Marked Redux: Acknowledgments
ZeldaQueen: Hey, everybody! It’s this thing, again. I know, I know, I abandoned this series for ages and now I’m starting over instead of doing Chosen. I’m sorry! It’s just that I’ve been reading ahead, and there are a lot of things I should have covered in the first two book sporkings but didn’t. And so I decided it would be easier to just restart the sporkings, instead of spending a ton of time pausing to go over stuff from several books back.
Joining me for this new sporking is the wonderful Ruin Takada! Give this dude a big round of applause, ladies and gentlemen! He’s willingly going into this and taking down the House of Night!
Ruin: It’s true. I’m actually here of my own volition.
ZeldaQueen: Ready to get started? *cracks knuckles*
Ruin: *silently resists the urge to weep* Yes.
Acknowledgements
For our wonderful agent, Meredith Bernstein, who said the three magic words: vampyre finishing school.
ZeldaQueen: Like many elements of this series, the concept of a vampire (no, I refuse to use that fucking “y”) finishing school sounds pretty awesome. And of course, its potential is piddled away.
Ruin: It’s this piddled-away-potential that is, I admit, the one reason I hold such a violent grudge against it.
ZeldaQueen: I feel similarly. World-building is my favorite part of coming up with a story like this. The idea that the Cast ladies had such an awesome playground and they just hunkered down in one little corner of it drives me nuts.
We heart you!
ZeldaQueen: *stonily* This is the first part of a long string of accusations that this series is nothing more than amateur Mary Sue fanfiction, in terms of quality.
Ruin: We know why they do it: to pander to the young adult age group, to ‘be down with the kids’ as it were.
ZeldaQueen: Even as a teenager, if anyone - fellow teen, adult, or anyone else - told me “I heart you!” and didn’t indicate scathing amounts of sarcasm were attached, my eyes would have rolled like bowling balls.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank a wonderful student of mine, John Maslin, for research help and for reading and giving feedback on many early versions of the book. His input was invaluable.
ZeldaQueen: I shudder to think of what the early versions of this thing were like, considering the quality of it in published form.
Ruin: I shudder to wonder at what it is John Maslin thinks of the Mr. MOGS to whom his name was attached. (MOGS meaning ‘Mildly Offensive Gay Stereotype, of course). Would he have taken back his name, if he could?
A big THANKS GUYS goes out to my Creative Writing classes in the school year 2005-2006.
ZeldaQueen: Speaking of things that make me shudder, there’s the idea that either of the Cast ladies teach classes. Going off of their books, I really wouldn’t want them teaching me the art of writing.
Ruin: I wouldn’t want them to teach me how to lay a table.
Your brainstorming was lots of help (and quite amusing).
ZeldaQueen: I’m… uh, sure PC meant that in the nicest way, but am I the only one who hears that last bit being said in the most condescending way possible?
Ruin: ‘Oh, y’all make your mommy so proud, with all the effort you put in today! You won’t be famous writers like moi, but your hearts are in the right places!'
I also want to thank my fabulous daughter, Kristin, for making sure we sound like teenagers. I couldn't have done it without you. (She made me write that.) -PC
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is sweet and all, but this is the start of another running thing in this sporking - PC wrote this series with her daughter. Including the stuff that I’m sure a lot of young adults wouldn’t want to discuss with their parents. We’ll be remembering this for some of the stuff that comes up later. For now, though, all I’ll point out is that Kristin failed at her teen-speak.
Ruin: Can anyone else say ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit?’
ZeldaQueen: During this sporking? Yes. Quite frequently, in fact.
I want to thank my lovely "mam," better known as PC, for being such an unbelievably talented author and so easy to work with. (Okay, she made me write that.) - Kristin
Ruin: Am I the only one who sees these proceedings and imagines it as this whole ego-stroking circle jerk? Or is it really just me?
ZeldaQueen: Considering how they do it for every fricking book? No, I get those vibes too. Of course, it could be partially chalked up to the aforementioned awkwardness that’d come from writing a book with one’s parent.
Ruin: That’s a slight shame; I have the perfect GIF for this.
