McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Redefining Established Paranomal Beings
Kali:
--- Quote from: Darwinist on October 27, 2009, 03:37:17 AM ---I don't speak French. The story takes place in America. The writer is American. The character who was a loup garou was not French, so why would this be obvious? Still doesn't quell the issue that it is an incomprehensibly stupid pair of words. Maybe if I was French I could have more respect for the word choice, but I bring myself full circle and point out the first four sentences.
--- End quote ---
I'm sorry, I really was going to let this go, but...
Look, it's not like "werewolf" was on the list of vocabulary words in anyone's French class. And you don't have to be French or speak French to know a French phrase. With this one all you have to do, really, is have a good basic knowledge of the genre. The "loup garou" is mentioned in a lot of werewolf stories and in White Wolf's "World of Darkness" RPG.
Or you do what the rest of us do when we hit a word or phrase we don't know in a book. Look it up. I mean, sure, you could always do what you did and mount your high horse, but in this case you're gonna hafta admit it's less a Budweiser Clydesdale you're on and more like My Little Pony. Say you didn't know the term, say it looks stupid to you, but don't put the blame on Jim like it's some esoteric knowledge that you need a college degree or a 7th Level initiation to have heard of.
Your ignorance doesn't make the author stupid.
Darwinist:
Why would I need to look up a term that Jim Butcher already has defined in the same novel? He tells you what a Loup Garou is, by his definition. Which essential what the OP is talking about. Taking a creature and creating something new for it - but struggling with whether he should rename it or go with the established monicker.
Perhaps its ignorant that I don't carry around a French dictionary with me every time I read an American novel. Perhaps its ignorant that I cringe at a word I've never seen before because its in another language and the writer doesn't bother to explain that it isn't an English word. Perhaps its ignorant if I post slander and malicious jabs at some random person on a forum without fully understanding the context of their complaint.
Your stupidity doesn't make this poster ignorant.
Son of an Ogre:
It's true: psi-vamps, ghouls for hire, werewolves that control what they do...all that's been done before Jim got to it. But, Jim did his own magic to these themes and came up with some new pieces to add to the concept. Much like, as was said before, Anne Rice did to vampires. By the way Loup Garou is French for werewolf, just like Hexenwolf, I believe, is German for werewolf. Who's to say different types of werewolves didn't come from different parts of Europe ;) Anyway.
--- Quote from: Darwinist on October 27, 2009, 02:03:37 AM ---For the love of god, do not rename it. Part of the charm of stories like Jim Butchers is that he redefines the genre.
--- End quote ---
I agree with what you're saying. Jim has his own way of redefining certain elements. And I agree with you that I should probably keep with the ghoul identity--calling them ghouls. I said that yesterday to the same buddy that keeps insisting on I change the name. He's still sticking with that people have this whole flesh-eating concept in mind when they hear the word. From my experience, though, and from what everyone here thinks, well, I think he's wrong. Seems ghouls are more of an open thing to play with. Then again, so is everything else...like has also been pointed out.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Darwinist on October 27, 2009, 03:37:17 AM ---I don't speak French. The story takes place in America. The writer is American. The character who was a loup garou was not French, so why would this be obvious?
--- End quote ---
Because it has traditionally been used to describe werewolves in classic horror fiction for ages, back as far at least as Guy Endore ?
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Darwinist on October 27, 2009, 01:25:09 PM ---Perhaps its ignorant that I cringe at a word I've never seen before because its in another language and the writer doesn't bother to explain that it isn't an English word. =
--- End quote ---
Yes, it is.
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