tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post8816546378468256810..comments2024-03-17T08:27:53.658-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: Stonekettle Station’s Top Ten Classic Scifi Novels That…Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-15479802167132918972012-01-17T09:28:25.446-06:002012-01-17T09:28:25.446-06:00Good reading suggestions! 4 broken ribs, and two 2...Good reading suggestions! 4 broken ribs, and two 21 inch incisions leave me with lots of free time and a nice amazon bill.<br />You are an amazing writer, and hell on these incisions.<br />Need more oxy-spiked fruitcake.<br /><br /> Need answer, though. Did you have to break Eric's other arm?<br />And why is my word verification always set up to incite a raging food craving for the currently housebound? Today it contains Brie.Miss Demeanornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-18919562433367050662011-03-30T18:37:33.833-05:002011-03-30T18:37:33.833-05:00I have been imagining for years who I would cast i...I have been imagining for years who I would cast in a mini series filming of "Mordant's Need: Vols I and II: The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through. (I'm not sure of the correct way to write that, sorry folks)<br /><br />I've also considered doing animation instead. In the style of The Last Unicorn or The Hobbit. ( I have a fondness for the old animation) <br /><br />I wish, I wish, I wish, I was rich enough to do it.<br /><br />Stephen R. Donaldson is one of my favorite writers and Mordant's Need is a perfect introduction to him.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17313270782530035018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-89366979897436007732011-03-19T15:03:48.260-05:002011-03-19T15:03:48.260-05:00Lovely post, although the book list entitled "...Lovely post, although the book list entitled "Things I must find at HalfPrice" grows apace! I'm w/you Mr. Wright, on Pournelle's Falkenberg's Legion. Hell, someone should do the omnibus The Prince w/the follow on novels as well. Which brings me to a similar but different entry, the Childe Cycle by Gordon R. Dickson. I'm a girl, I don't really like military fiction, but I loved Dorsai!<br />And why has no one (to date) mentioned the Alliance-Union universe of C.J. Cherryh? I would LOVE to see Cyteen & Downbelow Station brought to life.<br />As an aside, there is a director out there-IMHO-who could bring ALL the relevant William Gibson novels to life: Olivier Assayas. If you want proof of this assertion, screen Demonlover from 2002. In terms of mise-en-scene, ambiance, and design (if he can secure the same production team, w/selected augments from Luc Besson's Fifth Element crew) plus a Gibson-approved script (much like the deal John Grisham got for A Time to Kill), he could do the whole of the Sprawl Trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero, & Mona Lisa Overdrive) as well as what I am now referring to as the Bigend Trilogy (Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, & Zero History). Assayas might indeed be pivotal to the last, as he is French, and fashion--in it's many and various incarnations--figures heavily in the Bigend Trilogy.<br />Just my 2 cents to the hive mind. (My apologies, but I can't seem to get the HTML tags for italics to cooperate. Alas, all titles are therefore incorrectly formatted. Sigh.)Kitten99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03724363655604351069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-83266847845012227722009-06-08T13:56:43.287-05:002009-06-08T13:56:43.287-05:00It was a "Playhouse 90" live teleplay - ...It was a "Playhouse 90" live <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053581/" rel="nofollow">teleplay</a> - and had a young burt reynolds in it no less.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-88895747326692702152009-06-08T13:50:40.327-05:002009-06-08T13:50:40.327-05:00They made a TV movie out of Alas Babylon in the la...They made a TV movie out of Alas Babylon in the late 50s or early 60s. Not long after the book was published. I've no idea if the film is still in existance or even in color.ntschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086019980409702904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-64911763111112705822009-06-07T12:33:00.162-05:002009-06-07T12:33:00.162-05:00What follows below is the list of books-to-flicks ...What follows below is the list of books-to-flicks that nobody else has listed. Not my top ten, as some of those have already been covered, but still:<br /><br /><i>Pattern Recognition,</i> by William Gibson. Yeah, it's not far out there scifi, like his earlier stuff, but this one and <i>Spook Country</i> really are some wonderful reads, which I'd love to see on the screen. I keep hearing buzz that <i>PR</i> is in production, but nothing substantial. <br /><br /><i>Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, </i>and<i> The