by Toni
I am always in awe when an author surprises me–particularly if they kill off a character that I liked and yet, he or she does it in such a way that it’s both a complete surprise and organic to the story. I’m also in awe when it feels like the character is so real, I’ve just read about the death of someone I actually know instead of words gathered on a page.
The ultimate goal: to have the characters so alive, people talk about them as if they know them personally.
And sometimes, I wonder… what if all of these characters did exist and could cross over into each other’s worlds?
Which then lead me to ponder, who would win… Dexter? or Hannibal?
I’d love to put Allison Brennan’s Theodore Glenn up against Lori Armstrong’s new heroine, Mercy. Y’all haven’t met Mercy yet, but you’re going to… when I read the manuscript this summer, I was not only riveted, I thought Mercy might be the only female character I’d read in a while who could out-shoot and possibly beat Bobbie Faye. Of course, Bobbie Faye would probably accidentally blow Mercy up, but then I never said this was going to be a fair fight. And then I read Zoe Sharp’s fascinating Charlie and then I thought of Karen Olson’s tough-as-nails Annie Seymour… and wow, put those four women in a bar and all hell would break loose. I seriously wish I could do that.
I’d love to see a story where Jack Reacher and Joe Pike had to collaborate. (Or, maybe better, can you imagine them ever pitted against one another?)
So let’s just have fun today… what characters would make for a great smackdown? (Who would win?) It’s completely fair to name characters from older works through the new stuff–just tell me the author and if the story is new, tell what makes the character interesting. Or tell us which characters should collaborate.
And to make this really fun, all of the commenters (except the ‘Rati members) will be eligible for a $25 Amazon or B & N gift card (winner’s choice). Winner announced next Sunday.
Ah, I love thinking of crossovers.
(Longtime lurker, first time…I think?…commenter. Love the blog. Love all of the ‘Rati. And, let’s be honest – love giveaways.)
Hmm…this is more in the MG/YA world, but I’d love to see Nita (from Diane Duane’s Young Wizards books) and Dustfinger (from Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart) have to work together on something. Between Nita’s absolute dedication to the good of the universe and Dustfinger’s (at best) total ambiguity, it’d make an interesting ride. Throw in that if Nita’s working on it a lot of people could die, and you could get a book out of it, easily.
And then Philippa Gregory’s vision of Anne Boleyn (from The Other Boleyn Girl) in all her psychopathic perfectionistic glory, versus Saint Dane from D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon series, whose complete aim in life is to destroy the universe and rebuild his own from the ashes. Battle of the crazies, all the way.
I’d like to see Ken Bruen’s DS Brant work a case with John Rebus.
What? We don’t get to try for the prize. Humph!
I’d like to see Miles Vorkosigan (Lois McMaster Bujold) collaborate with Hawk from Robert Parker’s Spenser series. Brains and crippled body, brains and brawn. Could be an interesting mix.
Another combo: Joe Leaphorn and Terry Pratchet’s Sam Vine. They’d make a wonderful crime-fighting team in a quieter way.
This is a fun question, Toni. Thanks for kick o’ creativity.
I keep thinking I’d love to see the Murderati crew all together on a Murderati panel at a conference! But that’s another post.
But characters… imagine if Bobbie Faye walked into The Harrowing to help with the Ouija board.
Or went to Roswell with Sasha Solomon to do publicity for the town?
Bobbie Faye on the boat with Ahab, looking for Moby Dick?
Now I can’t think of anything else except Bobbie Faye. 🙂
What a fun post – I’ll be pondering this one all day.
This is interesting to read because I NEVER think about crossovers. I think good characters are so entirely products of their own worlds (books) that I can’t imagine them meeting on some interdimensional ground.
So I’m stumped, but I’ll think about it!
Hi Toni,Okay, I’m still waking up but. . .if there was a question of jurisdiction and who would be the lead on a case who would win: Dallas, Lt. Eve from JD Robb or Kate Shugak from Dana Stabenow. . .enquiring minds want to know. And wouldn’t it be delightful to see Susan Wittig Albert’s Beatrix Potter help Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes solve a case. Actually I’d really like to see that! Okay I have to stop myself now.
My vote is for a Battle Royale of the slightly-deranged sidekicks.