PC and Kristin would both like to thank their dad/grandpa, Dick Cast, for the biological hypothesis he helped create as the basis for the House of Night's vampyres. We love you Dad/G-pa!
ZeldaQueen: We’re going to go into more detail on this later, but it makes nosense for a biological hypothesis to be necessary for these vampires. And his explanation makes little sense, so either he got it screwy or the Cast ladies mucked it up.
Ruin: In short: don’t worry. We’ve got this covered.
From Hesiod's poem to Nyx, the Greek personification of night:
ZeldaQueen: Okay, so this is Hesiod’s Theogony (Origin of the Gods), which is a poem that essentially serves as a genealogy for the many Greek deities. It’s the most popular portrayal of the origin of the deities. Because of this and several other details, we’re going to just go with the idea that the Cast ladies used this as their… er, canon for Greek mythology.
"There also stands the gloomy house of Night;
ghastly clouds shroud it in darkness.
Before it Atlas stands erect and on his head
and unwearying arms firmly supports the broad sky,
where Night and Day cross a bronze threshold
and then come close and greet each other."
(Hesiod, Theogony, 744 ff. )
ZeldaQueen: This passage, incidentally, could have been a great set-up for the mythology of the series. The Day in the text is Hemera, daughter of Nyx (Night). The poem goes on to explain that as one stays in the cave, the other goes out. The two meet each other when one is going out and the other is coming in, but they never both stay in the cave together. I could think of countless things that could be done with this, but Hemera isn’t in the series at all. The only deities we see, besides Nyx, are her boyfriends. Of course.
Ruin: Of course. And - spoiler alert - with no mention of the p-word.
ZeldaQueen: That might come later. Given how Chosen goes, I doubt the Cast ladies would pass on the opportunity for Nyx to have a hawt guy on each arm.
Anywho, that about wraps it up for the acknowledgments! Stick around as we begin the book proper, hooray!
Now, as with my rebooted sporking of Hush, Hush, there’s going to be more counts this time around. Let’s take a gander at them, shall we?
Tired Metaphor - Any time the story trots out an overused metaphor or figure of speech.
Sludgehammer Of Symbology - When the story uses symbolism so blatantly obvious, the Cast ladies might as well be hitting us over the heads with sledgehammers.
Miss Judgemental - Zoey is a judgemental brat. Period. This count is for every time she pompously passes judgement on the plebes before her.
As Paris In The Spring - While the Cast ladies desperately try to depict positive examples of homosexuality, their homosexual characters are… decidedly lacking. This count is for every time a homosexual character is turned into an embarrassing stereotype.
Stereotypes Mambo - Homosexuals aren’t the only ones getting the stereotype treatment. This covers any other stereotype played in the story.
Procrastinators Unite Tomorrow - Any time Zoey and Company actively try to forget something obviously important, either because a shinier thing has come along or because it’s haaaaard to think about it and they can’t be bothered.
SUBTLE FORESHADOWING - Any time we get foreshadowing that’s incredibly and insultingly obvious.
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Any time the Cast ladies try very, very awkwardly to sound like real teenagers.
Vampire Elitist Snobs - Much like with Twilight, the vampires here think that they are Better Than You. This count is for every time the book tells us how vampires are all rich and beautiful and cultured and so much better than us filthy beings that just fell out of trees.
All The Beautiful People - Zoey is obsessed with telling us if she thinks the person she’s talking to or about is beautiful. This count is for that.
Interfaith Smoothie - For every time the Cast ladies handpick the best parts of different mythologies and religions they like, put it in the blender, and hit puree.
AU Doesn’t Work Like That - Technically, this book is supposed to be an alternate universe where vampires exist and are widely-known. This count is for every time the Cast ladies use this as an excuse to do as they please with history, damn the consequences.
Speshul Snowflake: For Zoey, who is the speshulest. If she were a snowflake, she’d be an eight-point one. This count is for that.
My Deus Ex Machina Senses Are Tingling: Whenever Zoey figures out something because it just pops into her head or when she just has a "feeling" and it's the only way she can figure something out. This will happen a lot.
