So, this is an article about franchise fiction, namely author Sophie Hannah who has been given permission to resurrect Hercule Poirot for the first time in 39 years; and Anthony Horowitz who has written a Sherlock Holmes novel and now is taking on James Bond.
I’m not sure how I feel about franchise fiction. The first thing that comes to mind: what if someone took over JK Rowling’s Harry Potter? Into adulthood and fatherhood? It can’t be the same, and I probably would be quietly grinding my teeth at anyone who dared to presume they could replicate that magic.
But then, I think about the new audience introduced to this world, who’d rush back to read every single Harry Potter book and I understand a little why franchise fiction makes sense. Okay, I may be romanticising what ultimately comes down to a case of making money on something that has been successful, but I don’t doubt that it would introduce a new audience to the books.
Interesting, it both intrigues and terrifies me as an Agatha Christy fan. I did read fanfic of Harry Potter, that deals with his son and enjoyed those. I do like the idea of introducing a younger audience to Poirot. Thanks for sharing!
I was afraid of it too, but I can understand introducing a newer audience to these characters. It’s sort of like a reboot of a movie, except the same storylines don’t keep being rehashed every time, lol!