the mortal instruments, and how for me it will always be a shadow of DT

Found this nice online article about the beginnings of Cassandra Clare and her Mortal Instruments, (the first movie opens next week), and the verdict appears to be -- that this book series is a fanfic of her own fanfic, and therefore entirely her own creation. I think I agree it seems that way.

It would be unfair to suggest that the Mortal Instruments series is a Harry Potter fanfic in the same way that Fifty Shades of Grey is a Twilight fanfic, because there’s that extra degree of separation. By the end of the Draco Trilogy, most of the main cast of Harry Potter characters were almost unrecognizable (e.g., Draco as a romantic hero rather than a cowardly racist bully), and Clare had thrown in plenty of her own worldbuilding—which was developed much further in the Mortal Instruments series. Does it really matter if City of Bones’ Clary and Jace resemble the Ginny and Draco of the Draco Trilogy? If anything, the Mortal Instruments books are a fanfic of her own fanfic, and thus have effectively become an entirely original work.

And this -.- (thanks for emphasising how old we are)

...most of those older fans are, well… old. Now in their 20s and 30s, the Draco Trilogy’s original readers (and anti-fans) are hardly the Mortal Instruments’ target audience. Clare’s new fans are generally in their mid-teens, and most of them only seem to have a vague awareness of Clare’s involvement with fandom.  



Clueless young fans of CC will probably have Jace and Clary in their heads, but I'm sure in us old fans or non-fans -- it's hard not to see them as Draco and Ginny. It's difficult to deny the connection, and I'll forever compare them. When you ask me about DT, the first scene that usually comes to mind is the one with Ginny grabbing the plate of sandwiches from a squabbling Draco and Harry and throwing it out the window. I just remember how shocked the two boys were and how shocked and tickled I was.

Ah, good times.



Here's a scarily scathing and condemning review of CC in contrast:

So what’s really my problem? My problem is the fact that Cassandra Clare is a marginally talented writer who has one story and one cast of characters up her sleeve, and yet somehow she’s sold millions and millions of books based on this. My problem is the fact that Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series was partially copied from her fanfiction trilogy, which copied a plethora of other authors, not even including J.K. Rowling, who provided her with the characters, premise, and setting for her beloved trilogy. My problem is the fact that Cassandra Clare is in the authorly equivalent of a time loop, and has come full circle. My problem is the fact that Cassandra Clare is, in essence, writing fanfiction of her own work, and it is getting published and she is getting paid bank for it, when other far more original and talented authors are getting absolutely nothing for their hard work. I may despise Stephenie Meyer and the world she’s created, but at least Twilight and its accompanying works are her own original product; at least she deserves to reap the benefits of the crazy fandom she’s inspired.

So dear Cassandra Clare: write a new goddamn book — one that isn’t a copy of a copy of a copy.