SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

We've got lots of time for this discussion. So there's no rush. I'll end this on Friday, September 11th.

Some of you might have missed this, but a recent poll approved our second place theme for September as our November theme. And the winner is:

Sci-Fi Books that are already movies.

I will make the first nomination (please make sure you follow this format in your nominations):

Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton.

Nominees require a second to become official, and I will keep updating the list of official nominees as we go. There's lots of great stuff out there, so dive in folks.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Watchmen, Dune, I Robot, Slaughterhouse-Five and The Road are all disqualified because we've done them in our group.

I nominate The Prestige by Christopher Priest.

Greyweather wrote: "As are I, Robot and Slaughterhouse-Five...."

Good call, Greyweather, thanks.

Sorry, Will. You're going to have to wait for the "Fantasy to Movie" theme month for that one.

I will second The Prestige byChristopher Priest.

Would folks consider Blindness by José Saramago to be SF? If so, I nominate it.

The Prestige won the World Fantasy Award, though.

Peregrine wrote: "The Prestige won the World Fantasy Award, though."

True, but it was also nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award that year, which is a Sci-Fi award. The presence of Tesla and the "Frankenstein"-ish use of electricity, along with its steampunk period flourishes, tilts it towards Sci-Fi for my money, since the magicians are standard illusionists rather than magic-users. We should probably have Brooke's input here too, though, since she is our Fantasy Tsar.

And there is definitely something of the Sci-Fi distopia in Blindness that qualifies it.

Brad wrote: "Peregrine wrote: "The Prestige won the World Fantasy Award, though."

True, but it was also nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award that year"

And the British Science Fiction Association Award.

Greyweather wrote: "Brad wrote: "Peregrine wrote: "The Prestige won the World Fantasy Award, though."

True, but it was also nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award that year"

And the British Science Fiction Associa..."

I'm good with that I was just checking. So is Blindness in as a nomination?

I am new to this group, so I thought I'd weigh in on the book nominations by adding Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny.

While I highly approve of your taste in books, the Lord of Light movie was never actually made.

I was going to say what Greyweather said, Ashley. We did A Night in Lonesome October a while back. Keep bringing up Zelanzy every chance you get.

So here are our official nominees (which means they have been seconded):

The Prestige, by Christopher Priest
Blindness, by Jose Saramago
Timeline, by Michael Crichton

I will keep adding to this post, so make sure you stop by here and see where we're at.

I would like to nominate: Eragon by Christopher Paolini.

Oh, I suppose that an unfinished Australian version of the film is a bit obscure, sorry about that.

Just out of curiosity, do made for TV movies qualify?

Stacey wrote: "I would like to nominate: Eragon by Christopher Paolini."

I think Eragon is pretty strictly Fantasy isn't it? If so that would take it out of the running.

Greyweather wrote: "Just out of curiosity, do made for TV movies qualify?"

Yes. That works.

Ashley wrote: "Oh, I suppose that an unfinished Australian version of the film is a bit obscure, sorry about that."

I've never even heard of that. Cool. I would love to get hold of it.

Brad wrote: "Stacey wrote: "I would like to nominate: Eragon by Christopher Paolini."

I think Eragon is pretty strictly Fantasy isn't it? If so that would take it out of the running.

Greyweather wrote: "Just ..."
It was a tiny-budget indie film I saw when I visited a friend in Sydney a few years ago. Very interesting.

I never even heard about that. So, if you watched it, then it exists... Heck, in that case I second Lord of Light.

Do you remember anything about who made it, who was in it, or who distributed it?

I don't want to be a total party pooper about Lord of Light (especially because I would love to do it), so I will take some time and see if I can track down the particulars of that film before green lighting it for our nominees. But...I will consider it already seconded if I greenlight it.

Here's a question for all of us, though: would we like the screen version to be somewhat available so that we can watch it too? Since that is part of the theme, it could be a nice addition to our discussions.

My guess is the Australian film is unfinished at least in part because they never secured the rights to it from the Lord of Light Company.

Brad wrote: "I don't want to be a total party pooper about Lord of Light (especially because I would love to do it), so I will take some time and see if I can track down the particulars of that film before gree..."

That's something I thought about after posting L.O.L., so here is my new offering:

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore.

