There May Be Blood, Mr. Lincoln

| Casey Wyatt

Happy Friday everyone! Be sure to visit me at the Scribes today for – The Art of Letting Go.

Regular visitors to this blog (and the 7 Scribes) know that I love movies, books, and television shows. My tastes are all over the place –  ranging from Downton Abbey to Shaun of the Dead.

Over the past few years, there have been several books that re-imagined fictional and historical people/events with an injection of supernatual beings. Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, Android Karenina, and coming to you this weekend in movie theaters – Abraham Lincoln,Vampire Hunter.

When I first heard about the books, I was amused. I even read Pride, Prejudice and Zombies. It wasn’t really my cup of tea. So I passed on reading anymore paranormal spoof novels. Being a paranormal author, you’d think I would love these books. But I don’t. It could be that I have very little time to read. Or it could be that I wasn’t in the right mood to enjoy the book.

Who knows?

I do love Christopher Farnsworth’s Nathanial Cade novels. There is a vampire and a president. Except the premise is more unique and more plausible (I know. Laugh. We are still talking suspension of disbelief). The vampire works for the president. As opposed to the future prez hacking up the undead.

The verdict is out on the movie version. I may go see it in the theater. Or I may catch it on HBO. We’ll see.

In the movies, President Lincoln, may be a bad-ass vampire slayer. But this is how I prefer to think about him: as a bad-ass president.

 

What’s your take on literary classics with a supernatural twist? Any plans to see Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter?

24 thoughts on “There May Be Blood, Mr. Lincoln”

  1. I’m not sure if I’m going to see the movie because seeing President Lincoln portrayed as a bad-ass vampire slayer shatters my image of him. I presume if there were vampires roaming the country at the time of his presidency I’d probably be extremely happy that he possessed that talent.
    Great post.

    1. Yeah, that’s the rub for me to Janna. Which is why I will probably wait to catch it on HBO (or whatever channel gets it). I think I’d spend the whole movie focused on the Abe Lincoln thing. And I do agree, if there were vampires, I’m glad he could take them out!

  2. I’m in complete agreement with you, Casey! I tried P, P, and Z and when I realized I was looking forward to the parts that were most similar to Austen’s original I gave up on it and gave it to guy friend (in his 70’s) and he loved it. But then, I was one of those kids who all of one thing on my plate before moving on to the next. I was a purist. Which is weird because now I blend genres all over the place like you do. Go figure! 🙂

    1. Hi Frankie! I think the thing that annoyed me most about P,P, and Z was the illustrations. All their outfits were Victorian, not Regency. After I noticed that the history nerd in me just rebelled and it really turned me off the book

  3. I’m not a fan of rewritten classics. Probably a sign of my age. However, I read a bit from Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter and loved it. Had this been a rewritten classic, I wouldn’t have been interested, but a twist on history or alternate history works for me–if it’s well written

    1. Good point Tarah. Maybe I should give the book version of Abe Lincoln VH a try. I know, sooner of later, I’ll end up watching the movie. It still is an action flick. I’m just not ready to pay at the theater (not with so many other better choices out there!). Thanks for stopping by today! 🙂

  4. I read the book and will see the movie, hoping to enjoy the movie more than I did the book.

    1. Please let us know how you like the movie. I hear they changed one of the characters (dropped Poe in favor of one of Lincoln’s friends).

  5. I tried to read the book and could not get through it. I like the premise, though, and I don’t think it takes away from the real Lincoln’s legacy in any way. I think it was pretty clever of the author to take a larger than life figure like Lincoln, and make him a superhero. I am looking forward to the movie, but I’ll probably wait for DVD. I’d rather spend my movie-going money on Magic Mike!

    1. Magic Mike – Yay! That comes out June 29th. Woohoo! This is one of the few exceptions where I will see a movie just for the hot guys.

  7. I haven’t read any of the spoof novels. I did try to read another of the author’s books, and I couldn’t get past the second chapter. It just didn’t engage me.

    I really have no opinion on the movie one way or the other. I’ll watch the reviews and then make a decision about seeing it or not. But I *do* love Abe. Awesome man–thank goodness for his wisdom and leadership.

    And he had seances in the White House! What’s not to like? 🙂

  8. Abe Lincoln is my favorite president. When I was doing research for Plantation Hill (romance that takes place during the Civil War), I had the chance to learn a lot about the strong man who held this country together. That’s the image I want of him. I probably won’t be going to see it, but it I did, it would only be to see how they depict the era. I think the Civil War, although the loss of life was tragic, was one of the greatest moments in out nation’s history.

    1. I agree with you there! The civil war was a defining moment for our country. Abe kept the union from falling apart. Did you ever read April 1865 by Jay Winik? It’s a fascinating book about how both Lincoln and Lee (his surrender and refusal to engage in guerilla warfare) saved the union.

  9. I could not care less about Abraham Lincoln vampire slayer. I think I am all vampired-out.

      1. Oh… I’ll read your book, honey. But fanfic? Not all that interested.

  10. Hubs and I are seeing Abraham Lincoln today. Mostly because, today, it amuses.

    Actually, I love it when history is turned on its ear. Alternate, paranormal history? Awesome! But then, I wrote steampunk, so maybe that’s it?

  11. I’m going, too. I’m a sucker for an imaginative action movie. I’m okay with Lincoln van Helsing. I’m also okay with what I call “gimmick Shakespeare,” (Hamlet on a motorcycle, the Cold War Macbeth), too.

    1. Hi Rhonda. Please let me know how you like the movie! And I love your ideas – especially Cold War Macbeth. You should write that book. 🙂

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