The Twilight Games

Two Bad Ass Bitches of Fiction. Well, sorta

Dear Twilight,

This past weekend I read an article in the Sunday paper about the chick who plays Katniss and the guy who plays Peeta in The Hunger Games (yes, yes, they have real, actual names, I know, Jennifer something and um, someone… sorry, I’m writing this over lunch because I have ZERO time so I’m not going to look it up) as they were here at the Mall of America causing a hullabaloo with the masses. In the article, there was this emphasis on how huge, no, HUGE The Hunger Games was and the movie already is, especially since it hasn’t even hit theaters yet.

It got me thinking… Shouldn’t Stephenie Meyers, at the very least, get some sort of credit / recognition/ nod for jump starting this series into success? I honestly don’t think that The Hunger Games would be quite the ginormous thing it is without her recommendation of the books starting right when The Hunger Games first came out.

I hear your gasps. Your “boos” your “hisses” and your “nays” (yep, we have those who go old school and still prefer to show their disagreement with nay saying).

But think about it; how did you find out about The Hunger Games? I’m guessing that the large majority of you found out about and/or read The Hunger Games because of Twilight in some way, shape or form. Right?

Katniss. Shooting Beller & Edward

Personally, I asked for The Hunger Games as a gift with the blind recommendation from Stephenie on her site (then thought I was crazy to own a book by blind recommendation after I read the coverlet… and again when I read the first few pages). Of course I did pick the book back up months later, forcing myself to give it “the old college try” (since I did already own it and all) and found, not much further into it, I was hooked. But there was probably no way, without SM’s glowing, “I couldn’t put this book down, I even brought it with me out to eat so I could keep reading”* recommendation, that I would have been sitting here, stoked about the movie (finally) coming out since I read the first book shortly after it first came out.

I am by no means saying that The Hunger Games wouldn’t have been popular. It probably would have ended up pretty big anyway. But this epic cultural phenomenon that it is before the first movie is even out? I really don’t think so. At least not yet. Without Stephenie, I think the books/movies probably would have grown like Twilight did after its first movie came about… organically.

I mean, I personally am responsible for about 20 people first hearing about The Hunger Games from me and either borrowing the book(s) from me or buying them themselves and/or for their kids. And I know that many of them have recommended them to others. All because Stephenie said she couldn’t put the book down.

So, if no one else has given Stephenie a nod for this, I will; look what you helped spawn Stephenie!

What do you think? Do you agree? Is Twilight/Stephenie responsible for you getting hooked on The Hunger Games? How about other things? Percy Jackson? Volvos? Little bottles? Jorts? Purple bedding?

TeamJacobEdward

*This is a paraphrase from memory and not a direct quote from Stephenie Meyer

I loved this letter. And thought it was QUITE TIMELY as The Hunger Games is now OUT World-wide (right? Y’all have it over across the big pond?) I didn’t read HG after reading about it on Stephenie’s website (but I remember seeing it) but it WAS through a recommendation from a friend I met right here on LTT. So Thank you, Stephenie! You owe me $11.50 if the movie sucks tonight.

After the jump, another quick Twilight-Hunger Games thought!

We couldn't talk about one without the other.... right?

Dear Twilight,

So, you might have heard about this movie, based on a young adult novel, just like you, right? Well, yes and no, sure, it’s better written, sorry, has a stronger female character, and lacks vampires and shape-shifting werewolves – and like you, it has a love triangle, the threat of death, and finding where you belong in the world. I am going to see this new movie but don’t worry, I will not break up with you.

Who knows, there might just be a Buttcrack Santa with his little minibar bottles in Panem, but I doubt it. I’m writing to let you know that the lovely commentator on NPR was doing a wee bit of Twilight bashing today – WHAT? you say!! Yes, on NPR, she is very much looking forward to the Hunger Games movie, that I can accept but did she have to belittle Twilight along the way? She called you – Crybabies – “The characters in the Hunger Games make the ones in Twilight seem like crybabies.”

I’ve read what various people have said about you, Twilight, I don’t understand the hate. Stephen King said all you are about is getting a boyfriend – which is not true. To me, you are “about” finding where you fit in the world – finding who makes you happy – where you belong – who you belong with – which is NOT trivial. So, don’t worry, Twilight, I’m not going anywhere – Just don’t like people talking smack about you.

Thanks for being you,

Julie

Awwwww… this was so sweet. I love you all. I’m super Emo right now. You know why….

(No it’s not because I watched 10 Matthew/Mary Fan vids right before posting this, although that might be part of it….)

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