The mashup as meme as finally reached new heights with this reimagining of "A New Hope" written completely in iambic pentameter. July 1, 2013 11:17 AM PDT "Alas, poor anonymous stormtrooper..." (Credit: Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET) At last, the mother of all mashups is upon us. Boba Fett has met the Bard, and the result is "William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope." Many a nerdy writer type will surely have the same initial reaction I did upon learning of such a brilliant piece of literary pop culture/hipster-clout-raising coffee table candy: searing jealousy for not having thought of it first. Then I read on to learn that the author, Ph.D. and all-around smart guy Ian Doescher, not only rewrote "A New Hope" in the style of Bill Shakespeare, but also wrote it completely in iambic pentameter, a feat for which a very few of us are cut out to even attempt, let alone pull off. It's tough to put into words (at least the limited, garish words of the contemporary blogging vernacular) the intensity of the geeky reverence I hold for Mr. Doescher and his accomplishment (for the record, the project almost perfectly straddles the nerd/geek divide). Instead, if I may address the playwright directly: Verily, the Force is with thee. "Shakespeare's Star Wars" will be available to order in e-book or hardcover form on July 2. To get a taste of the star-crossed galaxy far, far away that plays host to an Elizabethan Empire, check out the book's trailer below, and please show us your chops by composing all your comments beneath in iambic pentameter.
The mashup as meme as finally reached new heights with this reimagining of "A New Hope" written completely in iambic pentameter.
"Alas, poor anonymous stormtrooper..."
(Credit: Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET)
At last, the mother of all mashups is upon us. Boba Fett has met the Bard, and the result is "William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope."
Many a nerdy writer type will surely have the same initial reaction I did upon learning of such a brilliant piece of literary pop culture/hipster-clout-raising coffee table candy: searing jealousy for not having thought of it first. Then I read on to learn that the author, Ph.D. and all-around smart guy Ian Doescher, not only rewrote "A New Hope" in the style of Bill Shakespeare, but also wrote it completely in iambic pentameter, a feat for which a very few of us are cut out to even attempt, let alone pull off.
It's tough to put into words (at least the limited, garish words of the contemporary blogging vernacular) the intensity of the geeky reverence I hold for Mr. Doescher and his accomplishment (for the record, the project almost perfectly straddles the nerd/geek divide).
Instead, if I may address the playwright directly: Verily, the Force is with thee.
"Shakespeare's Star Wars" will be available to order in e-book or hardcover form on July 2. To get a taste of the star-crossed galaxy far, far away that plays host to an Elizabethan Empire, check out the book's trailer below, and please show us your chops by composing all your comments beneath in iambic pentameter.