It looks like you're already including it, but The Prestige was definitely way more sci-fi than fantasy. Also one of the few books that was improved on by the movie, but I'm a little biased since it's my #1 favorite movie. ;)

Are books that were written as a tie-in to the movie being considered? Meaning that it was a movie first, and then a book.
I read "The Phantom Menace" by Terry Brooks before I ever saw the movie and liked it a lot. When I finally did get around to seeing the movie on video, I turned it off half-way through and sold the video at yard sale for 50 cents.

Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks

The Prestige stays as an official nominee then. Thanks, Brooke. That was my feeling exactly.

I'm going to have to say no on the movie to book direction. The theme was specifically book to movie, and I'd hate to muddy it with potentially awful movie tie-ins, though by many accounts Brooks' Phantom Menace is supposed to be a good one.

You've already listed on of Crichton's.
I liked Timeline a lot

Timeline by Michael Crichton

Tayla36 wrote: "You've already listed on of Crichton's. I liked Timeline a lot. Timeline by Michael Crichton"

For whomever is interested in seconding a Crichton book, whichever book by any given author is seconded first is the ONE book we use for the vote.

So far we have nominations for:

Jurassic Park & Timeline, both by Michael Crichton.

I'll second Timeline.

Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

Apparently the 2000 movie got horrible reviews....

Timeline is in, Peregrine. Thanks for the second.

I missed that when it was on. That was a TV version, right Zen? Nomination is logged. Any seconds?

I don't know, actually, but there appear to be two bad movies:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249840/
&
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095738/

Err, I'd like to nominate 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke but it was written concurrently with the movie and published after the movie came out so I'm not sure if it qualifies...? :/

Susanna wrote: "Err, I'd like to nominate 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke but it was written concurrently with the movie and published after the movie came out so I'm not sure if it qualifies...? :/"

Damn. I'd forgotten about that one before I made my call on The Phantom Menace. So for consistency I am saying no. Sorry, Susanna. That decision pains me. How about 2010? Did that precede the film?

Brad wrote: "Damn. I'd forgotten about that one before I made my call on The Phantom Menace. So for consistency I am saying no. Sorry, Susanna. That decision pains me. How about 2010? Did that precede the film?"

Survey says: 2010 was published in January 1982, adapted for the screen and released as a film in 1984. I'll nominate 2010 then :) But it is a sequel. Didn't it come up in a recent poll that the general consensus is not to read sequels unless the book club has read the previous book? I might be mistaken.

What a great theme, I'm going to throw a whole lot out there, some more obvious than others. Hopefully one or two might get a second.

Solaris by Stanisław Lem
1984 by George Orwell
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison
Crash A Novel by J.G. Ballard
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis

If needed I'm sure I can dive into t'internet and get years etc for the movies concerned.

I second V for Vendetta

Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

Chris wrote: "Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney"

That's a good one Chris, I'll second it.

I will second I Am Legend.

Excellent list, Richard. I second Solaris.

I am going to make those additions now.

I've been giving 2010 much thought, and I am going to buck the trend and say yes to its nomination for this particular theme because it does predate the film, and because everyone knows 2001 so well that they are not likely to even become remotely lost.

The Prestige, by Christopher Priest
Blindness, by Jose Saramago
Timeline, by Michael Crichton
V For Vendetta, by Alan Moore
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, by Jack Finney
Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem
I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

Am I only allowed to second one book? If that's the case I'll second I Am Legend instead of Lord of Light.

Not *everyone* knows 2001 very well at all, and the possibility of becoming more than remotely lost is there. Just saying.

Greyweather wrote: "Am I only allowed to second one book? If that's the case I'll second I Am Legend instead of Lord of Light."

No...you can second more than one Greyweather. It just slipped through the cracks earlier. Good thing you said something, though, or I probably would have missed it.

Peregrine wrote: "Not *everyone* knows 2001 very well at all, and the possibility of becoming more than remotely lost is there. Just saying. "

The one thing about 2001, as opposed to the bulk of the series related books in the past debate, is that the movie version that exists is readily available, it is a fairly good representation of the book (seeing as it came first), and it does carry a rather iconic status. Moreover, anyone in need of catching up really only needs to dedicate a couple of hours as opposed to the length of time it would take to read a "part one."

You speak the truth, Peregrine, that not *everyone* will know it well, but I think there is a strong enough case for its accessibility to allow 2010.

Of course, 2010 is currently only nominated, so unless a second pops up all this might be moot.

I would like to thrown The Postman into the mix.

Did anyone say The Time Machine by H.G. Wells yet? Love the 1960 movie.

Good one. I forgot about that completely.

I'll second The Time Machine