Last Command</i>, by Timothy Zahn. If you're a fan of A New Hope, Empire, and RotJ, then here's a trilogy that could seriously go straight to the screen. Zahn understands what Lucas did with those movies better than Lucas himself, in my opinion, and did a very nice job of mixing familiar and fresh in a way that nobody else has, and believe me, a lot of people have tried. <br /><br /><i>Eisenhorn, Ravenor, </i>and/or the <i> Gaunt's Ghosts</i> series of novels by Dan Abnett. Yes, it's pulp scifi, but the first two are like neo-gothic noir, run through a light Lovecraftian filter, and the third is quite literally <i>Band of Brothers</i>with laser rifles. Look down your nose all you like, these books, particularly the more recent ones, could make some really good movies. <br /><br />For the same reasons, I wish somebody would bring <i>The Dresden Files</i> back to the screen. They had the lead cast right, but otherwise, while enjoyable, they came at it the wrong way. Technically not scifi, if you keep scifi and fantasy separate genres, but sue me. I think it could work as a series of straight-to-DVD, as the networks seem so fond of these days, if production values were kept high enough.<br /><br />Jim, one more thing I'd add. Know that you aren't that big a fan of Martin's ASOFAI, but wasn't sure whether you saw HBO has greenlit it for a series this year. Maybe, if this takes off, Martin can get a few more projects crossed over. I mean, when was the last time he had something he was involved with on the air? Beauty and the Beast?Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16418987113438669699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-38169680197716755892009-05-26T12:37:44.279-05:002009-05-26T12:37:44.279-05:00Grass -- we have a copy of that novel because its ...Grass -- we have a copy of that novel because its original owner couldn't stand to have it in their house. The images in the opening scenes were too terrifying. (grin) I mention that on my science literacy booklist assignment, and a number of students select that one because they are intrigued by a book that someone couldn't allow to stay in their house. (double-grin)<br /><br />I'm not a huge Nicole Kidman fan, but I think she'd be spot on. Though Cate Blanchett would be a better actress.<br /><br />As for imagery, the Sector General novels by James White could not have been even attempted until recently. But you'd need someone with a brain and not just a mad or sloppy artist to do the CGI work for the aliens to be believable. Or to make it so I wouldn't hate it. Yes, George Lucas, I am looking at you. And your buddy Spielberg.<br /><br />Dr. PhilDr. Phil (Physics)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11943336276878704753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-88719142950073856902009-05-25T12:33:49.478-05:002009-05-25T12:33:49.478-05:00Startide Rising by David Brin. Bursting full of ...<B> <I>Startide Rising </I></B> by David Brin. Bursting full of imagination, sentient dolphins and an interstellar war. It blew my mind.<br />It's sequel <I>The Uplift War</I> is pretty good too.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startide_Rising<br /><br /><B> <I>The Ship Who Sang</I></B> by Anne McCaffrey. Updated with a great actress and lead, it would pull in the Grey's Anatomy and sci-fi crowd. <br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Who-Sang-Anne-McCaffrey/dp/0345334310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243271565&sr=8-1<br /><br /><B> <I>Tuf Voyaging</I></B> by GRRM. This is such a classic series of stories, it's a crime this has not ever been mentioned for a movie treatment. <br /><br /><B> <I>The Many Coloured Land </I></B> by Julian May. Time traveling humans stuck in the Pliocene epoch caught in a genocidal war between meta-psychic powered races based on the Tuatha de Danaan legends of Ireland. Rich in scope and tragedy, a shame it was never given the accolades the series deserved.<br /><br /><B> <I>The Honor Harrington Series</I></B> by David Weber. Especially On Basilisk Station. That first novel with the ending gigantic naval fight between two space fleetships would be a mind-blowing movie. It also actually has a lot of thought into how space battles would actually play out.<br /><br /><B> <I>Lord of Light</I></B> by Roger Zelazny.<br /><br /><B> <I>Great Sky River</I></B> by Gregory Benford.<br /><br />I've avoided mentioning all the numerous fantasy books I think would make great movies since this discussion is limited to sci-fi.<br /><br />Of course, the other must be made classics have already been mentioned above too. So I second or third Ender's Game, Forever War, Anything by Larry Niven especially Lucifer's Hammer and the War Against the Chtorr by David Gerrold.<br /><br />- ttAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-70023523564557812122009-05-24T12:35:25.139-05:002009-05-24T12:35:25.139-05:00I'm voting for Vorkosigan too.
