More than you ever wanted to hear from Jenny Crusie.

And the Winner Is . . .

Dreamland A

Congratulations, Francois. E-mail your address to mollie@jennycrusie.com and she’ll pass it on to me. Oh, and tell me how you want the book signed (it’s already got my name and Bob’s in it) and whatever else I promised the winner.

Basically, I needed something that sounded like a non-intellectual fun park. Wonderworld sounded good as did Strangeland, but Dreamland just seemed more like a sweet old park. And then somebody buys into it and tries to turn it into Screamland, and we have a fight on our hands.

Dreamland C

There are a ton of things out there named Dreamland already–novels, movies, websites, parks, businesses–but since there are so many, it just makes the name more generic, which I like. I also like the whole Dream Time/Nightmares/Things That Go Bump in the Night and In Your Head vibe.

Dreamland B

I thought at first I’d have my own fight when Bob finally powered up his computer again, but he really is a romantic so I think he’ll like this. And if not, he can name the park. Because I like Dreamland.

We’ll probably be back to get you to name more things because I love Mel’s RollerGhoster and Absolute Cherry’s Ectoplasm slushies that Petal can make into Ectogasms. But I have to stop this and go back to AKMG since this one isn’t even for sure a book yet.

Except I already love Dreamland, so that’s going to show up somewhere, no matter what. So thank you all very, very much. I’m flabbergasted by your brilliance, all of you.

28 Comments so far

  1. Reb on September 26th, 2007 at 4:48 pm

    Dreamland / Screamland is fantastic!

    Congrats to Francois.

    And please write this book - but please keep writing AKMG too.

  2. wendy on September 26th, 2007 at 4:51 pm

    Yes, this is perfect. I can see the battered signage and vintage rides.

  3. Yvonne Lindsay on September 26th, 2007 at 5:44 pm

    Yay, congratulations, Francois.

    Jenny, I love the Dreamland/Screamland conversion. It’s already real in our minds. Now we’re all looking forward to the blog and the book! (all in good time, of course… we don’t mind delayed gratification, not really, honest!)

  4. DownUnderGal on September 26th, 2007 at 6:26 pm

    Dreamland - cool. Very old worldy. Congrats to Francois.

  5. ZaZa on September 26th, 2007 at 6:47 pm

    Congratulations, Francois. Yes, this name has that old-fashioned ring to it. But, still, we had a heck of a good time playing with all those other ideas. ;+)

  6. Lori J. on September 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pm

    That was fun! Congrats Francois.

  7. robena grant on September 26th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    Ooooh, I like it. Especially as my current WIP is about precognitive dreams. Heh. Of course I’d like it. Have just finished reading The Secret Language of Dreams. It was so much fun to try and interpret some of my own.

    Congratulations Francois! Ya’ done good!

  8. RfP on September 26th, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    It’s wonderfully vivid–Dreamland in disrepair. The kind of optimism/hard life juxtaposition that some black-and-white photographer would love to discover, like a ghost town or a broken cinema sign.

  9. sheagal on September 26th, 2007 at 8:02 pm

    Great job, Francois. It’s just right. So retro and early 1960s. I can already see it in my mind. Jenny, thanks for the fun competition.

  10. MJ on September 26th, 2007 at 8:12 pm

    Congrats, Francois. And Jenny, I think the surge of entries shows you and Bob are tapping a powerful current with this story. Hope you decide to do it!

  11. Jan D on September 26th, 2007 at 8:32 pm

    Dreamland. Good on you, Francois. It was great fun to see all the suggestions roll by. Thanks, Jenny.

  12. Susan D on September 26th, 2007 at 8:39 pm

    Lovely. I can already hear strains of “Mr. Sandman” strumming through my head, as I see people wandering the Midway, winning prizes and going on rides and getting thrills from the artwork outside the Sideshow.

  13. RachelC on September 26th, 2007 at 8:49 pm

    There’s Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Queensland. TWhen it’s open after hours, the event’s called Screamworld “The After Dark Park!”

    http://www.dreamworld.com.au/
    http://www.dreamworld.com.au/content/screamworld.asp?name=Screamworld

  14. Jennifer on September 26th, 2007 at 10:03 pm

    Very cool, Francois! I have this image of the Tilt-a-Whirl with clouds painted behind it!

  15. Louisa on September 26th, 2007 at 10:50 pm

    Excellent choice. Seedy, but with big plans gone awry.

    Congrats, Francois!

  16. Egads on September 27th, 2007 at 2:37 am

    Very nice choice. I can see someone fighting for their Dreamland.

    Congratulations, Francois!

  17. francois on September 27th, 2007 at 6:30 am

    I won! I’m glad you like the name. It is nice to think the amusement park of my youth (now sadly deceased) will live on in spirit.

  18. Mel on September 27th, 2007 at 6:40 am

    Yay Francois! I like the dream to scream thing. And yay to more coming up with crazy ride names…

  19. McB on September 27th, 2007 at 8:30 am

    Dreamland - Good choice. Sounds so innocent, so ripe for corruption.

  20. Office Wench Cherry on September 27th, 2007 at 9:19 am

    Yay! Great name, so many layers. Congratulations Francois.

  21. Marcia in OK on September 27th, 2007 at 9:44 am

    Well Done Francois.

    Bob - a romantice - would love to hear the reply to that one.

  22. Egads on September 27th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

    Serendipity…Dreamland, Coney Island, 1904 photo just posted at Shorpy.com

    http://www.shorpy.com/coney-island-1904?size=_original

  23. AbsoluteCherry on September 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm

    What a wonderful picture - definitely collage-worthy. And I really think that something in the park needs to be called “Egads!”

    Way to go Francois, what a great name!

  24. Jill on September 27th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

    Congrats francois ! That’s a great name.

    Egads, that pic is wonderful. Jenny, what do you think ? Put it in the collage ?

  25. Kieran on September 27th, 2007 at 2:57 pm

    I love the whole Dreamland to Screamland thing. That’s brilliant!!!

  26. Lou on September 27th, 2007 at 5:37 pm

    Francois, great name. Good for you!!

    Egads, that picture is fabulous. I love seeing old pictures of well-known places. The resolution in the picture is so clear.

    Jenny, I like the second version of the name. Kind of ghosty looking.

  27. Brandy on September 27th, 2007 at 5:47 pm

    Congratulations Francios. I like Dreamland/Screamland.

  28. Jenny on September 27th, 2007 at 6:23 pm

    I have saved every single link you all put up on the last post and this one; they’re pure gold and I thank you very much.

Leave a reply