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Sun Nov 8
11 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #iainmbanks more →

    How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?

    Bad Boys of the Multiverse: An Alternate Universe Reading Guide

    With "Transition," Iain M. Banks Reinvents The Multiverse Novel

    Listen To Iain Banks' New Novel For Free

    Iain M. Banks' New Novel: Literary In The U.K., Science Fiction In The U.S.

    Why You Should Discover Iain M. Banks' Evil Twin

    Our Favorite Last Lines From Science Fiction Novels

    The Most Badass Female Space Pilots Of All Time

    Michael Moorcock Can't Read "Transhumanist" Fiction Because It's Not About People

    13 Alien Languages You Can Actually Read
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    Image of michaelduff michaelduff
    10/23/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    They're making the wrong book into a movie. The real gem would be State of the Art itself, about the Culture visiting Earth in 1977.

    But Iain Banks has done so much fantastic work for so little recognition, anything that gets him a fat check is okay by me. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment michaelduff was starred michaelduff was unstarred
    Image of antipaganda000 antipaganda000
    10/24/09

    @michaelduff: Matter would be frakking awesome, and I defend that to the end. Might take two movies to do it properly though.

    Just think of the action! Archaic horse-and-cannon battles with flying mounted cavalry, betrayal of the king, a weak prince redeeming himself, siblings reunited, mysterious ancient ruins with ancient alien superweapons hidden inside, races against time, awesome spaceships, a nice little glimpse of everyday life on a GSV, the most charismatic and amusing prince's squire in film history... WHY IS THIS NOT THREE MOVIES YET?
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. promoted this comment antipaganda000 was starred antipaganda000 was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/25/09

    @antipaganda000: Money, money and money.

    Let a lesser-known director and production company make a low budget film of A Gift From The Culture and, if it goes well, pour money at Matter, Excession or Look to Windward. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of Srynerson Srynerson
    10/23/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    While this sounds intriguing, I can only assume that if the film actually gets made the entire sex/gender swap plot will be eliminated. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment Srynerson was starred Srynerson was unstarred
    Image of Chuck Chuck
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    So... They're going to try to assimilate our Culture?

    (sorry; somebody had to say it) #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Chuck was starred Chuck was unstarred
    Image of luxarific luxarific
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    Oh sweet jesus, yes. I just want three things:

    1.) Snarky AIs
    2.) Amusing Ship names
    3.) Snarky Drones

    Give me these and I shall be happy. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. promoted this comment luxarific was starred luxarific was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @luxarific: ...i said i've got a big stick. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of Chip Overclock Chip Overclock
    10/22/09

    @luxarific:

    4.) Huge mind blowing artifacts like the Orbitals or the General System Vehicles.
    5.) Sociopathic snarky drones with knife missiles
    6.) Special Circumstance #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Chip Overclock was starred Chip Overclock was unstarred
    Image of luxarific luxarific
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: Hand Me The Gun And Ask Me Again #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    luxarific was starred luxarific was unstarred
    Image of luxarific luxarific
    10/22/09

    @Chip Overclock: A GSV or Halo would be awesome. Of course, you'd probably get some idiot saying Banks ripped off Bungie. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    luxarific was starred luxarific was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @luxarific: So Much For Subtlety.
     Reply
    Edited by Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. at 10/22/09 10:54 PM Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of edz314000 edz314000
    10/23/09

    @luxarific: Well they both ripped off Niven, so there we go......
     Reply
    Chip Overclock promoted this comment edz314000 was starred edz314000 was unstarred
    Image of Chip Overclock Chip Overclock
    10/23/09

    @edz314000: Banks' Orbitals aren't Ring Worlds. (Can't speak to the Halos, not a gamer.) #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Chip Overclock was starred Chip Overclock was unstarred
    Image of allegra.sloman allegra.sloman
    10/23/09

    @luxarific: Frank Exchange of Views, anyone?
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. promoted this comment allegra.sloman was starred allegra.sloman was unstarred
    Image of ParryLost ParryLost
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    I really liked that story. The ending wasn't what you'd call "satisfying," but it worked. It wasn't really meant to be a feel-good story. :P #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    ParryLost was starred ParryLost was unstarred
    Image of Aidan_ Aidan_
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    The Culture...eh. Not my bag. I've never thought the idea that massively powerful silicon intelligences would want to spend any meaningful part of their time or resources being the space opera equivalent of crazy old cat ladies was intellectually sound or honest.

    I much prefer Hyperion's thesis on the whole thing. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Aidan_ was starred Aidan_ was unstarred
    Image of GeneralBattuta GeneralBattuta
    10/22/09

    @Aidan_: Hyperion had a thesis?

