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Riddick #2
The Chronicles of Riddick
May 2004 Del Rey mass market paperback, Alan Dean Foster (Splinter of the Mind's Eye). Richard B. Riddick has been in hiding for five years, evading bounty hunters and mercenaries sent to capture him. After killing a crew led by Toombs and stealing his ship he heads to New Mecca in the Helion System, after Toombs reveals his bounty originated there. Riddick is reunited with Imam, the man previously rescued. Imam believes Riddick is a Furyan, a race of warriors long thought extinct, and wants to know about his homeworld and if anyone other than himself is left. Imam believes Helion Prime is the next planet to be conquered by a mysterious force crusading across the stars. Aereon, an Air Elemental, identifies the army as the Necromongers, religious fanatics who seek to convert everyone and kill those who refuse. The Necromongers attack, and take control of the capital in a single night. In the battle, Imam is killed and Riddick escapes.- Wikipedia
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
25 people are currently reading
1242 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
498 books2,031 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 21, 2008
The Director's Cut of "Chronicles of Riddick" (the movie) is a stark contrast to the theatrical release; the DC could arguably be one of the best scifi pieces done to date. Having seen there was a novel adaptation, I grabbed it right away.
I seem to recall reading work by Alan Dean Foster before and not finding it bad.
God in HEAVEN this book is hacky and awful. It does to the screenplay what the theatrical version did: it over-explains obvious items (to the point of talking down to you as the viewer) and then leaves other important information deliberately obscure if not outright omitted.
Allow me to quote a choice passage:
"There was nothing more he could do. He knew Riddick well enough to know that even had that been able to restrain him, they would not have been able to compel him to do anything he himself did not want to do. Easier to move a mountain. That was only a matter of physics.
There was no equation to explain Riddick.
It was a beautiful, clear night. Clear as noontime to Riddick, who shunned the daylight. A quick check behind him showed that no one was following him. Imam knew better, he assumed. Not that the delegate or his clerical friends could have stayed on Riddick's track for more than a few meters had they tried to follow him. The big man moved too fast, too silently. He could not disappear in a blur like an Elemental--but it would seem to others that he could come close."
Some quick facts about the above:
-Bear in mind this is only about the tenth time we've been told about Riddick's SPECIAL EYES THAT DO NOT ENJOY FULLY BRIGHT LIGHT.
-Riddick moves too fast for some reason. Too silently as well, he actually takes away noise rather than creates it.
-I mean, read it. God damn it.
I would have actually been able to forgive some pretty bad flaws because I'm so in love with the fluff and worldlore of Riddick, but this book actually ANGERED me and is a patent example of how you can butcher anything with a poor enough talent.
Thank you, Alan Dean Foster. Thank you for taking an incredible intellectual property and wiping your behind with it.
I seem to recall reading work by Alan Dean Foster before and not finding it bad.
God in HEAVEN this book is hacky and awful. It does to the screenplay what the theatrical version did: it over-explains obvious items (to the point of talking down to you as the viewer) and then leaves other important information deliberately obscure if not outright omitted.
Allow me to quote a choice passage:
"There was nothing more he could do. He knew Riddick well enough to know that even had that been able to restrain him, they would not have been able to compel him to do anything he himself did not want to do. Easier to move a mountain. That was only a matter of physics.
There was no equation to explain Riddick.
It was a beautiful, clear night. Clear as noontime to Riddick, who shunned the daylight. A quick check behind him showed that no one was following him. Imam knew better, he assumed. Not that the delegate or his clerical friends could have stayed on Riddick's track for more than a few meters had they tried to follow him. The big man moved too fast, too silently. He could not disappear in a blur like an Elemental--but it would seem to others that he could come close."
Some quick facts about the above:
-Bear in mind this is only about the tenth time we've been told about Riddick's SPECIAL EYES THAT DO NOT ENJOY FULLY BRIGHT LIGHT.
-Riddick moves too fast for some reason. Too silently as well, he actually takes away noise rather than creates it.
-I mean, read it. God damn it.
I would have actually been able to forgive some pretty bad flaws because I'm so in love with the fluff and worldlore of Riddick, but this book actually ANGERED me and is a patent example of how you can butcher anything with a poor enough talent.
Thank you, Alan Dean Foster. Thank you for taking an incredible intellectual property and wiping your behind with it.
February 14, 2016
In my quest to read more movie novelizations this year, it's unsurprising that Foster's name would pop up on the list. In fact, in searching my library for more novelizations by him, this one popped up. Pitch Black and subsequently The Chronicles of Riddick are favourite films in my household and I am quite fond of the character of Riddick. I suspect Vin Diesel, the actor who plays him, is quite fond of Riddick too, and it shows with Chronicles. I could have done with a little less of Riddick being Riddick in what was perhaps Diesel's attempt to bring back the macho tough guy of the 80s, but with less campiness, and more attempted intellectual and occasionally gross sexist (I'll never watch the third movie, Riddick, again for the latter reason) comments and actions.
Anyway, after surviving the monster infested planet in Pitch Black, Riddick has sequestered himself away from humanity, but is dragged back in thanks to the arrival of the Necromongers, a powerful race of beings bent on purifying the galaxy and preparing everyone for the great beyond. As with all fanatics, they believe they are doing their lord's work. Alas, the Lord Marshal is going to have to deal with Mary Sue--I mean-- Richard B. Riddick, who has now been imbued with magical Furyan powers thanks to a prophecy and upgraded backstory. Not that these new elements don't work for the story. They do make sense, but it's how Riddick is now portrayed that has me rolling my eyes. And yet, it's for this very thing that I give Foster credit. Part of writing a novelization is being able to capture the feel of the film, right down to Riddick's new found ability to be faster than fastness and more quiet than silence as he skillfully murderdeathkills vast hordes of bad guys.
"Riddick moved forward, seeming to cross the intervening space between the clerics and himself with barely a step. One by one, he pushed back hoods and examined faces. He had no divining equipment with him, needed none. He knew men better than any machine."
Foster's words drip with the sense that someone thought more of Riddick's status than they should have, and I get the impression that, as wrote, Foster was frequently peppered with phone calls and emails from Diesel with suggestions on how to improve scenes. So I feel like I should give Foster credit for capturing both the vibe of the film and showing such patience with our illustrious star.
Fortunately, this book was not just about Riddick and the perspective quite often changed. Kyra in particular is a character of interest, as is the Lord Marshall in his unwavering beliefs, but really, I am here for the Vaakos. Foster did not let me down with the sultry blade that is Dame Vaako.
I read novelizations with the hope that I'll get a few new insights into the characters and events, and maybe a deleted scene or two. This honestly didn't add much save for amusement in reading the Riddick loves Riddick story. I was disappointed though -- or perhaps pleased with the final movie version of the parting between Riddick and Kyra. The movie moment is powerful and the line "Are you with me Kyra?" is a much stronger connection to the running theme of his abandonment of her in the first place. In the book, he demands to know "what side" she is on, which holds less emotional stakes. I'm guessing that was a last minute script change that made it into the movie, much like Leia and Han's "I love you" "I know," which was not in the novelization.
www.bibliosanctum.com
Anyway, after surviving the monster infested planet in Pitch Black, Riddick has sequestered himself away from humanity, but is dragged back in thanks to the arrival of the Necromongers, a powerful race of beings bent on purifying the galaxy and preparing everyone for the great beyond. As with all fanatics, they believe they are doing their lord's work. Alas, the Lord Marshal is going to have to deal with Mary Sue--I mean-- Richard B. Riddick, who has now been imbued with magical Furyan powers thanks to a prophecy and upgraded backstory. Not that these new elements don't work for the story. They do make sense, but it's how Riddick is now portrayed that has me rolling my eyes. And yet, it's for this very thing that I give Foster credit. Part of writing a novelization is being able to capture the feel of the film, right down to Riddick's new found ability to be faster than fastness and more quiet than silence as he skillfully murderdeathkills vast hordes of bad guys.
"Riddick moved forward, seeming to cross the intervening space between the clerics and himself with barely a step. One by one, he pushed back hoods and examined faces. He had no divining equipment with him, needed none. He knew men better than any machine."
Foster's words drip with the sense that someone thought more of Riddick's status than they should have, and I get the impression that, as wrote, Foster was frequently peppered with phone calls and emails from Diesel with suggestions on how to improve scenes. So I feel like I should give Foster credit for capturing both the vibe of the film and showing such patience with our illustrious star.
Fortunately, this book was not just about Riddick and the perspective quite often changed. Kyra in particular is a character of interest, as is the Lord Marshall in his unwavering beliefs, but really, I am here for the Vaakos. Foster did not let me down with the sultry blade that is Dame Vaako.
I read novelizations with the hope that I'll get a few new insights into the characters and events, and maybe a deleted scene or two. This honestly didn't add much save for amusement in reading the Riddick loves Riddick story. I was disappointed though -- or perhaps pleased with the final movie version of the parting between Riddick and Kyra. The movie moment is powerful and the line "Are you with me Kyra?" is a much stronger connection to the running theme of his abandonment of her in the first place. In the book, he demands to know "what side" she is on, which holds less emotional stakes. I'm guessing that was a last minute script change that made it into the movie, much like Leia and Han's "I love you" "I know," which was not in the novelization.
www.bibliosanctum.com
April 29, 2017
Intense read I think scifi fans should definitely read but an amazing story for all.
October 26, 2017
Too close to the movie... I did like the movie, but I expected more from the book.
That said, the book follows almost every step, every scene, on the movie. So it is hard to justify the time spent on the book.
That said, the book follows almost every step, every scene, on the movie. So it is hard to justify the time spent on the book.
July 6, 2021
CW/TW: death, murder, blood, graphic violence, gore, genocide, intimate partner abuse, beheading/decapitation, imprisonment, ableist slurs, sexual harassment, attempted rape, mention of past rape, suicide
Can't tell you what was up with book one coz I ended up not being a fan of that nonsense (Noah Fence). But this one was so much better, mostly because it stuck closer to the movie while also giving us so much more backstory.
At the beginning I was heartbroken and was lowkey annoyed because the book was not at all going the way the movie went. Like I didn't know what was going on, didn't know who some of the characters were, and worse there was mention of a character that either died in the first book or was only supposed to show up in the next one and I was confusion!
But then the boom kept going and lo and behold, it got amazing, just like the movie. Alan Dean Foster stayed as close to the movie as possible and I appreciate that so much! My favourite scenes weren't cut or changed so much I couldn't recognise them and even the dialogue was saved here.
AND some of the awkward dialogue from the movie was made better here, was more hashed out and realistic. I really like what Alan Dean Foster did with this book, like that I could've watched the movie as I read and everything would've followed.
And ALSO some of the scenes were expanded on and given more backstory, which I really liked and appreciated. No real, Alan Dean Foster did an amazing job with novelizing the movie that he actually made me love it more. Like, The Chronicles of Riddick is probably my number 1 or number 2 (it changes depending on the mood, sometimes TCoR is number one, sometimes it's Riddick. So) favourite movie, and Alan Dean Foster just made me love it even more. I'm relieved.
I really enjoyed this, as well as the writing, so hallelujah to that!
Can't tell you what was up with book one coz I ended up not being a fan of that nonsense (Noah Fence). But this one was so much better, mostly because it stuck closer to the movie while also giving us so much more backstory.
At the beginning I was heartbroken and was lowkey annoyed because the book was not at all going the way the movie went. Like I didn't know what was going on, didn't know who some of the characters were, and worse there was mention of a character that either died in the first book or was only supposed to show up in the next one and I was confusion!
But then the boom kept going and lo and behold, it got amazing, just like the movie. Alan Dean Foster stayed as close to the movie as possible and I appreciate that so much! My favourite scenes weren't cut or changed so much I couldn't recognise them and even the dialogue was saved here.
AND some of the awkward dialogue from the movie was made better here, was more hashed out and realistic. I really like what Alan Dean Foster did with this book, like that I could've watched the movie as I read and everything would've followed.
And ALSO some of the scenes were expanded on and given more backstory, which I really liked and appreciated. No real, Alan Dean Foster did an amazing job with novelizing the movie that he actually made me love it more. Like, The Chronicles of Riddick is probably my number 1 or number 2 (it changes depending on the mood, sometimes TCoR is number one, sometimes it's Riddick. So) favourite movie, and Alan Dean Foster just made me love it even more. I'm relieved.
I really enjoyed this, as well as the writing, so hallelujah to that!
November 30, 2011
Foster has done an excellent job of retelling the story from the movie.
I can hear Dame Judi Dench's voice just as it was as she read her lines as the Elemental Aereon.
However, I was expecting a bit more. After all, Foster has been around a long time writing scifi and I'm sure he could've expanded the story rather than just retelling.
Still it gets 4 stars because it is beautifully crafted.
I can hear Dame Judi Dench's voice just as it was as she read her lines as the Elemental Aereon.
However, I was expecting a bit more. After all, Foster has been around a long time writing scifi and I'm sure he could've expanded the story rather than just retelling.
Still it gets 4 stars because it is beautifully crafted.
September 18, 2008
Well, if you've ever seen this movie, then you're going to love this book. It stays true to the storyline, but it delves deeply into the details of the movie. It is vulgar in parts, but other than that, it was a pretty amazing book.
May 28, 2009
I normally love Alan Dean Foster but I was disappointed in this. Every writing teacher says show don't tell, but this book was just the opposite. Everything was told, over and over and over, to the detriment of what is actually a decent story.
sigh
sigh
February 17, 2013
Reams more information than the movie. Very solid Science Fiction.
December 30, 2015
I preferred the movie.
July 15, 2017
A story of a superman – he can see in the dark; he can dislocate his joints and still have strength to manhandle his enemies; he can kill wild beasts: he can escape from prisons of any sort.
The bad guys, the Neckomongers, are just trying to kill everyone because their religion says something about death is the way to paradise, or something? They also have extraordinary weapons that overwhelm the defenders of the planets they conquer.
There is a planet that is used as a prison. No one can survive on the surface during daylight, or they are reduced to their basic chemicals, death is a by product of that occurrence, named Crematoria, appropriately enough.
Mr. Riddick is on some small frozen ice ball world, away from everyone, but some bounty hunters find him and with such a large price on his head for capture, they figure that it worthwhile to go get him. But they end up dead, and Mr. Riddick takes their spacecraft. He accesses the bounty announcement, tries to find out who put the bounty on his head, and can not, but he does find out where the bounty originated from, so he goes there.
This is mostly a grand adventure story centered on Mr. Riddick, who is able to do whatever is necessary to escape capture, or, failing that, gets back to doing his task of the moment, which is to kill the leader of the Neckomongers. This is a good enough story, but you can figure out how it ends, it is just a matter of what magic will Mr. Riddick have to do, and there is some inexplicable actions that help him survive, to get there.
The bad guys, the Neckomongers, are just trying to kill everyone because their religion says something about death is the way to paradise, or something? They also have extraordinary weapons that overwhelm the defenders of the planets they conquer.
There is a planet that is used as a prison. No one can survive on the surface during daylight, or they are reduced to their basic chemicals, death is a by product of that occurrence, named Crematoria, appropriately enough.
Mr. Riddick is on some small frozen ice ball world, away from everyone, but some bounty hunters find him and with such a large price on his head for capture, they figure that it worthwhile to go get him. But they end up dead, and Mr. Riddick takes their spacecraft. He accesses the bounty announcement, tries to find out who put the bounty on his head, and can not, but he does find out where the bounty originated from, so he goes there.
This is mostly a grand adventure story centered on Mr. Riddick, who is able to do whatever is necessary to escape capture, or, failing that, gets back to doing his task of the moment, which is to kill the leader of the Neckomongers. This is a good enough story, but you can figure out how it ends, it is just a matter of what magic will Mr. Riddick have to do, and there is some inexplicable actions that help him survive, to get there.
July 18, 2024
I used to read a lot of movie novelizations when I was a kid but, crazily (as he’s written dozens of them), never an Alan Dean Foster. In fact the only Alan Dean Foster book I’d read before this one was a Star Wars novel (but not a novelization), one that was both written and set between the events of Star Wars episodes 4 & 5. In other words, before Luke (or the rest of the galaxy) found out Leia was his sister.
I don’t recommend.
Anyway Chronicles of Riddick: I don’t give a good goddamn what anyone says; I love this movie, it rules, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
The novelization is…. fine? Which is, I guess, all you can possibly hope for out of something like this.. sure, you might THINK you want to know more about the intricacies of Necromonger society and religion but… do you really? What would you DO with that knowledge? No, you want efficiency, pace, action, glib dialogue. You want Vin Diesel making friends with a CGI prison guard dog monster then getting briefly sad when he sees that it’s been killed.
There’s a 10 or so page Afterward that summarizes the history of the Necromongers, don’t worry about that, it’s not very interesting and it just kinda seems to be there to say: Look! See! We really thought about this!
It’s fine. Get some popcorn and read Chronicles of Riddick.
I don’t recommend.
Anyway Chronicles of Riddick: I don’t give a good goddamn what anyone says; I love this movie, it rules, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
The novelization is…. fine? Which is, I guess, all you can possibly hope for out of something like this.. sure, you might THINK you want to know more about the intricacies of Necromonger society and religion but… do you really? What would you DO with that knowledge? No, you want efficiency, pace, action, glib dialogue. You want Vin Diesel making friends with a CGI prison guard dog monster then getting briefly sad when he sees that it’s been killed.
There’s a 10 or so page Afterward that summarizes the history of the Necromongers, don’t worry about that, it’s not very interesting and it just kinda seems to be there to say: Look! See! We really thought about this!
It’s fine. Get some popcorn and read Chronicles of Riddick.
February 21, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per series etc. I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I'm finally going through my tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per series etc. I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
July 21, 2022
Oof, this one was a little rough. By which I mean it had none of the charm of either the first novelization or the movie its based on. It was a surgically precise retelling that felt more like a book report than an actual book while adding weird mysticism (which technically exists in the directors cut) to my Riddick story without ever doing anything with it outside of a Deus ex Machina (which the movie didnt do).
The actual editing is still solid, but for a book all about a specific much loved character it just didnt have any.
Ive really enjoyed Alan Dean Foster stories in the past, but it didnt work out this time.
The actual editing is still solid, but for a book all about a specific much loved character it just didnt have any.
Ive really enjoyed Alan Dean Foster stories in the past, but it didnt work out this time.
May 25, 2018
I am a big lover of the initial parts of the Riddick series (Pitch Black and the director's cut of Chronicles of Riddick) and a fan of Alan Dean Foster's work. I found this adaptation to be pretty standard, not really adding to the mythos in a meaningful way (as Foster did in Alien & Aliens adaptations) but not detracting from it easy. Overall, just an okay read.
October 7, 2023
Picked it up as a bit of light reading. Barely remember most of the movie. Pitch black was a very basic scifi movie and it was always a bit crazy that they tried to spin it off into Dune like franchise. None of the lore really makes sense or is explained well. Not entirely a bad read but not great either. You keep what you kill.
August 30, 2018
What a terrible mess. Poorly written, uninteresting story, cuts to four different "settings" within the first 12 paged chapter. It was like being forced to eat sardines. I didn't finish the movie because there was nudity, I didn't finish the book because it was so boring.
December 8, 2020
Loved the movie, hoped I'd enjoy the book. I should have realized this was a novelization of the screenplay - something I never read. Basically, it is a blow by blow account of the movie. Thanks, I could have done without. This will teach me to read the small type next time
January 22, 2018
An excellent novel. However, the movie was more realistic.
September 5, 2018
Читается на одном дыхании. Даде фильм захотелось пересмотреть :) правда по воспоминаниям фильм преснее книги
January 19, 2020
Brings back, faithful to, film, equally bloodthirsty, battle-hungry, plus wry humor.
January 3, 2023
Alan Dean Foster's books are better than the movies that bear their names. Besides his own creations, his books on other heroes/situations are always a thrill to read.
January 19, 2023
Not bad. Reading it deepened my understanding of the movie.
March 22, 2023
I really liked this series and the movies that go along with it. On a far away planet a crew and a criminal get stuck and strange creatures hunt them.
January 3, 2022
2022 #3 Decent book of the movie! Like the details on the necromonger society missing in the book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2013
Well, I never knew this was a book! Its only a short read, however it's still very enjoyable. The content is the same as the movie, which in turn leads me to believe the book was written from the movie script.
Something I liked about this book in comparison to the movie is that you can easily see how the characters feel. Unlike other books, this author portrays feelings through other characters opinions and assumptions. For example, Riddick is a very closed person. He doesn't show his feelings and speaks little. However, we can assume how he may be feeling through his long-time friend Kyra. She sees him thinking through a hard situation and she assumes that under his dark glasses that his eyes are concerned for the welfare of the other escapees. She sometimes imagines that he smirks but doesn't quite know if she's seen it or not. I like this type of writing because it keeps you guessing. It gives you an inkling about how Riddick may feel but it also keeps the mystery about the character.
I found this book a lot more informative about Riddick's past than the movie (perhaps because it's spelt out!), example. Riddick has some flashes, imagines, almost like movie snippets when he's in trouble. It's assumed that this is his home world and he's repeatedly referred to as a Furian. You see, when I watched the movie I must have missed this part, and it certainly wasn't repeated. I knew Riddick was different, but I didn't know what he was. The book tells you what he is and the typical traits of his species and sometimes why (e.g. being able to handle more heat that other types of human).
I'm glad I read this book because although it didn't tell us why Riddick was on the run in the first place, or about his past, it gave us an inkling about his early life and where he's from. A bit of the mystery has been solved.
This book is easy reading and you can easily finish it in a day or two. I'd recommend it over the movie as the description of fights and combat are quite amazing. The way the author writes really sucks you in.
I only gave this book three stars because it felt like something was missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I couldn't even begin to tell you what it was, but something was definitely missing for me. As a book I'd rate it an average read. It's not amazing (though it did impress me), and it's worth a read if you're interested in a story like Riddick's. It's one of those books that you'd pick up to pass the time more than anything else, unlike one that you pick up because you can't wait to start it or see what happens.
Either way, if you decide to read, it please do enjoy!
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit: http://a-novel-start.blogspot.com
Something I liked about this book in comparison to the movie is that you can easily see how the characters feel. Unlike other books, this author portrays feelings through other characters opinions and assumptions. For example, Riddick is a very closed person. He doesn't show his feelings and speaks little. However, we can assume how he may be feeling through his long-time friend Kyra. She sees him thinking through a hard situation and she assumes that under his dark glasses that his eyes are concerned for the welfare of the other escapees. She sometimes imagines that he smirks but doesn't quite know if she's seen it or not. I like this type of writing because it keeps you guessing. It gives you an inkling about how Riddick may feel but it also keeps the mystery about the character.
I found this book a lot more informative about Riddick's past than the movie (perhaps because it's spelt out!), example. Riddick has some flashes, imagines, almost like movie snippets when he's in trouble. It's assumed that this is his home world and he's repeatedly referred to as a Furian. You see, when I watched the movie I must have missed this part, and it certainly wasn't repeated. I knew Riddick was different, but I didn't know what he was. The book tells you what he is and the typical traits of his species and sometimes why (e.g. being able to handle more heat that other types of human).
I'm glad I read this book because although it didn't tell us why Riddick was on the run in the first place, or about his past, it gave us an inkling about his early life and where he's from. A bit of the mystery has been solved.
This book is easy reading and you can easily finish it in a day or two. I'd recommend it over the movie as the description of fights and combat are quite amazing. The way the author writes really sucks you in.
I only gave this book three stars because it felt like something was missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I couldn't even begin to tell you what it was, but something was definitely missing for me. As a book I'd rate it an average read. It's not amazing (though it did impress me), and it's worth a read if you're interested in a story like Riddick's. It's one of those books that you'd pick up to pass the time more than anything else, unlike one that you pick up because you can't wait to start it or see what happens.
Either way, if you decide to read, it please do enjoy!
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit: http://a-novel-start.blogspot.com
December 12, 2013
After the whole incident with Planet Number two of the M-344/G system (Pitch Black), Riddick went into hiding in a near distant system, on a planet that is much like “Hoth” in the movie “Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back”. A mercenary was hired by someone (very familiar with Riddick) to get Riddick. The mercenary however was unsuccessful and provided Riddick with transportation. Riddick found his way to the planet “Helion Prime”, this is where he believes the bounty setter is to be found. Riddick finds the person he is looking for and is surprised this person would set a bounty on him. While on Helion prime a certain race comes to bother the people as there have been reports of planets being silenced. This race of being’s called Necromongers. These creature come an act like a crusading force “Either you convert or you all die”. While dealing with these invaders the unthinkable happens. Riddick is left with some choices on how to get out of things. Riddick is taken to a planet called “Crematoria”, the very planet Riddick escaped from years ago. The name of the planet truly does proceed itself. As the leader of the Necromongers learns the secret of Riddick, the leader sends soldiers out to kill him but things turn out to be way different than the leader wished.
I really enjoyed this book and gave it was four stars. Even though I loved the movie and wished to learn more about Riddick in the book, the book however was somewhat hard to follow and skipped all over the place yet in the end if wrapped things up and started to make sense .I will say if you watch the movie first then the book gets easier to follow and the book seems more interesting because of the more in depth detail that is presented.Those who might be interested in this book will be people who love science fiction because this book puts special powers, intergalactic war, and space travel all in one. This book also has a movie yet goes into more depth, so if Vin Diesel lover watched the movie then surly they will want to know more about what Riddick(Vin Diesel) does.
I really enjoyed this book and gave it was four stars. Even though I loved the movie and wished to learn more about Riddick in the book, the book however was somewhat hard to follow and skipped all over the place yet in the end if wrapped things up and started to make sense .I will say if you watch the movie first then the book gets easier to follow and the book seems more interesting because of the more in depth detail that is presented.Those who might be interested in this book will be people who love science fiction because this book puts special powers, intergalactic war, and space travel all in one. This book also has a movie yet goes into more depth, so if Vin Diesel lover watched the movie then surly they will want to know more about what Riddick(Vin Diesel) does.
February 5, 2015
Riddick is an archetypal character, the quintessential anti-hero, a cunning survivor who is so good at surviving that he could almost be thought of as a force of nature himself. That was the point of the movie that this novel was based on. Here is a monster to fight off the other monsters, not because he cares but because fighting for mates and meat is what monsters do.
The author who wrote this novelization does seem to have some awareness of all this. He wants desperately to convince the reader that this is a gritty universe and Riddick is the grittiest. He needs me to see the monsters as monsters and everyone else as scared cattle (or maybe less potent monsters). He needs me to feel the cold gray of that universe and the painful futility of living in it.
And all of that swirling want and need on the part of the author is exactly the problem with this book. The tone of the book is so overpowering that it almost feels violent to me as a I read. There is no room for my observation or my opinion. There is only the very specific mood that the author wants me to experience, and his storytelling squeezes me uncomfortably into that box. It is just too forceful. The spice is too strong.
If the universe and the story were more interesting it may be worth it to slog through. But stories that are so archetypal are not known to be nuanced. Like superhero blockbuster movies these kind of stories move with simple broad strokes, and this is just as true with Riddick as with any of these stories. That is not in itself a bad thing, but the storytelling needs to be as uncomplicated and weightless as the story it is conveying or the whole thing becomes a boring mess.
Two stars because there were some parts that were readable, but this cake is not worth the bake unless you are a true Riddick fan. Just go watch the director's cut of the movie instead.
