Thursday, July 26, 2012
Novel ideas for Hollywood
In a previous post, I lambasted Hollywood’s current lack of creativity for giving us a summer movie season full of retreads instead of developing brand new, original genre films.
What I found most upsetting about this is growing trend of remakes, reboots and sequels is that the major movie studios are overlooking hundreds of great stories that have never seen the light of a movie projector just to feed us stuff we’ve seen two or three times before.
It’s not like Hollywood has to work all that hard to find these new stories either. There are literally libraries full of great science fiction and fantasy books, graphic novels and comics that are just begging to be made into films. No, none of these books have the built-in army of rabid fans of say the “Harry Potter,” “The Hunger Games” or “Twilight” series, but many of the authors of these stories have a small but loyal following among Hollywood’s favorite target audience: geeks like me who become so obsessed over their interests that they will go see a film over and over again.
Now I’m no expert in the field of sci-fi/fantasy literature. Nor – much to my shame – am I all that well read in the field. My library of genre books would only amount to a fraction of a grain of sand in the Sahara Desert. That’s why I turned to the experts – my friends, who have read far more than I and whose knowledge spans the entire genre from Alien Invasion and Alternate Histories to Virtual Reality and Zombies. I think of them as my personal “Geek Squad” and would not only trust them to help me with my computer programming, network setup and audio-video equipment needs, but also help me select great reading material as well.
Their suggestions were as diverse as their interests, so it was no surprise that we couldn’t come to a consensus on a list of books for a “Top 10”-style list. However in our discussions and e-mail exchanges there were a few books or series of books that seemed to come up repeatedly.
“I really enjoyed the Zelazany’s Chronicles of Amber books way back when,” my friend Cindy wrote to me in one e-mail. “I haven't read them in a very long time so I am not sure if they were that good or I just remember them fondly.”
Her husband Tim, my computer networking expert, also remembers them fondly and ranks the series as his second favorite books of all time. “{There’s} lots of material here for a great TV series, or a series of movies.”
After talking with them and finding out a bit more about the Chronicles of Amber, I agree. But with the huge amount of material here, including a second series of books (“Courts of Chaos,” “Trumps of Doom,” “Blood of Amber,” “Sign of Chaos,” “Knight of Shadows” and “Prince of Chaos”), written in the mid- to late- ’80s and ’90s, I think the only way to do this epic 10 volume set any justice would be to turn it into a cable TV miniseries the way HBO has done with George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones.”
Another fantasy series that got a couple of votes was the Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony. I’ve read other works by him and while I would have picked his Incarnations of Immortality series, my friends on the “Geek Squad” liked this seven novel set better.“Aprentice Adept very neatly crosses the boundaries between hard core science fiction and fantasy,” says my friend Frank, who knows a thing or two about hard science as a computer programmer working in the biotech industry. “It is the story of two worlds, Phaze and Proton, which occupy the same space in two different dimensions. But Proton is a planet of science and Phaze is a planet of magic. The storyline follows the adventures of Stile, initially an inhabitant of Proton who manages to cross the interdimensional gap and enter Phaze. The thing that sets Phaze apart from other Fantasy series is that it is run by a number of Adepts, each of a different color. And each Adept has a different way of invoking their magic. The Yellow Adept deals in potions. The White Adept uses runes. While the Blue Adept must play music to summon his/her power. It is a very inventive/creative storyline which spans seven books (“Split Infinity,” “Blue Adept,” “Juxtaposition, ” “Out of Phaze,” “Robot Adept,” “Unicorn Point,” and “Phaze Doubt”) as Stile continues to cross between the worlds and learn the ways of magic, eventually become one of the adepts himself.”
