didn't know much about kung fu or zombies, but the way they're written in stays consistent with the tone of the period and the spirit of the original. Elizabeth Bennet has always been a fighter, but now that fight becomes a bit more literal. Reading the book in high school, I remember thinking Mister Darcy was my kind of guy. Now that he's trained in the deadly arts with the finest ninjas in Kyoto, we have even more in common.
I can't believe Seth has a frakking bestseller. It's crazy, no? You think this zombie stuff might be catching on? I forgot to get a picture of us together, like I did with Scott Browne, but look how he signed my book:
