SF Tidbits for 2/6/09
By John DeNardo |
Friday, February 6th, 2009 at
12:08 am
- John Christopher’s The Tripods Trilogy is being adapted for the big screen.
- Manhattan Theatre Source is staging Universal Robots, a play based on Karel Capek’s classic 1921 play R.U.R. [via SF Scope]
- Interviews & Profiles:
- Adventures in SciFi Publishing interviews David J. Williams (The Mirrored Heavens).
- James Morrow talks about why he wrote his latest book, Shambling Towards Hiroshima.
- Lucien E. G. Spelman interviews Director John Landis.
- Joseph Mallozzi interviews John Joseph Adams, editor of the upcoming anthology Federations.
- At the Guardian, Damien Walter looks at the next generation of SF and fantasy writers. See also: our Mind Meld from last year…Who Are Tomorrow’s Big Genre Stars? (+ The Top 18 Genre Authors To Keep an Eye On). [via Big Dumb Object]
- Free Fiction: “The Patriot Witch” by Charles Coleman Finlay (PDF). [via Grasping for the Wind]
- The February Internet Review of Science Fiction contains features from Cheryl Morgan, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Daniel M. Kimmel, Gabriel McKee; and Carole Ann Moleti on John Updike and Brunonia Barry. [via Locus Online]
- The once and future e-book: reading in the digital age. [via Charles Stross]
- Is that 1.5 million books in your pocket, or you just happy to see me? Google Books goes mobile!
- The Locus Roundtable blog is live!
- The 2009 Locus Awards have opened with the publication of the usual poll on the Locus web site. [via Science Fiction Awards Watch]
- Jeffrey Carver asks: Do Free Downloads Sell Books?
- Joe Abercrombie looks at the anatomy of his Best Served Cold book cover.
- David Moody tells us why strong characters are key to effective storytelling.
- Mary Robinette Kowal gets her Mary Poppins on, listing her favorite childhood movies.
- Time profiles the new Coraline film.
- Super Punch found this cool THX 1138 poster by Martin Ansin.
- SciFi Scanner is running a poll that already has me stumped. Pick the best Space Cowboy. Han Solo or Mal? Too hard!
- Lists:
- Premiere lists 10 Movie Dystopias We Wouldn’t Mind Calling Home. “Sure, most of them are filthy and dangerous, but the rent is probably cheap.”
- @International Society of Supervillains: 10 Superheroes Who Need New Catchphrases.
- File under “Exactly!”: Topless Robot lists 10 Helpful Suggestions for Killing John Connor.
- Not a Planet Anymore lists Top 5 SF Mutinies of TV and Film.
Related posts:
- SF Tidbits for 5/18/06
- SF Tidbits for 4/4/06
- SF Tidbits for 3/2/07
- SF Tidbits for 12/10/07
- SF Tidbits for 12/07/07
Filed under: Tidbits
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“John Christopher’s The Tripods Trilogy is being adapted for the big screen.”
WOW! This trilogy always had a very special place in my heart: it was read to me in fifth or sixth grade during story time by our teacher. The semester ended before we got to the end of CITY OF GOLD AND LEAD, so I never found out what happened. I think I was in High School or later before I finally came across another copy and read it.
If I ever invade another planet to place all the adults under brain-control caps, I will use tripods. As HG Wells firmly established, nothing says alien menace like a giant three legged stool that walks.
Thanks for the link, John!
Our cabal of villainy thanks you for the link.
This will not be forgotten.
Sometime in 1968 I saw a half-hour adaptation of The White Mountains on TV. It was an abridged narration, and the visuals were simple but professional ink-drawn scenes, sequenced like a slideshow. I don’t remember much sci-fi on TV that year — wasn’t watching Star Trek yet – but that version of The White Mountains made a lasting impression on me. The visualization of the Tripods was different than later versions, just a tiny hemispherical pod perched high atop impossibly long, thin, snakelike legs.
I’ve never heard of that version since. For all I know, it was a live performance put on by the local TV station, not even recorded.
Anyway, I wonder why more science fiction novels aren’t abridged, narrated and illustrated in Flash or some other format for Web consumption. Seems to me it would be a good way to generate publicity and sales for the complete novel.