Let's Have A Ho-Down: Whenever Zoey makes her distaste of a girl clear because of said girl's sexuality, especially if said girl doesn't actually do anything to deserve being bashed as such. This will also happen a lot.
Table of Contents | Chapter 1
Joining me for this new sporking is the wonderful Ruin Takada! Give this dude a big round of applause, ladies and gentlemen! He’s willingly going into this and taking down the House of Night!
Ruin: It’s true. I’m actually here of my own volition.
ZeldaQueen: Ready to get started? *cracks knuckles*
Ruin: *silently resists the urge to weep* Yes.
Acknowledgements
For our wonderful agent, Meredith Bernstein, who said the three magic words: vampyre finishing school.
ZeldaQueen: Like many elements of this series, the concept of a vampire (no, I refuse to use that fucking “y”) finishing school sounds pretty awesome. And of course, its potential is piddled away.
Ruin: It’s this piddled-away-potential that is, I admit, the one reason I hold such a violent grudge against it.
ZeldaQueen: I feel similarly. World-building is my favorite part of coming up with a story like this. The idea that the Cast ladies had such an awesome playground and they just hunkered down in one little corner of it drives me nuts.
We heart you!
ZeldaQueen: *stonily* This is the first part of a long string of accusations that this series is nothing more than amateur Mary Sue fanfiction, in terms of quality.
Ruin: We know why they do it: to pander to the young adult age group, to ‘be down with the kids’ as it were.
ZeldaQueen: Even as a teenager, if anyone - fellow teen, adult, or anyone else - told me “I heart you!” and didn’t indicate scathing amounts of sarcasm were attached, my eyes would have rolled like bowling balls.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank a wonderful student of mine, John Maslin, for research help and for reading and giving feedback on many early versions of the book. His input was invaluable.
ZeldaQueen: I shudder to think of what the early versions of this thing were like, considering the quality of it in published form.
Ruin: I shudder to wonder at what it is John Maslin thinks of the Mr. MOGS to whom his name was attached. (MOGS meaning ‘Mildly Offensive Gay Stereotype, of course). Would he have taken back his name, if he could?
A big THANKS GUYS goes out to my Creative Writing classes in the school year 2005-2006.
ZeldaQueen: Speaking of things that make me shudder, there’s the idea that either of the Cast ladies teach classes. Going off of their books, I really wouldn’t want them teaching me the art of writing.
Ruin: I wouldn’t want them to teach me how to lay a table.
Your brainstorming was lots of help (and quite amusing).
ZeldaQueen: I’m… uh, sure PC meant that in the nicest way, but am I the only one who hears that last bit being said in the most condescending way possible?
Ruin: ‘Oh, y’all make your mommy so proud, with all the effort you put in today! You won’t be famous writers like moi, but your hearts are in the right places!'
I also want to thank my fabulous daughter, Kristin, for making sure we sound like teenagers. I couldn't have done it without you. (She made me write that.) -PC
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is sweet and all, but this is the start of another running thing in this sporking - PC wrote this series with her daughter. Including the stuff that I’m sure a lot of young adults wouldn’t want to discuss with their parents. We’ll be remembering this for some of the stuff that comes up later. For now, though, all I’ll point out is that Kristin failed at her teen-speak.
Ruin: Can anyone else say ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit?’
ZeldaQueen: During this sporking? Yes. Quite frequently, in fact.
I want to thank my lovely "mam," better known as PC, for being such an unbelievably talented author and so easy to work with. (Okay, she made me write that.) - Kristin
Ruin: Am I the only one who sees these proceedings and imagines it as this whole ego-stroking circle jerk? Or is it really just me?
ZeldaQueen: Considering how they do it for every fricking book? No, I get those vibes too. Of course, it could be partially chalked up to the aforementioned awkwardness that’d come from writing a book with one’s parent.
Ruin: That’s a slight shame; I have the perfect GIF for this.
PC and Kristin would both like to thank their dad/grandpa, Dick Cast, for the biological hypothesis he helped create as the basis for the House of Night's vampyres. We love you Dad/G-pa!
