I wanted to briefly discuss the Latin American soap opera, the famous telenovela. Since I’m writing about the 80s, I’m spending a lot of time looking through material from that time period. And thanks to the magic of YouTube whole soap operas are available online. In poor quality, but it’s a chance to brush up on the clothes, hairstyles and programming that enthralled a nation.
Some of the more famous soap operas from this period include Cuna de Lobos and Rosa Salvaje, but I like Valeria y Maximiliano better (since it aired in 1991, it technically does not qualify as 80s, but I’m putting it in that category because it still had much of that decade in it). I was watching some episodes (and starring at the perm and shoulder pads) and though I remembered the soap opera riffed off Gone With the Wind, I didn’t realize how blatantly it stole from the source material.
Essentially, the novel transplants the action from the 19th century American South to Mexico City. It keeps not only the basic plot elements (Valeria wants to get it on with the guy who married her sweet, sickly sister, while being pursued by an older, dashing man) but even steals whole bits of dialogue! I kid you not. Basically the screenwriters found a translated copy of Gone With the Wind and ripped out a couple of pages, underlined some stuff with markers, and asked the actors to read it. Sure, they changed, fluffed and added some stuff, but there are scenes which are right out of that book, like Maximiliano finding Valeria with a photo of the Mexican version of Ashley.
Of course, Mexican soap operas are not always bastions of originality but Valeria y Maximiliano takes the cake when it comes to sneaky adaptations of books (Yo Compro Esa Mujer is the Count of Montecristo, if the Count’s son was avenging him). Most interesting, of course, is its coyness, which, though suitable for the time period, today seems Hays-era like. For example, Valeria and Maximiliano barely get to smooch each other and, despite the dialogue they are spouting, never engage in premarital sex.
Juan Ferrara, who plays Maximiliano, was a suitably debonair actor, though I doubt they’d cast someone with such a large age gap against a twenty-something actress nowadays. He was probably hitting fifty by the time the soap aired and his romantic counterpart was in her twenties, making for some Sabrina-like scenes.
My favourite soap operas were always the supernatural ones like La casa al final de la calle (The House at the end of the Street) El extraño retorno de Diana Salazar (The Mysterious Return of Diana Salazar) and to some extent the period pieces.
Because telenovelas have a finite end (they last maybe half a year), the way the narrative is built on screen is very different from the type of programming American and Canadian viewers are used to. It is, really, more like an extended mini-series. This allows the writers to know where they’re headed instead of engaging in antics of Lost proportions. It also means that telenovelas are remade every couple of decades with new performers, because who wants to throw away a perfectly good plot? Salma Hayek, for example, became famous after starring in a remake of a soap called Teresa.
Anyway, lets spin back twenty years in time. Here is what people were wearing and watching. See if you can determine the plot just by looking at these. First Valeria y Maximiliano (though you already know what that one is about. But try to spot Maximiliano and Valeria, as well as Mexican Ashley, Mexican Melanie and other characters).
Here is Teresa:
And here, El extraño retorno de Diana Salaza:
"A Puddle of Blood" in Evolve 2 2011
Fans of yours truly who want to catch a rare glimpse of a writer in the wild are cordially invited to observe Silvia make an utter literary fool of herself as she attends the VCon Book Launch on September 30 in Vancouver, BC. She will be reading from her story in Evolve 2. Cookies have been promised.
Silvia, of the genus Moreno-Garcia, is known to attend very few conventions and do even less readings. She generally lurks in a dark corner of the Internet or incurs fines for overdue library materials.
If you are interested in purchasing some of the books edited by Silvia head over to the SFCanada table and grab them there. Bookmarks will also be provided. Because the world can always use another bookmark.
Silvia is also participating in the mass interview of Evolve 2 authors at Bitten by Books scheduled for October 25-26. Ask questions and be rewarded with cryptic answers.
In the meantime, why not shell some cash for Candle in the Attic Window? It’s good for the soul.
Hey, do you want to buy the Historical Lovecraft anthology for cheap? Now’s your chance. From today until April 20, this paperback featuring 26 tales of horror through time (with writers such as William Meikle, E. Catherine Tobler, Jesse Bullington, and more) is on pre-sale at the Innsmouth Free Press website. You get 20% off and you are entered into a giveaway for a cool book package.
The anthology contains: Chinese monks, Icelandic Vikings, a Spanish Inquisitor, a whole Greek chorus, a Japanese town with a fishy secret, mercenaries, gaslight, an ancient manuscript found in a trunk, and so much more.
Historical Lovecraft’s paperback retail price is $14.99 USD and $16.99 CAD. With the early-bird discount, you pay $11.99 USD or $13.59 CAD (plus shipping). It’s a steal! You can read a sample here, or learn more about the anthology here. We also have a Facebook fan page. Presale books will begin shipping April 20. The winner of the Innsmouth book package will be announced April 21.
Here are seven good reasons why you should buy Fraterfamilias today:
- It’s on sale with a 40% discount until December 15.
- There are shamans and templar knights inside.
- Seth J. Rowanwood made a really nice cover for it.
- It’s the first book published through Innsmouth Free Press.
- It’s a thriller AND it’s speculative fiction. Double your genre dose!
- Silvia needs the money, baby.
- You get extra points with Cthulhu.
Available in print and as an ebook, enjoy it today.
In other, equally self-promotional business: Skull Salad Reviews recently looked at the October Innsmouth fiction issue and liked it. Twice over.
Finally, Historical Lovecraft closes to submissions in January.
Fraterfamilias, the first novel released by Innsmouth Free Press, is up for sale this December. Finally! Layout done by your truly, cover by Seth J. Rowanwood, this is a re-issue of a novel published as an e-book several years ago.
We have a special promotion for our Innsmouth readers. From now until December 15, order the e-book or print copy and you will receive a 40 percent discount off the cover price.
Fraterfamilias opens with Paul Farrell, accused of killing four people in Paris, being gunned down at an airport. When a paleoanthropologist steals his body, Interpol and the NYPD are back on the case. Now, they’ve got to find the body snatcher and the corpse. But Paul isn’t quite dead and nobody is who they seem.
To buy an e-book copy, go to Smashwords and enter the coupon QR43V at checkout. Download Fraterfamilias in a variety of electronic formats, including ePub and HTML for only $5.99 US. Buy, buy, buy.
Print copies are available directly from the publisher at $9.59 US/$10.20 CAD plus shipping. Orders will begin shipping December 6. Details here.
The next release from Innsmouth will be the anthology Historical Lovecraft, which is still open for submissions until the beginning of January.
In other news, I made a sale to the new Canadian zine AE – The Canadian Science Fiction Review. The story is a flash fic piece called “The Death Collector.”
I have a story on hold for an anthology I really want to be in. Fingers crossed!