I participated in a “Worst Storyline Ever” contest yesterday. It got me thinking about bad books I’ve read. Now, I won’t get into specifics because I don’t want to upset anyone. I may hate a book you love. And hey, if an author got a respectable publishing house to print their book–well somebody liked it and that’s more than I’ve accomplished thus far.
But let’s have some fun and talk about generally awful-sounding storylines. Like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Imagine Elizabeth and Darcy living out their beloved storyline in a world populated by the undead. Elizabeth as a martial arts expert. Darcy as a monster hunter. Dumb, right? Well the book buying public sure didn’t think so. And I’ll confess that as I read the synopsis, I was intrigued–at least a little.
Then there’s an idea like a book about a guy who’s friend tells him he shouldn’t worry about his house being demolished because the world is about to end. And it does. Now Arthur Dent must learn to navigate his way through a very confusing and unexpected universe. I would never pick up something like that. Except I did–several times–and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite books for a good laugh.
Of course, there are also the storylines that sound fantastic and then, well, aren’t. Kind of like those movies where all the good stuff is in the trailer.
So what’s the best, bad storyline you’ve ever encountered? What book sounded awful and turned out to be wonderful?