Rent the cage from Mad Max’s “Beyond Thunderdome” and thorw in Joe Pike (from Robert Crais) vs. Windsor Horne Lockhart III (from Harlan Coben) vs. Mouse (from Walter Moseley) vs. Hawk (from Robert Parker) vs. Bubba Rugowski (from Dennis Lehane).
My prediction… ‘Win’ Lockhart in a surprising upset, because nobody takes him serously until he bungees to a chainsaw at the top of the cage, then proceeds to hack up the other sidekicks without getting a spot on his Armani dress shirt.
Ooh, Toni – what a surprise to see Mercy mentioned here. I do think that Julie Collins and Bobbie Faye would get into more trouble together 🙂
I’d like to see Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire and CJ Box’s Joe Pickett working a case together in Wyoming…
I’d like to see Eve Dallas try to catch Jack Reacher… Not sure who’d win that one!
What a fun topic
I can’t wait to read about Mercy! Yowza. Glad you liked my villain, Toni. He was completely different from my others. Like Alex, I have a hard time putting different book characters together. Just keep Bobbie Faye away from any of my investigations, please!
Hands down….Hannibal would win. Dexter really wants to be as human as possible and he might soften at just the wrong moment. Hannibal couldn’t give a flying fricassee.
A match-up between to complete opposites popped into my mind.
Carol O’Connell’s Kathy Mallory VS Liza Cody’s Eva Wylie. Mallory with the perfect nails and tailored jeans and Eva and her junkyard trailer and dumpster couture. Cold intelligence against Neanderthal instincts. My money would still be on Mallory.
Cletus Purcell and Harriet Vane.
Peter Wimsey and Munch Mancini.
To perform a total cross-genre mash-up (and I liked yours, Pari), HJK’s Wollie Shelley and and Kage Baker’s Dolores Mendoza.
This is addictive; it could be some kind of board game.
Aud Torvingen versus Kathy Mallory. But honestly I’d rather see them work together, which is a much bigger feat, I think.
Actually, I once pictured Aud and Mallory and Reacher and Rain (or Pike), sitting at a table, and I knew that not one of them would be looking at anyone else at the table, but the whole bar or restaurant would be completely under seemingly casual surveillance. Woe to the idiot who tried to bring something on there!
My first thought was to put Sherlock Holmes battling against Inspector John Rebus to solve a crime. (I’m voting for Rebus.)Then Miri’s comment about Dustfinger got me thinking, as Dustfinger has always reminded me of the character of Carwin in Charles Brockdon Brown’s Wieland (if you haven’t read it; it’s chilling: something of an 18th century Andrea Yates story). I’d love to see those two together in a story.And then there’s the classic: Gandalf vs. Dumbledore. (Gandalf, all the way!!)
Oh yes, and this one probably won’t count because I’m going to mix both genres and media, but wouldn’t you just love to see the arrogant, sexist Sherlock Holmes have to work with Princess Leia? Oh my. THAT I’d love to see/read.
Why is it that I draw a blank whenever a question like this comes up? Although I read something like 100-200 books a year — somebody asks a question like this — and all I can remember is Black Beauty, or the Brothers Grimm, or something like that. I think I’m suffering from “Trop de Mystere.”
Glad you found Charlie fascinating, Toni – thanks. Praise from you means a lot 😉
I was lucky enough to have Lee Child do an introduction for me when I kicked off the Second Shot tour last September. He said Reacher would join forces with Charlie Fox in a heartbeat, not just because she was tough in a fight but because Reacher might just get laid. I told him, sorry, Reacher had no chance …
Wow, so many great challenges. (How on earth could I have forgotten Win?)
Tom, you’re right — this would be a great board game. Or virtual reality — pick the character of your choice to solve a mystery, interact with other players/characters…
Alex, Allison and Louise… I’m actually kinda surprised I could think of match-ups; I usually go blank on these questions and then days later, finally remember.
Allison, I’m not promising she’s not going to show up.
I love the suggestions here — and now I’m going to have to go find a few new books because I feel like I’m missing something really good. (And special thanks to Miri for delurking and kicking off the discussion with great examples!)
B’rer Rabbit and Roadrunner against Wile E. Coyote–total wipe-out!
(del sent me this one…)
I think a collaboration between Bobbi Fayeand Sherlock Holmes would drive Holmes todrugs.
(I’d have to agree.)
I’d like to see Lola and Stephanie Plum from the series by Janet Evanovich and Bobbie Faye team up. The 3 of them could really make a royal mess of things!