Reading Notes: Anasi and Nothing

The One Ring  Source:Wikipedia

This week I read the short stories of the trickster spider Anansi from the West African Folktales. I am thinking of crossing the story of Anansi with that of Shelob, a very large and very frightening spider from one of my favorite trilogies, The Lord of the Rings. Anansi's tricks are relatively harmless when compared with the single-minded killer Shelob. However, I believe that it would not be all that hard to put a really dark twist on the folktales that would better reflect the enormous predator.


West African Folktales by Barker and Sinclair: Link to the reading online

Reading Notes: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

Walt Disney's Aladdin   Source: flickr

I was pretty fascinated by this version of the story. I loved the Disney movie Aladdin when I was growing up, but this had a lot darker tone to it. I think that I might replace the magic lamp with some other "magic object". I was also confused whenever the genie became angry and referred to the roc as his master. I'll do a little research into that topic and maybe use the roc's egg instead of the lamp. I may also use an Aladdin who was rich previous to discovering the object, and the magician may be someone who intends to take over his palace and/or riches. I may decide to start my story many years after the happenings of the other story. A possible setting is Aladdin is an old man and afraid of dying, and the genie can't do  anything for him. He then hears of something which could restore his and his wife's youth. He starts out on a journey and realizes how dependent he has become on the genie to do things for him. If I take this route I may place this "fountain of youth" or whatever I choose somewhere in North Africa or maybe South America.


From Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang Link to the reading online