How to write a sequel
Ransom Riggs would pen another trilogy, a sequel to "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." It didn't surprise my coursemates, as this seemed to be the trend in Young-adult literature. Sir Henry Rider Haggard created a series revolving around Allan Quartermain and another one around Ayesha. Eventually, Haggard's most popular characters would meet sooner or later. Africa may have a diverse landscape, which would be an ultimate challenge to any traveler. But it turned out to be a small world after all. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie also thought about it, as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot deserved another appearance (and another one).
My coursemates and I played a game during an idle Saturday afternoon. We were studying for an examination, but we figured that it was a good time that we took a break. And we don't want to take the coursework seriously. Literature could be fun if there won't be any deadlines to beat, and we have read enough novels to know which ones would deserve a sequel. In a perfect world, a good novel doesn't need a follow-up. Readers wouldn't be interested in how the life of Emma Bovary's daughter turned out. And the story of Pip and Estella should end on a happy note. I don't want to think about their domestic life, of many children they would raise. Michael was quite amused, but he pointed out that this was the natural course of things. The subject was fiction, I reminded him.
We came up with a short list of novels, and what would be the premise of the sequel. This was how it turned out:
Emma. Emma Woodhouse, who loved playing the matchmaker, realized that she needed a good man. And she was lucky that Mr. Knightley was there all along. They were blessed to have a daughter, who turned out to be the spitting image of Emma. And she also liked to play games. Mother wasn't pleased with it, even reminding her little girl about the perils of matchmaking. George Knightley could only look at them, chuckling during those unguarded moments. It would be another comedy of manners.
Gulliver's Travels. Lemuel Gulliver's encounters with the Yahoo clan turned him into a misanthropist. It put a wedge between him and his family, but love would prevail. It was supposed to be domestic idleness until Mr. Gulliver had visions (during his sleep). It was the call of adventure. After a little resistance, he attempted to assemble another crew. There was opposition until someone saw an unidentified flying object on the horizon. Lemuel Gulliver was speechless, unable to move at the same time. He recalled his third voyage.
Journey to the Center of the Earth. Axel was unable to forget his fantastic journey, such that he was looking for another hollow Earth. He traveled to Greece, where a volcanic chain could be found in the Aegean Sea. And he was lucky to discover an extinct volcano (similar to Snaefellsjokull). He brought along his brightest student. (Axel followed Professor Lidenbrock's footsteps.) The older Axel was expecting to relive his previous adventure, but he was astounded at what he saw. It wasn't a T. rex.
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Henry Jekyll's nephew learned about his uncle's experiment and thought about looking into it. He was a cerebral individual, even a disciplined by nature. He figured out that he wouldn't repeat his uncle's mistakes, but there were some things that were beyond control. And the neighborhood wasn't peaceful as it used to be.
The Time Machine. The narrator was unaware of the Time Traveller's extent of his loneliness. Otherwise, he would have returned to Victorian London within a few years. He happened to meet another scientist, who was able to invent the same device. And he traveled to A. D. 802,701. He almost fainted at the sight of childlike adults, and how the Time Traveller clearly stood out from the pack. He was gaunt and weary, but he seemed to have found happiness. But he didn't like the devolution of human civilization. He was unaware of someone watching his moves. Could he escape on a nick of time?
We couldn't think of other titles, and the examination was two days away.
