There’s A Space Vampire Under My Bed

There’s A Space Vampire Under My Bed

There’s A Space Vampire Under My Bed

I am getting old, which is fine by me, but along with getting older, I find myself getting more nostalgic. As I write this post, I am on the couch with my feet propped up and an episode of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” in the DVD player. The plot to this particular episode is space vampire is chasing Buck and Wilma around a space station. It is corny, I know, but the premise is actually fun. The vampire itself appears to be a slightly more exaggerated version of Max Schreck’s Nosferatu—his head is a bit more bulbous and he is sporting a wicked uni-brow. The most amazing part of the whole show is how serious the actors take their roles.

I’m sure you have heard the expression “There is nothing new under the sun,” and that is true (at least, for now.) The key, as this episode shows, is to take an old idea or theme and drop it into a different setting. The creepy old castle is out and a space station is in. The writers even changed the vampire; his thirst for blood has been replaced with a thirst for life force. And speaking of life force, in the 1985 movie of the same name, Lifeforce, three vampires that live on the life force of humans are brought to Earth. Before they are destroyed, London is filled with half-dead zombies. (Hope I didn’t spoil that for you.)

If you are looking for a new idea, don’t forget to explore the old ideas. Twist an old legend around and drop it into the modern era, or the future, or on another world, or even in another dimension. There might not be any new ideas, but a little imagination can freshen up anything. The key is to—no matter how corny the idea is—treat it as though you are writing the next “Tale of Two Cities.” Take your corniness serious.

Just thought I would jot this down.

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