"Harry Potter" vs. "Twilight"

The "Harry Potter" books by J.K. Rowling and the "Twilight" teen vampire series are so often mentioned in the same breath these days. Yet apart from the fact that both story lines are magic-based the only thing these series really have in common is their incredible success in the marketplace.

Oh yes, that and the depth of the devotion of their young fans.

On thebatt.com, Texas A&M's online student publication, a young writer argues that these two series have combined to create a new generation of novel readers. " ''Twas only a decade ago scholars began to ponder the future of the novel," writes Tracey Wallace.  Today, she says, "These worries are those of the past.... No longer are scholars worried about our generation's lack of interest in novels. Now they know to get our attention, all you need is a little magic."

The literary genre of this generation, she says, has arrived.

She may be right. After all, do we really need to worry about the novel in an era in which teens are willing to spend their free time at a literary debate? On March 21, at Seattle's central library, teens will be gathering to participate in "The Great Debate: Harry Potter vs. Twilight" where they will argue as to the comparative merits of the two series.

As anyone who has ever attempted to blog about "Twilight" knows, this could be an incendiary event. Stay tuned for the results!