    I thought it had an awesome first book and then a gradual descent into retcon absurdity. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Aidan_ promoted this comment GeneralBattuta was starred GeneralBattuta was unstarred
    Image of Aidan_ Aidan_
    10/22/09

    @GeneralBattuta: I'm referring to Hyperion's ideas about AIs and their interactions with humanity. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Aidan_ was starred Aidan_ was unstarred
    Image of rotwang rotwang
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    I'm surprised no-one has attempted a big-screen adaptation of the non-Culture 'Against A Dark Background': ensemble cast, mercenaries, religious cult, blood feud, unrequited love, plot twists, flashbacks, over-the-top villain, and of course...The Lazy Gun. Go on, someone, get it made.

    EDIT: Ah Grey, just spotted your comment posted 10 minutes before mine - great Minds, eh?
     Reply
    Edited by Grey_Area at 10/22/09 1:46 PM rotwang was starred rotwang was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @rotwang: Indeed! Also, it is a standalone universe in more ways than one, heh heh. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of braak braak
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    I think that the only way to do the Culture effectively is if all of the Minds are politely and calmly voiced by awesome British actors.

    It should just be Stephen Fry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Hugh Laurie sounding like they're having tea together. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    braak was starred braak was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @braak: Yes please.
    Would it be just voice-overs against space porn shots of the various Ships, Rings, etc? The film might visualize it as a actual virtual meeting space (okay, don't give me grief over that.)
    Pub perhaps? If Excession were to be filmed I'd love to see Different Tan, Shoot Them Later and the rest of the Heavy Crew playing darts and deciding the fate of the galaxy over rounds of ale or single-malt. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of braak braak
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: No, way, man, I want to see voiceovers over the actual ships just floating around each other. Or like the thing where you do a split frame, to show two people talking on the telephone? Like that, but with giant spaceships. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    braak was starred braak was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @braak: Oh Grodd! I just flashed on those Doris Day/Rock Hudson movies where they do that.
     Reply
    Edited by Grey_Area at 10/22/09 1:50 PM Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09


    @Grey_Area: !! #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of braak braak
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: Now, imagine it with spaceships and Patrick Stewart. IT IS AWESOME. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    braak was starred braak was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @braak: IN A HOUSEDRESS!
    No, wait... #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of meehawl meehawl
    10/22/09

    @braak: Banks himself might prefer specifically Scottish actors. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Chuck promoted this comment meehawl was starred meehawl was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @braak: With Jason Statham as an R.O.U. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of Chuck Chuck
    10/22/09

    @meehawl: Or maybe meet halfway and have Geordies do it. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Chuck was starred Chuck was unstarred
    Image of braak braak
    10/22/09

    @meehawl: I think that, technically speaking, "British" includes "Scottish." Though whether or not Scottish accents would be appropriate would depend on the audience he was trying to reach with it. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    braak was starred braak was unstarred
    Image of Ultimate Cowboy Ultimate Cowboy
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    Thanks to i09 for introducing me to Iain Banks and his Culture novels - ever since I read the intro to the Culture last year, I've read every single one of the Culture books (except the short stories). #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Ultimate Cowboy was starred Ultimate Cowboy was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    Oh! Um! Gnrr! Yeah, very conflicted Culture fan here.
    That story is very skimpy, skeletal even. Just the sort of thing that big-time movie types could hang a generic action blockbuster on. Could this be another Total Recall or Minority Report? Both entertaining flicks with some cool gadgets, but not much resemblance to the original material.

    Hell, Banks will get a fat check and he deserves it. I really wouldn't Mind it at all. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of goldfarb goldfarb
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: he might not be getting a fat cheque, it could be that the rights to the story(s) were sold long ago for cheap... #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    goldfarb was starred goldfarb was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @goldfarb: Oh poodles! #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of braak braak
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: I think that Total Recall is a highly-underrated adaptation. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    braak was starred braak was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: Yeah, I'm not hopeful about the quality of this movie, but Banks deserves the wealth and the added attention it will give to his work.
     Reply
    Edited by Anekanta - Go Play! at 10/22/09 2:07 PM Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of Prolorn Prolorn
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: "Skimpy" and "Skeletal" are good descriptors. It's definitely the least memorable of all the Culture stories, and not coincidentally the shortest.

    I suppose it does make a good "test run", but if you had told me they were going to make a Culture movie, I would never have thought of "A Gift from the Culture".

    I suppose the bright side is that it doesn't have to draw in the more difficult realm of the Culture-proper into the film, but I'm worried about what they'll try to fill the time with.

