Vampyres of All Kinds Abound on Earth

 

I learnt something quite interesting today.

 

I like older books - classics. They are generally safe to read, which was always the best part; and the plot and humour and drama tended to be more to my taste. The men were gentlemen, the women ladies - all was right with the world.

Actually, for the most part, I had only read classics and old books, so this was my normal outlook on life. Sadly, times have changed....

 

But as much as I love the characters and people in older books, so often there isn't enough. The character I like best is there for perhaps on chapter. My favourite scene is poorly written and expanded on. My least favourite character would be so much better if a few things were changed....

 

But plaigerism is something worse than other forms of stealing - especially as I am a writer and the idea is simply.....horrific.

 

My darling characters and scenes, taken and rewritten by another? Simply because there is an aspect of them the reader did not like?

 

However, recently, there was a film made about Pride and Prejudice, marrying the classic with zombies.

 

Against my better judgement, I'm actually intruiged. Vampyres would have been better - but I ever prefer the more elegant and intelligent of antagonists. it gives me something to distract my mind with.

 

But. But. How do filmmakers do that?

 

How many adaptations of Dracula are there? Over two hundred films, second only to one other character. And how many times has Sherlock Holmes been returned to mediums of entertainment? More than two hundred in film alone.

 

And those are just the two most commonly adapted.

 

Then there's Frankenstein, faery tales, Jane Austen in general - and on, and on, and on....

 

But - they're taking characters and scenes and entire plots from books!

 

Now, of course, they can negotiate with the holders of the copywrites - but what when no one holds it? How does one manage it then?

 

Well, apparently, the characters and plots within a story under a lapsed copywrite are...fair game? So as long as one takes inspiration from the public domain subject, then one is protected from bloodsucking lawyers.

 

Which at least explains why people can continue remaking things like Sherlock Holmes and Dracula - they merely have to endeavour to keep their works of fiction separate from modernly copyrited fanfictions. Such as in the event of Elementary and Sherlock.



 

 

 Alright - Elementary should never have been produced.

 

That is just...wrong. On so many levels.

 

On a side note though, I just realised a few weeks ago that shows like Merlin, Sherlock, Elementary, and especially The Hobbit (alright, not especially - but that irks me immensely. I still can't believe it...) are actually fanfiction.

 

And who says fanfiction isn't really writing.....  HA!!  They make money off of it!! Of course, they also got the iea first, so there is that.....  *sighs*

 

And I think The Hobbit is still copyrighted. Which is probably a good thing. Maybe.

 

But PJ!!  WHYY????

 

 

 No one does.....  Probably money. I don't care. LOTR was terrific - The Hobbit needs to be properly remade. But! But! Lee is dead now!!!

 

You had one chance and you squandered it....

 

However, it is a thought.

 

I do enjoy a good vampyre story. As I said, there's something elegant about them - or at least there was.

 

Unfortunately, there are....flaws (stated briefly elsewhere....) with modern vampyres. They're not nearly as enjoyable.

 

I should read Stoker's Dracula. I've been meaning to anyway, given that it's apparently a classic - but perhaps I could write modern vampyre stories.

 

They couldn't possibly be worse than other author's attempts.

 

I'd hope not at least. I may think myself to be a horrid, scatter-brained author; but at least I have some confidence in my abilities.