Also, The Regiment...I'm voting for Vorkosigan too.<br /><br />Also, <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Regiment-John-Dalmas/dp/0671720651" REL="nofollow">The Regiment</A> Series by John Dalmas. I prefer it to The Forever War.Anne C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09444051201220766948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-91007119049453022182009-05-23T21:28:07.548-05:002009-05-23T21:28:07.548-05:00The Firestar series by Michael Flynn - I had a cas...The Firestar series by Michael Flynn - I had a cast in my head when I read it.<br /><br /><I>The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress</I> would have to be animated for me to love it - as would <I>Ender's Game</I> but I could live with that.<br /><br />The people who did Xena and Hercules did a test of Pern and it was a total disaster according to Anne McCaffrey. But if it were done right, it would be a dream. Another series by her would be <I>Crystal Singer</I> which is one of my guilty pleasures. As long as they don't do the last book, it would be fine.<br /><br /><I>Grass</I> by Sheri Tepper. Nichole Kidman would not have to be the lead, but if that's what it would take to get it made, so be it.<br /><br />CassieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-85737756278752905212009-05-23T18:49:33.709-05:002009-05-23T18:49:33.709-05:00I see your point, Jim. Me, I've been imagining th...I see your point, Jim. Me, I've been imagining the "Plague Star" movie since I read it--in junior high school, in <I>Analog</I> back in the early '80s. So for me, yeah, I can relate to the "own vision" thing, but there's also that the first time I saw <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0073137" REL="nofollow">Daniel Benzali</A>, my first thought was, "There's my Haviland Tuf."<br /><br />(Hey, this only took me 16 minutes to type; using my right hand a little helps!)Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-56033333826019069642009-05-23T17:18:42.296-05:002009-05-23T17:18:42.296-05:00I thought about suggesting John Ringo's Posleen se...I thought about suggesting <A HREF="http://johnringo.com" REL="nofollow">John Ringo's</A> Posleen series, but then I said no to myself, they are entirely too fast paced for people too keep up with the timeline of the books, at least in Hell's Fair there isn’t as much jumping forward, but then no one would already be attached to the characters.Thordrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02483497564571489980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-79903187380312531662009-05-23T13:09:35.214-05:002009-05-23T13:09:35.214-05:00Well, Pratchett's The Colour of Magic and Hogfathe...Well, Pratchett's The Colour of Magic and Hogfather have already been filmed in England and were, I think, shown on Space channel in Canada but more where that came from would be most welcome.<br /><br />Also, I'd love to see someone attaempt to do the Posleen books - Hell's Faire maybe? Out and out blood (albeit yellow blood) and gore.MikeBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-86083110597567240352009-05-23T12:04:22.332-05:002009-05-23T12:04:22.332-05:00Eric, well, see, here's the thing: I love GRRM's w...Eric, well, see, here's the thing: I love GRRM's work. Love it. I'm a huge, huge fan of GRRM's scifi (his fantasy, not so much, really don't give a crap about TSOFAI), but I love, absolutely love his Federal Empire/Double War stuff. Tuf Voyaging, of course, A song for Lyra, The Stone City, In the Lair of the White Worm, Songs the Dead Men Sing, The Glass Flower, NightFlyers and especially The Dying of the Light (probably my favorite novel ever, by anybody) - and I have a very specific vision of those worlds and characters and frankly I don't want to see them on the screen.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-68972727774856696302009-05-23T11:39:11.375-05:002009-05-23T11:39:11.375-05:00i'd love to see a Dennis L. McKiernan novel turned...i'd love to see a Dennis L. McKiernan novel turned into a mini series, or rather a mini series based loosley around his mythical world of Mithgar.<br /><br />Michele has some wonderful reviews of his books on her site, which is ironically how i wound up hereJarhead Journalisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874952626064863846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-61861813156596105722009-05-23T09:53:50.763-05:002009-05-23T09:53:50.763-05:00Jim, I'm surprised you left out GRRM's Tuf series....Jim, I'm surprised you left out GRRM's Tuf series. "The Plague Star" would make a great 2-hr theatrical release on its own, but you could reasonably adapt sll of them into a series of lower-budget TV movies tracing the arc of Tuf's corruption by absolute power.