    Oh, well. Best of luck to the project. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area promoted this comment Prolorn was starred Prolorn was unstarred
    Image of TemporalSword TemporalSword
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    Once again, I must thank io9 for pointing out my woefully inadequate sci-fi book education. I'd never heard of these before.

    (Although, to be fair, I've had my head pretty deep in fantasy my whole life. How come we don't talk about that more? Not strictly sci-fi?) #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    TemporalSword was starred TemporalSword was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @TemporalSword: I'm glad to see that you're willing to try some books out of your comfort zone, we all should. The Culture novels are pretty rad and you don't need to read them in any particular order. Have you read Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun trilogy? It's Science Fiction disguised as Epic Fantasy very much inspired by Jack Vance.

    We've decided to limit our coverage of Fantasy to "Urban Fantasy" at io9. A rather ragged edge, I'll admit. My last book review was a fantasy novel but most of the audience wasn't very interested. (It's a good book!)

    We do post often about different subjects, even stuff that happens in the real world and get swarmed by raisin-hearted pedants. What ev whiners, this ain't a democracy.
    AVE IO9! ALL HAIL THE EDITRIX! #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of goldfarb goldfarb
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: I would frequent a fantasy version of io9, if it was of the same quality/standards that have been achieved here...
    that way the line between subjects could be more solid... #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    goldfarb was starred goldfarb was unstarred
    Image of TemporalSword TemporalSword
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: 1) Don't think I haven't thought about a fantasy-themed Gawker site. It could cover fantasy books, movie and tv, medieval topics and history, swordmaking, ren faires, etc. Don't know if the audience is out there for it, but a guy can wish.

    b) I've read plenty of sci-fi, too (or so I'd thought), mostly classics like Dune, Armor, Heinlein, Dick, but I never knew how much I was missing until I started coming here. Haven't done Wolfe's stuff, so guess I'll add it to the list. What was the book you reviewed?

    Ω)"We"? Grey, I guess I didn't know you were part of the site staff.
     Reply
    Edited by TemporalSword at 10/22/09 1:20 PM TemporalSword was starred TemporalSword was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @TemporalSword: I am but a tiny, if vociferous cog in the Mighty Gawker machine. And since you asked, my last review was here: [io9.com] #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of TemporalSword TemporalSword
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: Ah, cool. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    TemporalSword was starred TemporalSword was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @goldfarb: Now see, this is where I have a problem: genre divisions. There's really never a well-defined border that everyone can agree upon. It gets all fuzzy 'n' fractal, a real grey area, if you will. I'll be expounding upon this a bit more, soonish.

    I am astonished there isn't a Fantasy blogsite equivalent to us. Anyone, anyone...? #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - Go Play! Anekanta - Go Play!
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: Um, excuse me sir... Technically "what ev" should be "whatever" and "ain't" isn't proper English... Why are you taking off your shoe? Ow! Ow! Why are you beating me with your shoe?! Oh God the pain! #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Anekanta - Go Play! was starred Anekanta - Go Play! was unstarred
    Image of goldfarb goldfarb
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: re genre divisions - I agree 100%, they are artificial, publisher invented and generally never well defined - but they seem to be here to stay...
    and since there isn't any full on Fantasy stuff here it would be nice if there was a good place to find it... #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    goldfarb was starred goldfarb was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @Anekanta: Aw heck, now I gots pedant all over my nice new penny loafers! #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    Of all the Culture novels I've read, the one that would seem to lend itself best to a film adaptation would be Look To Windward - we see the Culture from a visitor's eyes; there's the epic scale of the Orbital and ships; several alien species (including a lot of background on one species in particular) and at least one sort of habitat I don't think has ever been dealt with by Hollywood in the shape of an Airsphere(?)

    And I'd love to see Excession: The Movie. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of Mathmos Mathmos
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: Excession is one of my favorites as well, but I think it it would be hard to capture very well in a movie. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Mathmos was starred Mathmos was unstarred
    Image of braak braak
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: Ah, I think you could make a pretty good movie out of Matter. You'd have to trim it, and so you'd lose some of the super-textual framework, but it could work effectively. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    braak was starred braak was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: Heck, Hollywood/filmakers really hasn't tackled anything like the Orbitals yet either. Although the Halo game and the Great A'tuin come close.

    Look to Windward was a nice development for Banks, he added more main veiwpoints and a more compelling, sympathetic non-Culture voices than just Borza the Changer or the Affront. (Don't get me wrong I love those gassy psychos!) And now my eyes are glazing over with images from Windward...
    the Behemothaurs, lava surfing, pleasure barges on the Canal, the Chelgrin... yes, please.

    I love Excession, of course, but my choice for an Emless Banks adaptation would have to be the Non-Culture thrill ride of Against a Dark Background. Just for the spectacle of the Chain Gallery and the Moon That's All One Big Plant. Also: a really great scenery-chewing villian and-- Lazy Gun! #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of daveNYC daveNYC
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: Player of Games would work well as a movie. Though it really doesn't have much to do with the Culture. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    daveNYC was starred daveNYC was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @daveNYC: But think again, the whole Culture is embodied by Gurgeh and the drone Flere-Imsaho (okay, the module and ship, Limiting Factor too). Together they face the entire Empire of Azad. I think that is a perfect example of the Culture's attitude.
     Reply
    Edited by Grey_Area at 10/22/09 2:02 PM Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of brentbent: C.O.C.K.R.O.A.C.H. )for all the queer super villians out there( brentbent: C.O.C.K.R.O.A.C.H. )for all the queer super villians out there(
    10/22/09

    @Grey_Area: Let's not forget the solipsistic mercenary army! I was describing them to a friend today while explaining the concept of solipsism. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area promoted this comment brentbent: C.O.C.K.R.O.A.C.H. )for all the queer super villians out there( was starred brentbent: C.O.C.K.R.O.A.C.H. )for all the queer super villians out there( was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    10/22/09

    @brentbent: C.O.C.K.R.O.A.C.H. )for all the queer super villians out there(: "We all call ourselves 'God' except for one guy who's an atheist."

    "What does he call himself?"

    "Me." #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @braak: Absolutely, although you could argue The Bridge would be more palatable to a mainstream audience and touches on similar themes of reality and self. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of stalking_goat stalking_goat
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.:

    Excession would also be the one I'd want to see but it would be very hard to adapt. A good bit of the book consists of Minds scheming over vast interstellar distances. I can't imagine how you'll film that and not make it boring.

    I always thought that if they adapted any it would be "Player of Games". It seems like the most straight forward of the books. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. promoted this comment stalking_goat was starred stalking_goat was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: And this is why I shouldn't reply to comments at 1.30am...

    It would have been a really good reply if I hadn't got the wrong book. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @stalking_goat: I dunno - a little bit of the dialogue read by Braak's army of actors as a voice-over (think Richard Burton for War of the Worlds) at the start would contrast nicely with the drone's escape from the ship.

    I'd be worried about them depicting things like the three sexes in Player of Games without reducing the whole thing to Ming the Merciless playing Risk - the subtleties would be very easy to lose there. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of Lassus Lassus
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    I wasn't all that pleased with this particular short story myself, and I'm not entirely sure that the Culture lends itself that well to short stories, the gigantic scope of the Culture seems to work best with novels. It would probably never be done, but the 70's survey mission in the other short story in that collection (more of a novella, the name of which escapes me) would really work a LOT better, but be more cerebral and less explosiony, so that puts it right out, as Monty Python might say.

    In a way, "Use of Weapons" were the best short stories and that itself was all part of a larger novel. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Lassus was starred Lassus was unstarred
    Image of Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
    10/22/09

    @Lassus: That was The State of the Art, I think - the BBC adapted it for radio this year with Paterson Joseph.
    Use of Weapons is a fantastic story (with all those other stories in it), but I still dream of an Excession film. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was starred Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L. was unstarred
    Image of luxarific luxarific
    10/22/09

    @Lassus: I'd love Use of Weapons. We also get the POV of an outside observer and that twist at the end is fantastic. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Lassus promoted this comment luxarific was starred luxarific was unstarred
    Image of Lassus Lassus
    10/22/09

    @luxarific: Aha, but think, how is that twist accomplished throughout up to the reveal? It works because of the non-visual nature of text, part of the brilliance of the novel. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Lassus was starred Lassus was unstarred
    Image of OgilvyTheAstronomer OgilvyTheAstronomer
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    "A Gift From the Culture" is probably the weakest Culture story I've read, and hell, it isn't even set on Earth. Why not adapt "The State of the Art" itself? Now, *that* would be interesting... #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment OgilvyTheAstronomer was starred OgilvyTheAstronomer was unstarred
    Image of Brian Fowler Brian Fowler
    10/22/09

    In reply to How Will Iain M. Banks' Culture Translate To The Big Screen?
    I don't care if they tone down the strangeness, just if they ae a coherent plot. It'd be a relief to find mself actually understanding the plot, what the "aliens" look like, and especially caring two shits about the characters. #agiftfromtheculture
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Brian Fowler was starred Brian Fowler was unstarred
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