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Batteries Not Included
After the building in which the Rileys and their friends have lived for years is condemned, something weird and wonderful happens to prevent the wrecking cranes from destroying the remnants of the tenants lives
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1987
About the author
Wayland Drew
23 books33 followersWayland Drew (1932-1998) was a writer born in Oshawa, Ontario. He attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto, where he earned a BA in English Language and Literature (1957). Shortly after graduation he married Gwendolyn Parrott and together they raised four children. From 1961-1994 he was a high school teacher in Port Perry, Bracebridge, and Muskoka Lakes. He also worked for the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Drew began to write seriously in high school and published a number of short stories (to magazines such as The Tamarack Review) and non-fiction pieces throughout his career, while also selling radio and film scripts. His first novel (and sometimes stated to be his best) was The Wabeno Feast (1973). While rooted in Northern Ontario, the story indicted modern industrial civilization as an extension of the European colonization of Canada by depicting an entire society's fall into ruin. In her essay on "Canadian Monsters: Some Aspects of the Supernatural in Canadian Fiction ", Margaret Atwood noted that Drew's use of the aboriginal wabeno revealed a concern "with man's relationship to his society and to himself, as opposed to his relationship with the natural environment" and she concluded that Drew's novel combined "both concerns in a rather allegorical and very contemporary fashion".
Many readers, though, surely know him better as the author of an ecological science fiction trilogy, the Erthring Cycle (1984-1986), and of several movie novelizations (Corvette Summer, Dragonslayer, Batteries Not Included, and Willow, the last three of which were translated into French and the second in German). His non-fiction also reflected his concern for the environment and interest for Canadian landscapes, as seen in books such as Superior: The Haunted Shore and A Sea Within: the Gulf of St. Lawrence. His final novel, Halfway Man (1989), echoed themes from his first, The Wabeno Feast.
Drew began to write seriously in high school and published a number of short stories (to magazines such as The Tamarack Review) and non-fiction pieces throughout his career, while also selling radio and film scripts. His first novel (and sometimes stated to be his best) was The Wabeno Feast (1973). While rooted in Northern Ontario, the story indicted modern industrial civilization as an extension of the European colonization of Canada by depicting an entire society's fall into ruin. In her essay on "Canadian Monsters: Some Aspects of the Supernatural in Canadian Fiction ", Margaret Atwood noted that Drew's use of the aboriginal wabeno revealed a concern "with man's relationship to his society and to himself, as opposed to his relationship with the natural environment" and she concluded that Drew's novel combined "both concerns in a rather allegorical and very contemporary fashion".
Many readers, though, surely know him better as the author of an ecological science fiction trilogy, the Erthring Cycle (1984-1986), and of several movie novelizations (Corvette Summer, Dragonslayer, Batteries Not Included, and Willow, the last three of which were translated into French and the second in German). His non-fiction also reflected his concern for the environment and interest for Canadian landscapes, as seen in books such as Superior: The Haunted Shore and A Sea Within: the Gulf of St. Lawrence. His final novel, Halfway Man (1989), echoed themes from his first, The Wabeno Feast.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 4, 2024
If there's one thing to take away from this review, it's my recommendation to check out the 1987 movie this book novelizes. It was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, has music by legendary composer James Horner, and is a cute, heartwarming story about a group of residents in a rundown tenement building who are being intimidated to leave by a corporation that wants to demolish their building to construct a new development on the land...until they get some unexpected help in their time of need from some otherworldly visitors. The film definitely has the Spielberg feel, and reminds me a lot of his films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, so if you like those you'll probably love this.
The novelization of the movie was fine. It's nothing to write home about. It starts out really great but then becomes somewhat "meh" for the rest of its length. It is decently written throughout, however, and I've certainly read movie novelizations that were far worse than this one (e.g. Godzilla vs. Kong), so if you're looking for a decent movie novelization of an uplifting, original story this fits the bill. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you're a big fan of the movie, as I am.
Definitely recommend checking out the movie if you've never seen it though, especially if you like Spielberg's other alien movies.
The novelization of the movie was fine. It's nothing to write home about. It starts out really great but then becomes somewhat "meh" for the rest of its length. It is decently written throughout, however, and I've certainly read movie novelizations that were far worse than this one (e.g. Godzilla vs. Kong), so if you're looking for a decent movie novelization of an uplifting, original story this fits the bill. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you're a big fan of the movie, as I am.
Definitely recommend checking out the movie if you've never seen it though, especially if you like Spielberg's other alien movies.
August 3, 2026
As a novelization, this is absolutely great. It gives so much more character depth to all of our ensemble cast of main characters and makes their world so much richer and more realized. The writing is playful and maintains the idealistic charm of the film but adds a comfortable amount of whimsy in its descriptions. There are additional scenes and a lot of additional dialogue all giving everything more context, making it fuller, more robust, without changing the actual trajectory or narrative of the film, and moving at more or less the same incredibly quick pace. Why these aliens chose to help these people, especially as opposed to literally countless others in New York how needed “fixing” is entirely unexplained. While the human characters all become more interesting there is nothing new shared about the aliens, save that they (possibly) come from interdimensional space, but aside from the total black hole about the aliens’ motivations the overall world of the story does really get filled out.