The Incarnations of Immortality series, on the other hand, deals with eight normal humans who are forced to become the incarnations of death (“On a Pale Horse”), time, (“Bearing an Hourglass” ) fate (“With a Tangled Skein”), war (“Wielding a Red Sword”), nature (“Being a Green Mother”), evil (“For Love of Evil”) and good (“And Eternity”). I read these books in high school and college and found them to be the perfect mix of action, intrigue and thought-provoking allegory. I also recall Innovation Comics doing a fairly good graphic novel based on the first book of the series, “On a Pale Horse,” and think that that could be used as the “storyboard” for any potential future film.
Moving over to the science fiction side of things, my friends Joe – my resident AV expert – and Andy – a “human resources” pro by trade and fellow sci-fi/fantasy obsessive – both recommended the Honor Harrington series by David Weber.“She is a basically a female Horatio Hornblower in space, with spaceships with sails and missile broadsides,” Joe told me. After listening to both his and Andy’s explanation of the series, it sounded to me like this series could become the type of special effects extravaganza Michael Bay is known for. But unlike the director’s previous genre action films, “Transformers,” “Armageddon” “The Island,” films based on these books would actually have decent plots.
While on the subject of space operas, I’d add a little-known series that a former girlfriend got me hooked on in college. “Skirmish," "First Battle," "Last War," "Pirate Prince," and "Floater Factor," all written by Melisa Michaels, concern a hotshot, daredevil freighter pilot nicknamed Skyrider, who is forced to take sides as another civil war threatens to tear apart Earth’s solar system. Although the Skyrider character never strayed much from the Han Solo/smuggler-with-a-heart-of-gold stereotype, the books were fast-paced and fun to read with lots of action and space battles. In other words it was a perfect summer, popcorn movie.
Speaking books that would make of fun sci-fi action flicks, my geek squad also recommended The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison. This one would need a young, charismatic actor to play anti-hero James Bolivar diGriz, a futuristic con man, thief and all-round rascal. Back in the day, I would have picked someone like Bruce Willis for the part, but I’m sure there is some hot, up-and-coming star who could pull off the same type of snark as Willis did in the early “Die Hard” films.One of the last books we all agreed on was first suggested by my friend Don, a fellow writer and journalist now living out west – The Foundation series by the grand master of all science fiction authors, Isaac Asimov.
“I think it would make a great series because of the sweeping scope of the story, and one man's attempt to steer civilization away from a disastrous dark ages,” he said. “You also have The Mule trying to overthrow it, and the group of telepaths who are ensuring that Hari Seldon's work stays on course. It could actually be a mini-series.”
“Foundation is epic space fiction,” agrees Frank. “There are a lot of concepts in these books that affected many other sci fi series as well as movies. The empire in Star Wars has a lot of similarities to the empire in Foundation. All in all, this series is a core part of sci-fi history that has influenced many writers and fans alike.”
Unfortunately of all the books and great stories we came up with, this was the one series we all agreed was the LEAST likely to be made, as in my friend Tim’s words, “it’s too cerebral for today’s audiences.”
That’s a real shame too, because the Asimov’s tale about one man’s struggle gather the greatest minds in the galaxy to preserve mankind’s knowledge in the wake of a new dark age contains important messages about our society that we all need to think about. And when we can no longer appreciate such thought-provoking tales told on such an epic scale, then we deserve schlocky movies about giant killer robots and old board games.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Microsoft looks to upset the Apple cart
Them thar are fighting words, Steve.
"We are trying to make absolutely clear we are not going to leave any space uncovered to Apple," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told website, CRN, reigniting the ages-old Microsoft-Apple war. “Not the consumer cloud. Not hardware software innovation. We are not leaving any of that to Apple by itself. Not going to happen. Not on our watch.”
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| STEVE BALLMER: Microsoft's head honcho |
The first strike in this new offensive came a few weeks ago when Microsoft announced its plans for a pair of tablet computers dubbed "Surface,” which it hopes will knock Apple’s iPad off its throne as the must-have gadget of the past few years.
