“One day I was talking to my agent about the publishing industry and one of us said, ‘You know, the only thing selling right now is Jane Austen and vampires. We could do this book and call it Jane Austen Sucks.’” - Michael Thomas Ford.

The same Michael Thomas Ford, as introduced in his wiki entry as "a gay writer of primarily gay-themed literature" and incidentally, the author of the upcoming novel, Jane Bites Back, the first of a three-book series about Jane Austen living as a modern-day vampire. So they did ditch the aforementioned godawlful title, after all. Not that there's much room for improvement, given the subject.

Anyway, the opening quote is just an entry note on an undoubtably peculiar yet gradually emerging mentality amongst the publishing industry. Surely, crossover between peers and now genres are almost certain to be a success depending on the fanfare of the subject materials but we need not be reminded of the body count of the bastard son that neither parent would ever give their blessings to. Well then, at least Jane Austen has been dead for almost two centuries and probably more used to turning around in her grave given her upcoming turn as a vampire herself. And this title we have at hand are much more literal than one would have expected.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Quite possibly, that title itself is already a cash generator. First published in April 2009 by Quirk Books in America, the, somewhat quirkily mashed-up fiction fantasy combining (in an extremely literal way, much like its title) Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice with modern zombie elements. How could it possibly work> Writer, Seth Grahame-Smith says it best.

“You have this fiercely independent heroine, you have this dashing heroic gentleman, you have a militia camped out for seemingly no reason whatsoever nearby, and people are always walking here and there and taking carriage rides here and there,” he said. “It was just ripe for gore and senseless violence. From my perspective anyway."

Featuring the "dashing heroic gentleman", Fitzwilliam Darcy, Monster-Hunter and "fiercely independent heroine", Elizabeth Bennet, well-versed in the sophisticated ways of Martial Arts and Zombie-bashing together with her four fellow sisters, and the stars of this show, an entire legion of our dearest departed undead zombies.

And yes, mashed-up genre crossovers might be the way to go, judging by the warm reception towards this self-styled Zombie Classical. Ever the silent predator hiding in plain sight waiting for its potential preys in this cruel jungle deprived of originality and creativity, an undisclosed Hollywood studio had already won the bidding battle for the filming rights.

Hell, even the cover is a "zombification" of William Beechey's 19th century portrait.