The story itself, though, doesn’t get filled out and is, to put it mildly, flimsy. There are whole sorts of legal issues about the development and property ownership and so on that are ignored entirely and make no sense. Who owns this building? Why are you buying out individual renters? They’re not positioned as squatters, which means someone still owns this building, why are you not working business deals with them? I mean, everything is done for quick, easy narrative reasons. That goes from the antagonists’ motivations and resources to the alien physiology, capacities, and reasoning, to the characters’ wild decisions. If you think too much about the why of any of this, it holds together about as much as wet carboard. It’s hard to really fault a novelization for that though, it has certain parameters to work within. I think this actually improves upon the film in all the ways good writing can do, by making a more interior story. It doesn’t sacrifice any of the set pieces from the film, it has the fun and silliness and heart, and if those come with a few narrative quirks then so be it.
The story itself, though, doesn’t get filled out and is, to put it mildly, flimsy. There are whole sorts of legal issues about the development and property ownership and so on that are ignored entirely and make no sense. Who owns this building? Why are you buying out individual renters? They’re not positioned as squatters, which means someone still owns this building, why are you not working business deals with them? I mean, everything is done for quick, easy narrative reasons. That goes from the antagonists’ motivations and resources to the alien physiology, capacities, and reasoning, to the characters’ wild decisions. If you think too much about the why of any of this, it holds together about as much as wet carboard. It’s hard to really fault a novelization for that though, it has certain parameters to work within. I think this actually improves upon the film in all the ways good writing can do, by making a more interior story. It doesn’t sacrifice any of the set pieces from the film, it has the fun and silliness and heart, and if those come with a few narrative quirks then so be it.
March 18, 2017
Great story, when an older couple meet some little mechanical things from another world, their lives and those who live in the tenant building where they also have a diner are turned upside down. Fun, exciting and heart touching.
April 16, 2025
A clever, whimsical script, expanded with Drew's gift for rich prose and deepening of character. Among the novelizations that are great books in their own right.
March 19, 2020
I had vague memories of the film, but as it turns out, very vague: other than the tiny flying saucers, none of this was familiar. A pleasant enough bit of fluff to distract myself with, but not much more.
June 27, 2024
Didn't see the film, but the book is a sweet heart-warming tearjerker :)
July 26, 2025
Scialbo. Superficiale. Dimenticabile.
October 28, 2025
Good sci-fi, also the film produced by Speilberg. A friendly plate sized UFO comes and fixes everything for tenants in a deteriorating block about to be demolished.
February 10, 2013
Synopsis: Frank and Faye Riley are an elderly couple; Faye's Alzheimer's leads her to believe that she sees her son everywhere, even though he died in a car crash years ago. Marisa Esteval is a young lady who is expecting...and unwed. They, and others, live in a building that is on the verge of being destroyed. It seems that only a miracle can save them and their dwelling now...but the kind of miracle they get is something that no one would ever expect or even believe. Based on a Steven Spielberg film.
Review: This was a weird one. I've never seen the movie this book is based on, but I'm not sure I would want to do that now. Though I love a good science-fiction/fantasy yarn, this doesn't seem to have one; it almost seems like the movie was sheer spectacle, just like Michael Bay's Transformers flicks supposedly are. Those who are fanatical about the movie *batteries not included (sic) would probably enjoy this, but everyone else should just skip it.
Content Concerns: Contains about ten or fifteen profanities, some violent scenes, discussion of an unmarried woman being pregnant, and a scene with an alien being nearly dying.
Score: 1.75/5
Review: This was a weird one. I've never seen the movie this book is based on, but I'm not sure I would want to do that now. Though I love a good science-fiction/fantasy yarn, this doesn't seem to have one; it almost seems like the movie was sheer spectacle, just like Michael Bay's Transformers flicks supposedly are. Those who are fanatical about the movie *batteries not included (sic) would probably enjoy this, but everyone else should just skip it.
Content Concerns: Contains about ten or fifteen profanities, some violent scenes, discussion of an unmarried woman being pregnant, and a scene with an alien being nearly dying.
Score: 1.75/5
May 12, 2026
It’s a quick read. It humanizes the characters, gives them a little more depth and motivation for what they’re doing. Stuff you can’t get from a movie that has a limited perspective. With omniscience, you can get more background on how Frank saw the neighborhood change, what’s going through Faye’s mind as she has her episodes, Harry’s backstory, and so on. Makes them less archetypes. Doesn’t give any more insight into the robot aliens, which is what you might be looking for.
BTW this screenplay was written by Brad Bird? The Iron Giant and The Incredibles Brad Bird? What, was he twelve when he wrote this?
BTW this screenplay was written by Brad Bird? The Iron Giant and The Incredibles Brad Bird? What, was he twelve when he wrote this?
August 21, 2011
I enjoyed this book, but I am a little irritated that it is entered wrong here. The book is Batteries Not Included, by Wayland Drew. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember that it was way better than the movie :)
May 27, 2016
The movie was better.
April 3, 2019
Fabulous book, really enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews