Angels and Demons

My Google Reader list-o-fun-facts has gotten far too long, so its time to start sharing the wealth. And there are some gems in this mine.

For example did you know that “Bad-boy angels are the new hotties”? It’s true, according to Karen Springen at Publishers Weekly. In a hilariously worded article (featuring phrases like “But angels go way back”), Springen discusses whether the fall’s bumper crop of angel books signals the end of the vampire craze. She claims that the two otherworldly archetypes play off the same desires in young adult (female) readers — both angels and vampires are ‘gorgeous’ and powerful.

Clearly, publishers are hoping that’s true. Take a look at two of the covers for recent angel books: Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush (so very many objections to that title) coming out from Simon and Schuster in October and the same company’s reissue of Elizabeth Chandler’s Kissed by an Angel trilogy.

While I am more than ready for the vampire trend to be over and done with, I’m not sure angels are necessarily the best replacement. Why vampires? Because, as Heather Doss from Bookzine says in the article, they’re bad boys turned good. Why angels? Because they’re good boys turned bad.

Do we see a slight problem?

Oh! the things I could say about perpetuating the false division of good and evil! But here, that’s not what concerns me. I’m much more nervous about the idea the success and marketing of these books implies, namely, that what young female readers are getting in their books are not strong female characters (of neither the flawed nor the superheroine variety), but plot-, character-, and woman-dominating men, otherworldly or not. Anyone care to disagree?

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On a much cheerier note, Happy 75th Birthday to Tomie dePaola! Author/Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka has put together a fantastic birthday present for him: a blog! Three Kisses for Tomie is a tribute to the master, complete with videos and homages by an impressive list of illustrators. Head over there for some chocolate therapy after the dementor attack I perpetuated on you above. (via 7Imp and Fuse #8)

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(Update: The Whedon-esque touches of the vampires v. angels debate just dawned (ha) on me, so you Joss fans have no need to scold, for now at least)