A frivolous but amusing reworking of classical literature which introduces the benefits of contemporary technology.
The works of Jane Austen, the Brontes, Shakespeare, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Dickens, Trollope and many others could be enlivened, reanimated, made accessible to a younger audience, and - most important - dramtically shortened, by the judicious insertion of mobile phones, GPS, antibiotics, defibrilators, tasers, concealed recording devices, CCTV and the contraceptive pill.-- 8th of 7, May 12 2010 Jane Austen's colossal death robot Jane_20Austen_27s_2...sal_20death_20robotTime-shifted literature [nineteenthly, May 14 2010] Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century http://www.youtube....watch?v=Nkn8n18yS7A [Jinbish, May 14 2010] Ulysses 31 http://www.youtube....watch?v=fgJ4qYP44Rk9 centuries later than Sherlock Holmes, and with top theme music. [Jinbish, May 14 2010] Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter http://www.firstsho...oln-vampire-hunter/Rather than bring a story into a different time, just add other "previously untold" stuff to it. [Jinbish, May 14 2010] Moby Dick in Space http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakugei [Jinbish, May 14 2010] "Journey to the West" in the future http://en.wikipedia...Saiyuki_%28manga%29 [Jinbish, May 14 2010] "The King Is Dead" episode of Family Guy at wikipedia.org http://en.wikipedia...s_Dead_(Family_Guy) [phoenix, May 14 2010] Start with Romeo and Juliet, I think. Give the poor kids mobile phones. With unlimited texting. After that, maybe see to it that Hamlet's father got an autopsy with help from a good toxicology lab. [+]-- gisho, May 12 2010 Hmmm, apart from the obligatory inclusion of Shakespeare, classical, for you seems to span a rather narrow period of time (not to mention they're all British).
Anyway, good idea. [+] not for the product but for the process. Interesting to discover where, exactly, it's impossible to rework something. Some works'd be irremediably spoiled by particular technological innovations.
I've thought this before about cellphones; and that most classical fiction won't work without the implicit assumption that death is inevitable. Some day, medical advances will make it all as inaccessible as Chaucer.-- mouseposture, May 12 2010 Right, Shakespeare's a bad example, since "modern dress" productions are pretty baked. I also recall a movie version of Hamlet where Polonius, as he briefs Ophelia to spy on Hamlet, is wiring her for sound.-- mouseposture, May 13 2010 //most important - dram[a]tically shortened// <Waiting for Godot> Vladimir: "Where's Godot then?" Estragon: "Dunno." Vladimir: "I'll give him a call." [takes out phone, dials number and puts it to his ear whilst Estragon sits down and starts to remove a boot]. "Oh, hi Godot, it's Vladimir. Me and Estragon are waiting for you and you're late....What do you mean Vladimir who? Vladimir! You remember the guy who..." [takes phone from ear and looks at it in disgust]. "He hung up!" Estragon: [Pausing from his boot removal, he looks up at Vladimir] "So he's not coming?" Vladimir: "I guess not." Estragon: "Well there's no point in hanging around here then is there!" Valdimir: "Well, not really, no." Estragon: [Pulling his boot firmly back onto his foot, he then stands up] "OK, I'll see you around some time. Bye!" [exit stage right Estragon]. Vladimir: [desolate] "Yeah, OK. Bye then." [He dejectedly removes his hat and looks at the inside] [/WfG]-- DrBob, May 14 2010 Who can forget Agatha Christie's "Key M for Murder (standard geographic charges may apply)" ?-- coprocephalous, May 14 2010 This is similar but not identical to my idea, to which i link.-- nineteenthly, May 14 2010 Watson- 'How did you know it was Colonel Snedmelling Holmes?
Holmes - 'Well, firstly I checked his last number rediall function on his cell phone. It was evident that he was the last person to speak to Miss Scrimble based on the time of the call. Secondly I found a post on 'VictorianStrumpets.com' on the Colonel's PDA which showed Miss Scrimble in a rather revealing nurses outfit. This lead me to believe she was in fact on the 'game' to use the expression of the day. Of course the Colonel could not allow his illicit affair with Miss Scrimble to become public - the shame would be the end of him. Thus he strangled her with a length of hose in the parlour!'
Watson - 'Incredible - thats exactly what the CCTV shows, by gods man you've done it again.'
Holmes - Yes, yes my dear man. Now be a good fellow and pass me the electronic scales and a needle, I feel some what peckish for a bit of the old Morrocan brown................'-- S-note, May 14 2010 " ... regret to announce a further indefinite delay in the departure of all flights due to continuing volcanic ash clouds ... "
"What do you reckon, Passepartout ?"
"Face it, boss - we're fucked."-- 8th of 7, May 14 2010 Around the world in one day?-- nineteenthly, May 14 2010 <with apologies & not quite literature but definitely classic> Atop the Empire State Building the monstrous ape watched in apprehension as two large jet liners flew headlong towards him on a seemingly suicidal trajectory...-- DrBob, May 14 2010 //Atop the Empire State Building the monstrous ape watched in apprehension as//
King Kong: United States Goalkeeper.-- Jinbish, May 14 2010 I detest your selection of works. First of all, it's short. If you want to list your favorite authors as if you've learned something whilest watching this planet, then you better show off and show off good. This here is confusing because I'm starting to think you're an idiot and, thus far, I thought you were a Borg Genius. Shame on me. Also, you throw Shakespeare in halfway through as if, ooooh yes. That guy! How could we forget. Silly afterthought, or veiled attempt to fatten the list? Perhaps accociative reasoning with said celebrities will garnish more buns? If so, then you've come a long way with your human condition, because caring about what strangers think is what we do best. C'mon. Nobody needs to waste their time knowing who you read in highschool and college. I'm sorry, I'm being moot here, but [-].-- daseva, May 14 2010 I think that's a tad harsh, [daseva]. If you don't like the anachronistic insertion of technology to classical literature then fair enough (or you think that it's been done)- but I think that's a lot of criticism just because the poor drone chose a small list with certain authors.
On saying that, [8th], the idea isn't particularly new. Retelling stories with new stuff (such as technology) is a staple in cartoons & comics.-- Jinbish, May 14 2010 //Around the world in one day?//Orbital speed, a tad over 80 minutes.-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 14 2010 The Comedy of Error Messages.
The eBayer of Venice.
Henry VI, parts I, II & III boxed set.
Troilus and Cressida - Director's Cut.
MacIntosh.
As You Skype It-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 14 2010 I don't believe //retelling stories with new stuff// is really the idea here. I think the idea is to attack the "timelessness" of great literature by demonstrating a dependence of plots on transient technological details that change from one century to the next. Vandalism, fundamentally.
"A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, many times, and everybody's tired of it now. Prentice emptied his bladder, gazing dully at the contrail, then went back to bed."-- mouseposture, May 15 2010 // I'm sorry, I'm being moot here //
Wethinks somebody got out of the wrong side of their regeneration unit today....
// a dependence of plots on transient technological details //
Fair point.-- 8th of 7, May 15 2010 Sp: Usthinks.-- nineteenthly, May 15 2010 random, halfbakery