The author who wrote this novelization does seem to have some awareness of all this. He wants desperately to convince the reader that this is a gritty universe and Riddick is the grittiest. He needs me to see the monsters as monsters and everyone else as scared cattle (or maybe less potent monsters). He needs me to feel the cold gray of that universe and the painful futility of living in it.
And all of that swirling want and need on the part of the author is exactly the problem with this book. The tone of the book is so overpowering that it almost feels violent to me as a I read. There is no room for my observation or my opinion. There is only the very specific mood that the author wants me to experience, and his storytelling squeezes me uncomfortably into that box. It is just too forceful. The spice is too strong.
If the universe and the story were more interesting it may be worth it to slog through. But stories that are so archetypal are not known to be nuanced. Like superhero blockbuster movies these kind of stories move with simple broad strokes, and this is just as true with Riddick as with any of these stories. That is not in itself a bad thing, but the storytelling needs to be as uncomplicated and weightless as the story it is conveying or the whole thing becomes a boring mess.
Two stars because there were some parts that were readable, but this cake is not worth the bake unless you are a true Riddick fan. Just go watch the director's cut of the movie instead.
January 23, 2013
Oh. Wow. Is there a literary version of the Razzie Awards, because the winner for 2007 must have been this stinker.
This book (which seems to be the same as the director's cut of the movie) reads as an un-edited YA novel. Choppy sentences; the one-liner dialogue that only works in a movie format; action sequences killed by ill-timed exposition; and an assumption that one has a photographic memory of the movie to keep track of the characters and/or actions that are not described.
I also disliked the characterisation of Lord Vaako as a hen-pecked himbo, but I suppose that's because I'd rather see him with Riddick than Dame Vaako and Riddick would need a stronger personality in a mate than we see in this book. Mmmm... Riddick/Vaako slash.... now there's an entire section of the internet I wish I could rate on GoodReads (http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Chron...).
(cough) distracted mysef for a miute there...
The only real value the book has (and the reason I bothered giving it this 1 star rating) is in the brief history of the Necromonger Lord Marshalls tacked on as an afterword. This is not the Alan Dean Foster I remember.
This book (which seems to be the same as the director's cut of the movie) reads as an un-edited YA novel. Choppy sentences; the one-liner dialogue that only works in a movie format; action sequences killed by ill-timed exposition; and an assumption that one has a photographic memory of the movie to keep track of the characters and/or actions that are not described.
I also disliked the characterisation of Lord Vaako as a hen-pecked himbo, but I suppose that's because I'd rather see him with Riddick than Dame Vaako and Riddick would need a stronger personality in a mate than we see in this book. Mmmm... Riddick/Vaako slash.... now there's an entire section of the internet I wish I could rate on GoodReads (http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Chron...).
(cough) distracted mysef for a miute there...
The only real value the book has (and the reason I bothered giving it this 1 star rating) is in the brief history of the Necromonger Lord Marshalls tacked on as an afterword. This is not the Alan Dean Foster I remember.
October 17, 2012
While I recognize that the movie can't exactly be considered high art, I like it a lot. I have a natural affinity for characters similar to Riddick. Primal yet exacting, the ultimate word conservationist, quick witted, and strong beyond understanding. We know that Riddick is brutal and fearsome, but still capable of loyalty and deep feelings.
I decided to read the book in hopes of learning more about why Riddick is the way he is. Where he came from. The circumstances that lead him to this rough kill or be killed life.
I got none of that in this book. I rated it a 3 because I still got the gritty action and taciturn antihero I love so much, but I couldn't give it a score higher than that because it provided absolutely no more depth and back story than the movie. This was a disappointment because isn't that the very reason we prefer the books over the movies?
I decided to read the book in hopes of learning more about why Riddick is the way he is. Where he came from. The circumstances that lead him to this rough kill or be killed life.
I got none of that in this book. I rated it a 3 because I still got the gritty action and taciturn antihero I love so much, but I couldn't give it a score higher than that because it provided absolutely no more depth and back story than the movie. This was a disappointment because isn't that the very reason we prefer the books over the movies?
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