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-12971816976746411492009-05-23T08:19:21.911-05:002009-05-23T08:19:21.911-05:00Pratchett's anything connected to the Night Watch....Pratchett's anything connected to the Night Watch. <br /><br />Stanislaw Lem's Travels of Ijon Tichy<br /><br />Definitely Anzhej Sapkovsky's The Witcher.<br /><br />Thank you all for a wonderful list of books to read.Some dude stuck in the Midwesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00852056495927941030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-54459488848791722252009-05-23T07:43:08.779-05:002009-05-23T07:43:08.779-05:00One that i would love to see, assuming that it is ...One that i would love to see, assuming that it is even possible to pull off is <I>Mother of Demons</I> by Eric Flint. http://www.webscription.net//p-287-mother-of-demons.aspx<br /><br />Flint with David Drake doing the Belisarius series would also be great, starting with <I>An Oblique Approach</I> http://www.webscription.net//p-300-an-oblique-approach.aspx<br /><br />And i second Nathan on both Leary and the 1634 series, more Flint and Drake.<br /><br />And can you imagine doing Drake's <I>Redliners</I> as a miniseries? http://www.webscription.net//p-341-redliners.aspx<br /><br />John Ringo's Council War series would also be great and it is't until the second book that any "Oh, John Ringo no!" moments start.<br /><br />With Scalzi, i think <I>Old Man's War</I> Might fit on a big screen, though TGB might be unfilmable, <I>The Android's Dream</I> needs a Miniseries treatment though.mfheadcasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14426204559330501007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-81433373179453538632009-05-22T23:40:32.347-05:002009-05-22T23:40:32.347-05:00World War Z would be cool.World War Z would be cool.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-68113251913538998772009-05-22T23:40:15.084-05:002009-05-22T23:40:15.084-05:00You know, Scott, you bring up a very good point, t...You know, Scott, you bring up a very good point, there are a number of excellent Foster novels that would translate well into a decent mini-series. <I>In to the out of</I> is still my favorite of anything he's written though.<br /><br />And as long as we're wishing, Poul Anderson's Flandry (<I>especially</I> Ensign Flandry) series would be terrific.Jim Wrighthttp://stonekettlestation.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-58254703407221019092009-05-22T23:29:28.626-05:002009-05-22T23:29:28.626-05:00No offense, but nuts to all of that. I want to se...No offense, but nuts to all of that. I want to see <I>Sentenced to Prism</I> by Alan Dean Foster on the screen.<br /><br />It's one of my favorite novels. It may be nothing profound, but I like monsters, and this book's got 'em aplenty.Dicing with Dragonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03132972790091524968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-23781724947791460882009-05-22T22:17:52.714-05:002009-05-22T22:17:52.714-05:00The Alex Benedict stories by Jack McDevitt, starti...The Alex Benedict stories by Jack McDevitt, starting with one of my favorite novels A Talent For War. Lots of action and decent questions on what actually is history.<br /><br />For a while SciFi used to run old series marathons during the day. I managed to see all the episodes I missed of Space: Above and Beyond.<br /><br />Dr. PhilDr. Phil (Physics)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11943336276878704753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-7710495789942031592009-05-22T21:54:32.340-05:002009-05-22T21:54:32.340-05:00Dang, Vince, you beat me to the Ender books & ...Dang, Vince, you beat me to the Ender books & the Hyperions!<br /><br />I'll add David Weber's <I>Honor Harrington</I> series to the list. You could get 5-10 years between the originals and fanfic out there!<br /><br />WendyB_09WendyB_09https://www.blogger.com/profile/03788918629240949526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-44888810015390612372009-05-22T21:49:27.171-05:002009-05-22T21:49:27.171-05:00I'm gonna have to throw Mutineer's Moon in here to...I'm gonna have to throw Mutineer's Moon in here too - http://www.webscription.net/p-291-mutineers-moon.aspx<br /><br />So basic plot synopsis? The moon is a 50,000 year old spaceship. Enjoy.Howie Daynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-2631163660521804012009-05-22T21:15:14.281-05:002009-05-22T21:15:14.281-05:00I'll also vote for Vorkosigan. One thing it's got...I'll also vote for Vorkosigan. One thing it's got going for it is that it's really accessible to non-Sci-Fi folks...great characters, lots of humor, unlikely hero.<br /><br />David Drake's Daniel Leary series. Another bunch of misfits beating the crap out of anyone who crosses them.<br /><br />The 1634 series. Hell, it's present day West Virginia dropped into the middle of 17th century Germany...what's not to like. (Also pretty damned easy to produce, IMHO.)Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.com