Random Theory: Vampire Remix

I have an embarrassing affinity for vampire novels. Have you ever taken one of those, ‘if you were a book, what genre would you be’ quizzes? I have. It always comes up as either comic book or YA fantasy. Contrary to what it may seem – I am not a junior in high school. I think I just like the idea of magic. I like the idea that being different can be a good thing. That being different can be the most awesome thing ever.

Here’s the thing though – when you read a bunch of the same type of book – you start to see trends. You notice things that feel the same as other things you’ve read. Never has this happened to me more profoundly than when I first discovered the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

First I have to admit that I was a pretty intense Twilight Fan. I know, I know. I can feel you rolling your eyes right now. I just love the escape of a good YA fantasy. I love to be transported to a magical realm where anything can happen. I also have an apparent weak spot for a heroine who just keeps getting herself into some shit.

I read the entire Twilight series before I was introduced to Charlaine Harris’s novels about Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie came along way before Twilight. As I read through all of the Sookie vampire novels (and I do mean all of them)… I just kept getting this feeling of familiarity. And then I realized why.

And that led to this Random Theory: Vampire Remix about Twilight and Stephanie Meyer. You guys read Twilight, right? Or at least you know the premise? If not, totally go watch Minecraft Twilight in 30 Seconds right now.

Thanks for coming back. Okay, so on to my theory. Stephanie Meyer said the idea for Twilight came to her in a dream, and she just had to write it. Meyer is a strict Mormon and her vampire novels are super innocent. The Sookie Stackhouse novels, on the other hand, are sexy and violent and legitimately my favorite guilty pleasure. They are also the basis for the HBO drama True Blood. 

Meyer is actually a closet Sookie Stackhouse fan and had the idea to adapt those stories into Mormon-approved YA vampire lit. There was no dream. Unless you count the sexy dreams she was definitely having about sexy vampires after reading all the Sookie Stackhouse books. THERE ARE TOO MANY SIMILARITIES for it to be coincidence.

Do you know how successful Stephanie Meyer is? Like crazy, 100 million copies successful. Twilight is just a remix and she is still crazy successful. Which totally proves that everything is a remix and you don’t have to be original to be creative and we all have a unique contribution to make despite the fact that it won’t actually be original.