"We do feel empowered to innovate everywhere and bring our partners with us," Ballmer said. "We are just not going to leave any -- what’s the expression people like to use -- We’re not going to leave any stone unturned, so to speak, as we pursue that."
It remains to be seen if this new philosophy out of Redmond, Wa. can turn the venerable tech giant around. In the past, Microsoft’s philosophy was "last to cool, first to profit” letting others do the innovating, then swooping in with its own version and using its brand recognition to corner the market. Sometimes this philosophy worked, as with the Xbox, which usurped by Sony’s PlayStation as the hottest gaming console around, and then with Kinect, which improved on Wii’s innovative wireless controller.
And sometimes it did not.
Does anyone really remember Microsoft’s iPod-killer, The Zune?
I didn’t think so.
Whether Microsoft’s Surface tablet becomes another Zune or displaces the iPad is anyone’s guess. But at least this time Microsoft does not seem to just be copying a device made by someone else. It is actually improving upon it. According to the company’s website, the device will come with its own built in stand and a foldout keyboard that doubles as a protective cover for its touch screen. (If you want these things on an iPad, you will have to buy them from third parties).
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| FINALLY SURFACING: Mircosoft's new tablet PC. Will it be an iPad killer or go the way of the Zune? |
The Surface will come in two “flavors,” an ARM-powered RT processor unit with a stripped down version of Windows 8 on it and a more powerful Intell-powered processor unit equipped with Windows 8 Professional. Weighing between 676 and 903 grams and measuring between 9.3 and 13.5 mm thick, the Surface seems to be a hybrid of an iPad and the ultra-light MacBook Air and is aimed directly at the corporate market.
"Coming from a Microsoft-based environment, it will certainly have to be considered as a potential laptop replacement for the likes of sales representatives in the field," said Andrew Paton, group manager of IT services at Rondo Building Services in a recent ZDNet/TechRepublic poll of chief information officers about whether Surface will rival iPad in the business world.
"Technically, from what I've read, it does plug a gap in the corporate space," added Steve Lee, CIO and senior vice president of technology for the Asia-based Changi Airport Group.
But not all chief information officers interviewed by ZDNet/TechRepublic were so sure of the Surface’s success.
"I am not sure [Microsoft] can make up the lost ground to iOS or Android devices,” said Peter Smith, group manager of information systems at Quick Service Restaurant Holdings, an Australian company. “It is not really apparent whether Microsoft is trying to position the product as a tablet or an ultra-light laptop. Reviews on the intuitiveness of the interface are not particularly positive, so it sounds like Microsoft still has some work to do."
After using Windows 8 on a desktop computer, I’m inclined to agree with him. The interface is clunky and after years of being used to where Microsoft put things, I suddenly felt lost trying to accomplish even the most basic tasks. But on a tablet, my experience may be completely different.
Who knows, I might even like it.
I certainly hope this shift in Microsoft’s thinking bears fruit and renews interest in things like its original Surface product, the touch-screen interactive table, now called PixelSense. I remember how excited I was when I first heard about it a few years ago.
My friends and I saw all sorts of possibilities for it, including it being one really kick-ass gaming table for our Dungeons and Dragons gaming sessions. No more having to draw maps or use figurines on home-made grid boards. Just touch and swipe! Someone even developed a really cool astronomy app for it, NUIverse. The video for it has since been removed from Youtube, but you can read about it here and see some screenshots of it here.
Off the top of my head, I can think of at least two groups of users who would benefit from such an advance: engineers and artists doing Computer Aided Design work and the billions of people who use their computer to play games such as Halo and Half-Life and Call of Duty. Just think how much cooler it would be to play those first-person-shooters if you could reach inside the game and grab and manipulate the weapons. It would literally add a whole new dimension to the game.
After that all Microsoft would have to do is add is tactical feedback, and they’d have something very close to the Holodeck from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
And that, my friends, would be the ultimate killer, must-have gadget, one that I don’t think even Apple would be able to top.
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