I always thought it was funny that Rice and Gregory Widen, author of the original Highlander script, were classmates. Both came up with immortal 400 year-old characters who had some fundamental characteristics in common (which I've forgotten as I've fallen out of both fandoms), as well as tertiary characters (Marius, Darius both much older and semi-mentorish). Maybe they were both on that three-day bender together?

Although Rice has gone on, I gather, to religious works. As Meyers began there.

Heh. Now she's writing RPF about Jesus Christ.

shakes head in sheer incredulity.

I think within the context of a fantasy setting, where people are running around with whacky made-up names - fair enough. Try to restrain yourself with the apostrophes if you can, but knock yourself out.

But when it's set in, essentially, the real world? (Y'know, with added sparkly vampires.) When everyone else is wandering around with fairly innocuous (if cheesy) names? The reader surely, surely cannot help but have an attack of "....really?"

considers

Mind you, upon further reflection, I will buy that these ridiculous sparkly teenagers would make up a dumb name for their kid.

(Were I to have children, incidentally, it is entirely likely that they would have to cope with either a given name or a middle name like 'Serendipity' or 'Luxor' or something equally annoying, poor wee bastards. But I wouldn't just make ugly, badly spelled shit up, because I am not fourteen.)

eta Upon further reflection, it strikes me that what I really dislike about this is the whole fake-word-ness of it. I like words. There are lots of fabulous words out there, in lots and lots of languages. Why make up an ugly word? It doesn't make your character look speshul, Ms Meyers. It makes them look dumb.

How does one pronounce Reneesme, anyway? Ren-es-me?

I think I would be tempted to prounounce it "Mair-ee-soo".

eta Actually, I've been mentally pronouncing it to rhyme with "Release Me", which leads to the inevitable image of this Jacob Black (Is it Jacob? I've already forgotten) wooing her once she's a nubile young thing (for he has imprinted on her - they are SOULMATES from the moment of her BIRTH) by singing:

"Pleeeeeeeaaase Reneesme, let me go!"

My first thought was that it was Renee Esme, smushed together.

::cackling::

My first thought was that it was Renee Esme, smushed together.

That was mine, of course, Lillian has Esme as one of her middle names.

Thankfully, Renee is not the other one.

I haven't read Twilight but Reneesme looks like "Renee's me" to me. I figured maybe she was a distant relative of Sam I Am.

Evidently Utahns/Mormons are notorious for odd names, partly because of the emphasis on geneaology. Google 'Mormon Baby Names' for lists

The quintessential Utah name often has a French-sounding prefix such as Le-, La-, Ne-, or Va-. Often names appear to have genesis in the combined names of the parents--Veradeane or GlenDora, for example. Related is the practice of feminizing the father's name--as in Vonda (dad is Vaughan) or Danetta. Others, such as Snell or Houser, appear to be surnames called into service as first names.

Related is the curious tendency, more common in Utah than elsewhere, for men (women do not seem to do this) to use the first initial, then the full middle name as the given name, such as L. Flake Rogers, who ran for office in Utah County when we lived there. (Come on, you've noticed this habit among the general authorities of the LDS church!) Besides puzzling over why someone would want to be known as "Flake," it makes one wonder just what the "L" stands for.

Heh. Now she's writing RPF about Jesus Christ.

I have an ARC version of this that my friend who works for a bookstore gave me. I have yet to crack it open.

But I wouldn't just make ugly, badly spelled shit up, because I am not fourteen.

And methinks Fay has hit on the crux of the issue.