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Famed "Twilight" author Stephanie Meyer announced Tuesday on Good Morning America that a companion novel to the hit book series will hit shelves today. "Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined" is the retelling of the story with a new twist in the form of a gender swap: Bella is now Beau and Edward became Edythe.

While the necessity of this series' addition is questionable, the concept of gender-swapping a beloved story is an intriguing idea. Here are five books that would be a better gender swap than Twilight.

1. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series is a favorite of many people and is an obvious choice to revamp by turning “the boy who lived” into “the girl who lived.” Hermione transforms into Herbert and Ronald into a Rachel along with a great many of the other characters in the series. 

Of all the books in the Harry Potter series, “The Goblet of Fire” would be the most interesting take due to all the scenarios J.K. Rowling crafted into challenging her fourteen-year-old characters. Just imagine the Yule Ball retold from the perspective of “The Chosen One” dodging date offers while her geeky best friend has no idea what to do. Factor in a pair of mischievous red-headed twin sisters and you have the formula for a great story.

2. "Holes" by Louis Sachar

The young adult story of a boy with bad luck has seen the full-length movie treatment courtesy of Disney. Taking an “Orange is the New Black” approach to reimagining the characters could provide plenty of new and intriguing lanes for the author and audience to enjoy. 

Stanley could become Shelby, a self-conscious but tough teenager who attempts to traverse a juvenile camp for delinquent girls. The transformation of these characters would create a platform not only to address issues that exist on the back burner of society, but reignite the interest in a story that held our intrigue for so long.

3. "Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle

Synonymous with intellect and mystery, the Sherlock Holmes stories have existed in the social consciousness for such length that the concept of a gender-swap provides a refreshing look at the power of deduction. Shirley Holmes and Dr. Jane Watson could be a powerful pair and by leaving them as the only transformed characters, themes of sexism and extra danger would arise in the retelling of these stories. 

Maybe Holmes would use feminine charm in the most awkward way to amplify her extraordinary mental feats or maintain the emotionless foundation found in the original character. Regardless of the route, the novel would be extremely entertaining.

4. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain

The classic tale of a boy and escaped slave's adventure down the famed Mississippi River would take an interesting breathe of fresh air if both Huck and Jim were to have their genders reversed. The travels of Harriet and Jess would present new dangers. While the core concepts of the original story could stay intact, the obvious threat of two young girls going down the river would be fascinating.

5. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Revamping the classic high school literary mainstay by swapping the genders, but maintaining the established tension between characters, "The Great Gatsby" is ripe for retelling. Nick becomes Natalie who looks to experience all that the east coast has to offer for a recently retired army nurse. 

As the affairs change in nature with the relationships warping to fit new gender roles, the story would still benefit from the crazier moments of the original. Imagine Tom, now Tara, punching Michael, originally Myrtle, in the face after he annoyed her by saying Daniel's (Daisy in the book) name so many times.

While the list could extend even further and the options are certainly infinite, these are some recommendations for any author that would like to tackle the challenge. But seriously, the world really does need that Sherlock revamp.

Related Links:

Leave Twilight’s fan girls alone

Timeless or Timed Out: 'His Girl Friday' dismisses gender roles


Reach the reporter at dloche@asu.edu or follow @DMLocheon Twitter.

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