BrainHickey Book Review: Jane Bites Back

Jane Bites Back was an entertaining, quick read that satiated both my geeky literate side and my crazy love of vampires. The idea of Jane Austen still being "alive" as a vampire, as a writer struggling to get a manuscript published, is quite creative. And frankly, I loved it. I had only one problem with the story, and surprisingly, it wasn't the reference to Jane's beating heart, or her explanation of vampirism as a disease of sorts (but I have learned not to delve too deeply in the logic of explanations of vampirism, since there will always necessarily be a logical flaw. Disbelief must be suspended, and I have decided, for the sake of entertainment, to believe in vampires (in that context; if there are any out there in reality, do not view this as an invitation to make yourself known to me).

No, my problem with the story is that as a writer, if Jane Austen and other great writers from the past are still "alive" and writing, then what hope do the rest of us have? Unless reincarnation is also real, and I am Shakespeare-incarnate, then how is my work even going to compare? More likely, I'm Shakespeare's-butcher-incarnate, which doesn't bode well for my publishing future (or future plans for adopting a vegetarian lifestyle either, for that matter).