Living the Fictional Dream

Last night, I went with a group of friends to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and after it was over, there were mixed reviews that ran the gamut from loved it to hated it. I went in to the movie with low expectations, having heard only lukewarm reviews thus far, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The movie felt like an Indiana Jones flick. It had the action (exciting, but not too realistic with the blood and gore) and the requisite chase scenes. Indy, though more grizzled than in days of old, still looked dang good in his hat and knew how to use his whip. There were crazy archeologist types and evil armies (this time Communist instead of Nazi). There was an evil woman with a bad accent. There were plenty of bad jokes with that Indy flare. And there was a quest for an ancient artifact that took us to exotic locations. In addition, we had my favorite Indy love interest of all time.

And, in addition to all the classic elements, there were new additions that made the movie unique from its predecessors. There was a spunky kid. The setting and time period were new (the fifties flare was amusing). And the plot about the artifact was definitely new territory for an Indy film. Some people in my group thought the plot about the artifact was too out of this world, too absurd, but to me that is what an Indy film is all about. Tell me that an immortal knight guarding the holy grail isn’t aburd!

Personally, I enjoyed the film. It was an adventurous romp through the classics, but with enough uniqueness to make it stand on its own. I wouldn’t have liked the movie if they’d tried to make it a current-day action flick. I don’t want my Indy tainted with “realistic” violence and gore or hatred and angst. If I’m going to see Indy, I want fun, excitement, and adventure without worrying about how if Indy had really fallen that far he would have broken a limb, or worse! But some of my compatriots felt that it was too over the top, too cliche, not worth the price of admission.

The range of comments got me thinking about stories in general. It reminded me of the dichotomy you often see in genre fiction between genre conventions and new twists.

Some readers, editors, reviewers, etc., don’t like a genre story unless it brings something new to the table. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like new twists as much as the next girl, and reading a sword and sorcery story with an Asian setting and martial arts or a vampire story where the vampires glitter in the sunlight instead of bursting into flames is interesting and memorable. Striving to redefine genre fiction is great!

However, during all this redefining and all this emphasis on the new, I don’t think we should forget the old, the traditional, or the classics. They became classic for a reason, and I believe that stories upholding the genre conventions can be just as enjoyable to read as those that bend and twist them.

And I don’t think I’m alone. Otherwise why would e-zines promising us stories in the same vein as the pulp novels of old be springing up all over the web? Ray Gun Revival, Blazing Adventures, and Big Pulp all claim to publish stories that harken back to the Golden Age of pulp fiction.

But just because you embrace the old conventions, that doesn’t mean a story has to be stale and derivative. There are so many elements that make up a story. The characters, with their own unique motivations and personalities are a big one. As is the plot itself. Watching the new Indy movie was like that for me — it was a new Indy adventure with the classic Indy feel and style. Good fun was had by all.

And think about category romance novels. Yes, a lot of people look down on them, but I’m not one of those people. It takes skill to write a good romance novel. I tried to write one once, thinking it would be an easy way to break into the novel-writing market, and boy was I wrong. I don’t think I got past chapter one.

When you pick up a romance novel, you expect it to have a lead female character and a lead male character who have an instant attraction. Problems will ensue, which keep the characters from getting together. There will be romantic scenes (though not always sex… it depends on what line you’re reading), and in the end, there will be a happy ending. But there are a million ways to take that formula and make it unique. Characters, supporting characters, locations, plots, etc. It takes skill and good writing to pull off a success in that genre. And, there are convention benders in the romance genre, too — nowadays there are so many subgenres, the sci-fi romance, the urban fantasy romance, etc.

Now, don’t take this entry as me being against changing genre conventions or finding that ellusive new twist. It’s not at all! I think a writer who succeeds in that has done a great job with his or her story.

It’s just that I also think there is plenty of room out there for a conventional stories, as well, as long as the writers take the time to breathe life into the conventions and don’t just follow a formula. If you’re going to write golden aged pulp, do it with style, do it with unique characters, give us a fun, adventurous romp. And, in the end, there will be stories out there for everyone.