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Read the Books (forget the movie!)

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In Reply to: RE: Anyone go and see John Carter (of Mars) over the weekend? posted by Raiderman on March 12, 2012 at 12:57:53

John Carter Adventures on Mars is a series of eleven books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs in serial form from 1912 to a posthumous publication in 1964. The writing stye is both plain spoken and formalized (particularly when nobles speak with each other) and the level of imagination is flabbergasting, particularly when you consider the state of scientific knowledge then. I particularly enjoyed Book 5 "The Chessmen of Mars", where an interesting human dichotomy, Mind vs Body is taken to an extreme.

The movie, which I saw last Mon., was a beautiful mess. Lots of elements from the first book, "A Princess of Mars" and the second book "The Gods of Mars" are conflated and presented as a new story line that somehow preserved the end result of the books. Guess they were planning a sequel, but, like the attempt at "The Golden Compass", muck with the story enough that the best elements are lost and it's a disappointment for folks who read and loved the books and a confusing mashup for those unfamiliar with the story.

Of all the really complicated Science Fiction/Fantasy stories, I think Peter Jackson did a pretty good job with "Lord of the Rings" I don't think they ever got "Dune" right, and they've never, to my knowledge, made an attempt at the "Foundation" Trilogy by Isaac Asimov.

My bits,

kSpace

Follow Ups:

How large is the readership for the Foundation Trilogy ? - oscar 16:49:12 03/16/12 (3)
...in contrast to Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" saga ?
There are persistent rumors Universal Pictures is planning to make a movie based on the first (of 15 (!)) book, "The Eye of the World". Given the scope of each book and the intricate plots, i find it impossible to believe they could adequately address the book's content in a 2 hour movie; you'd need a TV series (a la "Game of Thrones" ) to decently cover the subject. OTOH, the required special effects would require a budget more suitable for blockbuster movies. And each subsequent book would require it's own series with continuity established to earlier books. Not to mention the major characters start out as ignorant teenagers and eventually develop into famous leaders with large followings.
It'll be interesting to see how they pull this off.
- Wheel of Time movie in 2013 ? (Open in New Window)
Edits: 03/16/12 03/16/12
- RE: How large is the readership for the Foundation Trilogy ? - kSpace 11:25:54 03/17/12 (1)
  Well, I don't really know the relative readership. I loved the Foundation Trilogy, especially when The Mule enters the story.
  
  Haven't read the Wheel of Time series, but I just downloaded the first book to my Kindle. I will probably go broke buying all 15 books, but so be it.
  - You Have Quite An Adventure Ahead Of You There - Brian A 16:14:26 03/17/12 (0)
    The first book is excellent. However, they sort of linearly drop off in action with the null arriving in book ten, "Crossroads of Twilight," though something amazing happens in book nine, "Winter's Heart."
    
    Robert Jordan got a lot of flack for Crossroads and really outdid himself in the next one, "Knife of Dreams." It has some amazing battle scenes involving "spinning" the power. Amazing stuff.
    
    Then, of course, Robert Jordan ups and dies. He left copious notes and even narrated the ending to family and friends "it was recorded." So Brandon Sanderson took up the mantel and is writing the final three books. He has finished the first two, and the second draft of the final book is complete. It is due next January.
    
    I have read the series several times and am in my final re-read. I haven't read Brandon Sanderson's books yet, but I understand he did a bang-up job and is using Robert Jordan's extensive notes and recordings. Jordan's wife is the editor so things are going right.
    
    We'll have to agree to disagree about global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along
- Don't Hold Your Breath - Brian A 18:19:47 03/16/12 (0)
  This rumor has been around in one form or another for at least a DECADE. If I was a billionaire, I'd probably finance it myself.
  
  We'll have to agree to disagree about global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along

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