Ask Drew.

[Saker]

Best wake up in the morning song?

[TripExistence]

/thread hijack

In Regards to Self - Underoath



'Wake up! Wake up, my God, this is not a test!'

So, Drew, what are your opinions on Twilight? Have you read it?

Everyone girl I know is swooning over this stupid book. And I'm trying to figure out what the big deal is.

[Saker]

Oh no! Another thread hijack!

thanks, Trudogger, I'll try that one.

And I'm one girl you (sort of) know that is fairly indifferent about Twilight. Whenever the vampires wear eyeliner, I start to get worried.

[Drewsov]

Best wake up in the morning song?

Hmmm... I prefer to wake up to something that I love to have stuck in my head, so probably Radiohead's Nude or Call Me A Dog by Temple of the Dog.

If I'm going high energy, it's gotta be Sleep Now in the Fire by Rage.

/thread hijack

In Regards to Self - Underoath



'Wake up! Wake up, my God, this is not a test!'

So, Drew, what are your opinions on Twilight? Have you read it?

Everyone girl I know is swooning over this stupid book. And I'm trying to figure out what the big deal is.

I've not read Twilight. My sister has, and experience has taught me that any book that she absolutely loves and raves about like she has this series is not something I'm going to like. I'm all for Gothic horror, but it's gotta be original. And to the best of my understand, Stephanie Meyers is ripping of Anne Rice. Rice did it better, was there first, and, oh yeah, started a cultural movement (which is pretty disturbing, so let's let that thought die right there).

Twilight is, essentially, a novel about teenage angst. Not only that, but it has a sex-symbol male vampire in it, so, you know, the little girls who read the book can have expectations for men to be raised higher and higher! There's no explanation of the cultural significance of the physically perfect vampire, or why he must be that way, no hint of the irony that lurks beneath the surface of such horror.

[Saker]

It's eight thirty here in DC, and my brain isn't turned on yet. What did you mean by that last paragraph? Necrophilia is bad?

[sparquay]

Do girls who read Twilight dream of their boyfriends biting them in the neck or something? I would think that would be pretty painful actually. I'm not seeing the draw towards the Twilight series either.

And so for a question...
Where can you get the best; coffee, pizza, and scenic views?

[Strider]

Would you rather me call you Drew than Scott?

[Drewsov]

It's eight thirty here in DC, and my brain isn't turned on yet. What did you mean by that last paragraph? Necrophilia is bad?

Ugh. Tried answering this yesterday, but things got hectic quicky...

Okay.

Basically, I mean that the general readership of the book is not likely to understand the subtle use of irony and social satire regarding the vampire legend in the book. The male characters are presented as physically perfect, as is tradition for that type of story. The female characters are, too, but that isn't necessarily aimed at the target audience. The age of the readership reduces them to a lack of understanding, which, in turn, might men seem even more idealized than the likes of Disney and Zac Efron could ever hope to do on their own.

[Drewsov]

Do girls who read Twilight dream of their boyfriends biting them in the neck or something? I would think that would be pretty painful actually. I'm not seeing the draw towards the Twilight series either.

And so for a question...
Where can you get the best; coffee, pizza, and scenic views?

I really hope that the female readers of Twilight don't want that. Then again, that's like asking me if, since I read and enjoyed the Silence of the Lambs, I would want to eat some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

Best coffee? Well, when I get my fix, I tend to hit up Starbucks. But that's not really the best coffee, just the most accessible. The place with the best brew near my house is a place called Novo Coffee. They tend to have a good, dark, roast.

For pizza, there's a place called John's in Manhattan. Freshest pizza I've ever had. Freaking awesome.

And scenic views? Well... I'm partial to the ocean, so the 1 in California has some awesome views. In the state where I live, Trail Ridge Road has some awesome views from up high.

Would you rather me call you Drew than Scott?

Either/or.

[Strider]

What author has influenced your writing the most?

[Drewsov]

What author has influenced your writing the most?

The easy answer would be Stephen King. Ask Nix, and he'll tell you the same, right, Nix?

In all seriousness... yeah, probably King has. I read a ton of his stuff in my formative authorial years (i.e., high school); I like to think, however, that others have as well. Dennis Lehane, Oscar Wilde, John Steinbeck, Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman and Cormac McCarthy have all influenced me on different levels, but, much as I hate to admit it, King is probably the author that I will inevitably be compared to. Which is why I work so hard at avoiding his style.

[Chozon1]

Why so afraid?

[Drewsov]

Why so afraid?

Of King's style?

Because King is a pulp writer, and I strive to be more literary. I have immense respect for the man and love his work, but I'd prefer to be seen coming out of a different school of writing. Maybe postmodernism.

[Saker]

Are there any vampire books you like besides Anne Rice? I've never cared for her myself. Like she says, she isn't really writing monster stories, she's writing about 'lost souls.' I tend to get bored with the philosophizing. And the depressingness. I want to yell "Get a life, you loser! Suck it up, Louis!" Of course, to be fair, I've only read Interview with the Vampire. I don't know what the rest of them are like.

Aaaaand, I'm turning your Q&A into a book discussion. Bad Saker.

[Drewsov]

Are there any vampire books you like besides Anne Rice? I've never cared for her myself. Like she says, she isn't really writing monster stories, she's writing about 'lost souls.' I tend to get bored with the philosophizing. And the depressingness. I want to yell "Get a life, you loser! Suck it up, Louis!" Of course, to be fair, I've only read Interview with the Vampire. I don't know what the rest of them are like.

Aaaaand, I'm turning your Q&A into a book discussion. Bad Saker.

It's fine. I love books.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is always a good place to start.

Past that... I loved 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King.

That's really the extent of my forays into vampire fiction. I'm certainly familiar with the mythos, the lore, etc., etc., but I've never been one for that sort of genre fiction. I prefer stories about more human vampires, if you will, or places that are sort of vampiric in their nature, peoples and places that suck the life out of someone without sucking their blood.