The next big thing is here, and if you're a college student (or, at least, a male college student) you probably haven't heard of it.
It's the Twilight phenomenon, kicked off in 2005 with the publication of Twilight, the first of four books in a series written by American author Stephenie Meyer. After the rampant success of the first novel, she followed it up with New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007) and Breaking Dawn (2008).
The books revolve around the story of Bella Swan, a teenager who moves to Oregon and falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. The plot sticks close to the time-tested story of forbidden, hopeless, passionate romance; the way Meyer handles this relationship is a major part of the buzz surrounding the series.
Meyer writes a tale that is obsessed with sex but, staying true to her Mormon faith, is completely devoid of it. Premarital sex is shunned by both characters, and the resulting sexual tension is palpable. However, this does earn the approval of parents, which is always important in the realm of young adult literature.
It seems likely that talk of the new fantasy hit should bring to mind memory of a certain scarred wizard. And, not surprisingly, the comparison of Harry Potter and Twilight is common. Other than substantive similarities, the assessment is inspired by the shape the trends have taken-first literary hit, then movie, then complete cultural movement.
Despite the shared superficial aspects, they contrast more than compare. Twilight doesn't have the all-encompassing appeal to every age, gender and culture that helped Rowling conquer the world; instead, the franchise focuses primarily on the formidable demographic of adolescent girls and their mothers.
This discussion raises the question of what influence the series has had, if any, on Duke's campus. Freshman Michelle Barreto says they are her favorite books, a response also given by multiple others, and she believes instinctively comparing it to Harry Potter is inappropriate.
"It's comparing apples and oranges, because Harry Potter is more about plot and the fantasy while Twilight is more about the romance," she said. "They're two very different types of books. People like the two a lot for very different reasons."
Twilight first made its presence felt here Friday evening. Atlantic Records, the company responsible for the Twilight soundtrack, co-sponsored a release party for the disc with the a capella group Lady Blue at G-Loft. Free merchandise was distributed, and the event served as a prime opportunity to expose the franchise to a relatively untapped audience-you.
Sophomore and Lady Blue member Jesse Mark is a market leader for Atlantic Records in the area, and she helped to set up the evening. The company asked market leaders across the country to throw listening parties for the soundtrack, and Mark came up with the idea of co-sponsoring the function with Lady Blue.
"We were trying (and were successful) in providing an alternative bar-themed night out for Duke students, and hoped that while doing so we could spread the word about how amazing the soundtrack is," she wrote in an e-mail.
The soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and Variety reported that 500 showings of the film (see right) have already been sold out. So, be ready to get familiar with these vampires: you don't have a choice.
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