ZeldaQueen: We’re going to go into more detail on this later, but it makes nosense for a biological hypothesis to be necessary for these vampires. And his explanation makes little sense, so either he got it screwy or the Cast ladies mucked it up.
Ruin: In short: don’t worry. We’ve got this covered.
From Hesiod's poem to Nyx, the Greek personification of night:
ZeldaQueen: Okay, so this is Hesiod’s Theogony (Origin of the Gods), which is a poem that essentially serves as a genealogy for the many Greek deities. It’s the most popular portrayal of the origin of the deities. Because of this and several other details, we’re going to just go with the idea that the Cast ladies used this as their… er, canon for Greek mythology.
"There also stands the gloomy house of Night;
ghastly clouds shroud it in darkness.
Before it Atlas stands erect and on his head
and unwearying arms firmly supports the broad sky,
where Night and Day cross a bronze threshold
and then come close and greet each other."
(Hesiod, Theogony, 744 ff. )
ZeldaQueen: This passage, incidentally, could have been a great set-up for the mythology of the series. The Day in the text is Hemera, daughter of Nyx (Night). The poem goes on to explain that as one stays in the cave, the other goes out. The two meet each other when one is going out and the other is coming in, but they never both stay in the cave together. I could think of countless things that could be done with this, but Hemera isn’t in the series at all. The only deities we see, besides Nyx, are her boyfriends. Of course.
Ruin: Of course. And - spoiler alert - with no mention of the p-word.
ZeldaQueen: That might come later. Given how Chosen goes, I doubt the Cast ladies would pass on the opportunity for Nyx to have a hawt guy on each arm.
Anywho, that about wraps it up for the acknowledgments! Stick around as we begin the book proper, hooray!
Now, as with my rebooted sporking of Hush, Hush, there’s going to be more counts this time around. Let’s take a gander at them, shall we?
Tired Metaphor - Any time the story trots out an overused metaphor or figure of speech.
Sludgehammer Of Symbology - When the story uses symbolism so blatantly obvious, the Cast ladies might as well be hitting us over the heads with sledgehammers.
Miss Judgemental - Zoey is a judgemental brat. Period. This count is for every time she pompously passes judgement on the plebes before her.
As Paris In The Spring - While the Cast ladies desperately try to depict positive examples of homosexuality, their homosexual characters are… decidedly lacking. This count is for every time a homosexual character is turned into an embarrassing stereotype.
Stereotypes Mambo - Homosexuals aren’t the only ones getting the stereotype treatment. This covers any other stereotype played in the story.
Procrastinators Unite Tomorrow - Any time Zoey and Company actively try to forget something obviously important, either because a shinier thing has come along or because it’s haaaaard to think about it and they can’t be bothered.
SUBTLE FORESHADOWING - Any time we get foreshadowing that’s incredibly and insultingly obvious.
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Any time the Cast ladies try very, very awkwardly to sound like real teenagers.
Vampire Elitist Snobs - Much like with Twilight, the vampires here think that they are Better Than You. This count is for every time the book tells us how vampires are all rich and beautiful and cultured and so much better than us filthy beings that just fell out of trees.
All The Beautiful People - Zoey is obsessed with telling us if she thinks the person she’s talking to or about is beautiful. This count is for that.
Interfaith Smoothie - For every time the Cast ladies handpick the best parts of different mythologies and religions they like, put it in the blender, and hit puree.
AU Doesn’t Work Like That - Technically, this book is supposed to be an alternate universe where vampires exist and are widely-known. This count is for every time the Cast ladies use this as an excuse to do as they please with history, damn the consequences.
Speshul Snowflake: For Zoey, who is the speshulest. If she were a snowflake, she’d be an eight-point one. This count is for that.
My Deus Ex Machina Senses Are Tingling: Whenever Zoey figures out something because it just pops into her head or when she just has a "feeling" and it's the only way she can figure something out. This will happen a lot.
Let's Have A Ho-Down: Whenever Zoey makes her distaste of a girl clear because of said girl's sexuality, especially if said girl doesn't actually do anything to deserve being bashed as such. This will also happen a lot.
Table of Contents | Chapter 1