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If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
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

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J_Frank_Parnell
11/18/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Awesome post, more like this pretty please!
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Supernatural_Canary
11/18/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
God I hated Wanted. For many reasons, though the notion mentioned above about becoming a (nihilistic) ubermensch and subsequently treating everyone else like disposable meat bags for target practice bothered me the most.

And that last line: "What have you done?" Well, I haven’t dehumanized people around me to the point where I can kill scores of them for my own dubious ends and then imply I’m a hero for it. If that’s what you’re getting at.

Fuck that movie.
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kagekiri
11/18/09

@Supernatural_Canary: Yeah, the actual graphic novel had a much more sensible reason for the last line and the general dehumanization: rather than a "righteous" assassin, the main character is just a selfish supervillain whose power is killing people.

I've heard the authors did approve the storyline of the movie, so I guess it's their right to mess with the story, but leaving in that last line makes their "hero" still seem like a jerk-off villain.
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Supernatural_Canary
11/18/09

@kagekiri: Hmmm… that’s interesting. I haven’t read the graphic novel, so it could very well be that the context of that line (and of the character, it appears) didn’t translate very well to the screen.

I could certainly live with the character being a villain, and now that you point out what he was like in the graphic novel, I wish that’s what they had done in the film. But the fact that the movie made it seem as though he was righteous in his actions repulsed me.
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Dirk Anger
11/18/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
I watched Knowing maybe two months ago, and I must have blocked it to protect my memory of that crapfest, because I don't remember absolutely anything about the movie. Only telling my mom not to watch it under any circumstances.
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madara
11/18/09

@Dirk Anger: I'm surprised you didn't try to kill yourself.
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Dirk Anger
11/18/09

@madara: Apparently I trusted my crap-blocking capabilities to do the trick, as they did. I'll take it into account the next time something makes me want to rip my eyes out

#calendar
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The Mikekearn of La Mancha
11/18/09

@Dirk Anger: EDIT: Whoops, wrong movie. Knowing is about how Nic Cage is enough of a genius to figure out Earth is going to be destroyed, just in time to do jack shit about it. Also, kids go to an alien planet and there are vague, shitty references to religion.
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Dirk Anger promoted this comment Edited by The Mikekearn of La Mancha at 11/18/09 7:36 AM

Dirk Anger
11/18/09

@The Mikekearn of La Mancha: Ahh I remember now, and Nic stalks the mother of some other kid, they find numbers that are dates of disasters and numbers of deaths... now I remember everything. Damn you!

#calendar
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crashedpc - Haifisch
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Last week I ordered a boatload of the older Culture novels by Iain M. Banks. I suspect I might need someone to tow me to work as I might forget what "sleep" is. #bookvortex
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Dr Emilio Lizardo
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Now we have a problem. David Drake is one of my guilty pleasures, especially Hammer's Slammers. But to insult me by lumping that in with Transformers, well don't be surpirsed to find 150 tonnes of iridium and steel hovering over your lawn with it's 20cm main gun pointed at your bedroom while it's tribarrel rakes your front door. #bookvortex
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disatess
11/17/09

@Dr Emilio Lizardo: that one got me mad also , David Drake and Robert Heinlein slam together with a plotless transformers . #bookvortex
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Charlie Jane Anders
11/17/09

@Dr Emilio Lizardo: Ha... I'm just saying if they enjoyed that mess, they might like some actual good military SF. :) #bookvortex
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SJ_Edwards
11/17/09

@Dr Emilio Lizardo:
Big Joe - "Hiya Doc, this is Kelly and Oddball, he likes your hovertank."
Oddball - "Yeah, baby, I really dig your hovertank."
[Crapgame ( Sotto voce, crying) - "Have you any idea what 150 tonnes of iridium is worth on the Paris market?"]
Kelly - "I think I have a proposal that might interest you."
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Edited by SJ_Edwards at 11/17/09 11:09 PM SJ_Edwards was starred SJ_Edwards was unstarred

lorq
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Why didn't anarcho-syndicaslists like Abrams' "Star Trek"? I'm pretty much an anarcho-syndicalist and I liked it. (Unless you're just doing a little spin on "Only *commies* wouldn't like...") #bookvortex
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fraying
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
This article made me buy a book. Damn you, Charlie Jane! (By which, I mean, thank you, Charlie Jane.) #bookvortex
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Belabras: now with Kung Fu grip!
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Like anyone needs an excuse to read Good Omens.

If you haven't read it yet, read it. Period.
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Edited by Belabras: now with Kung Fu grip! at 11/17/09 6:27 PM

omgwtflolbbqbye
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
If you liked 2012, Transformers 2, Knowing, and/or Wolverine, you'll enjoy taking a bath with a toaster oven.
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Edited by omgwtflolbbqbye at 11/17/09 6:22 PM omgwtflolbbqbye was starred omgwtflolbbqbye was unstarred

snarklenyc
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
If you liked Knowing...you're alone in that. #bookvortex
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ThisDudeRufus
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
If you think you'll like The Road, you should read The Road. That way you can complain like the rest of us that the basement chattel weren't amputee-y enough. #bookvortex
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♠ Final ♠
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Sandman Slim, Monster and Soon I Will Be Invincible are all great light reading. #bookvortex
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phillyguy83
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
Nice post. I haven't read "Ringworld," but this has me interested in it now. #bookvortex
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Franknbeans
11/17/09

@phillyguy83: Dude, you should read it, well worth your time. #bookvortex
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cletar
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
I would really, really like to see a "Soon I Will Be Invincible" movie. Really. And a "Ringworld" movie. #bookvortex
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Austin Grossman
11/17/09

@cletar: I so much wish I could talk about what's going on with the Invincible movie. It's definitely being worked on. #bookvortex
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spocko
11/17/09

@Austin Grossman: OOOOh! I'm excited to hear this! I loved your book. My review is here
[www.spockosbrain.com]

I know how little control you get after you sell the rights. I just hope it is cast well. Jumper, one of my favorite books, was terrible cast and dropped out some of the parts that made it so emotionally satisfying. (Davey's abusive father, his missing mother and his moral code based on their influence.)

Your book was insightful and hilarious, I hope you will get actors who can pull off both. My fear is they will go camp which might work, but will miss some of the pain under the humor of both heroes and Villains.
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cletar
11/18/09

@Austin Grossman:
That's great.
There should also be an audio-book read by Wallace Shawn. When I read it, I kept hearing Wallace Shawn.
It's a great book. I hope the movie works out.
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leicester
11/17/09

In reply to If You Like These Recent Movies, Here Are Books You'll Love
How about Laumer's 'Bolo' books for those Transformers proles? #bookvortex
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