Kenneth Johnson

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The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
V's Original Creator On Why The Reboot Can't Fail... For Him
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"V" Creator None Too Pleased About ABC Reboot
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Must See: V

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Mary Ratliff
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I think my sister finally managed to complete her collection of these novels. I have to say I've enjoyed the ones that I've read in recent years, though I didn't know they existed way back when.

V is such a rich story. I was reading an article in Entertainment Weekly about the good things the new show was bringing in and how great and innovative these things were, and they were all plot points taken directly from the original show. On the one hand, yay for sticking with the strengths of the source material. On the other hand, boo to EW for not acknowledging that those great plots already existed decades ago. #v
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aquila1nz
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
V was my first real introduction to tie-in books (not the first I read, but the first where I thought about them as a marketing exercise and shared universe). This many years later I'm still trying to collect the last one (I'm pretty sure some were never sold here in New Zealand).

I liked the miniseries novelisation, and East Coast Crisis the best.

They also introduced me to the works of S.P. Somtow, whose V books were published under Somtow Sucharitkul. From Thailand, he is a composer and conductor as well as a writer. His sf often plays with the meaning of reality.
[www.librarything.com]

And yes, most of the V books were really bad. #v
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
11/03/09

@aquila1nz: Somtow P. Sucharitkul is his real name, or his birth name, anyway. All the early works of his career (incl. the ones that won him the Campbell) were published under that name.

He changed it b/c no one could pronounce it, plus he changed his writing significantly.

He also does an awesome impersonation of Yul Brynner impersonating his great-great-grandfather the King of Siam. #v
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SeeingI
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I really liked these books! Either "V" or "The World According to Garp" were the longest books I'd read in the 6th Grade (can't recall which was first for me). I really appreciated the expanded storylines and (usually) more gritty tone than the TV series.

I think I had all of them, though most are gone now (I still have the original "V" novelization). I liked "The Crivet Experiement" especially and the cover for "Deathtide" was gorgeous. I still sometimes find these at used bookstores - I should pick a couple of them up for old times' sake.

I dearly hope the new show is a hit so I can off-load my *complete* set of bagged DV "V" comics. Even when I was 13 I knew they were bad. ("Don't even think about it, humans!") #v
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blackoak
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
For whatever reason (and it has been so long since I read it - and reread it - that I've forgotten) I loved East Coast Crisis. I think I enjoyed it even more than both of the televised mini series (and definitely more than the ongoing series I'm watching now - although Michael Ironside is fun to watch in anything).

Has anyone read Mr. Johnson's "V: The Second Generation"?

Finally, on a slightly related note, is there anyplace on the interwebnets to read either a synopsis or a full script treatment of J. Michael Straczynski's "V: The Next Chapter"? Thanks. #v
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Mary Ratliff
11/03/09

@blackoak: My sister is a V-fanatic (to the point where the only thing I worried about making sure to get her at Dragon*Con a few years ago was Marc Singer's autograph) and she says that The Second Generation is really bad and she's sorry she read it.

Which is a pretty bad critique indeed. #v
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stchoo
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
Dash is a well traveled gawker writer. #v
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ophmarketing
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I've got the complete set of novels. Some were pretty good, but the majority were utter garbage. I'm missing ONE issue of the comic, but I can never remember which one I need whenever I find myself at a place selling used comics. #v
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Mary Ratliff
11/03/09

@ophmarketing: Oh wow, the comics. I keep forgetting those are even on my shelf until I'm looking for something else and one of them falls out. #v
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NonElitist
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I was a huge V fan back in the day - I still own each and every one of these V novels. #v
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Gemini2
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
The V novels were much better then the show. But the show itself is awesome. Shit....what now? #v
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moifauxmail
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I went looking for V toys...uh...this was listed as a "missile". Sexy...
[www.mindpulse.com] #v
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larry.scroggins
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I still have all of my V novels. They've got a special place on my bookshelf. I haven't read any of them in years, but I love them all the same. And every time I go into a used book store I look for the last one or two in the series that I could never find. I kind of think they don't exist.
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MissingPieces
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
I read all of those! lol. I also have all 18 issues of the comic. Oh, DC and your sucky artist! lol #v
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92BuickLeSabre
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
Whoa, Dashiell, are you gonna tell your Deadspin readers that you're over here hanging with us talking about V novels? #v
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Annalee Newitz
11/03/09

@92BuickLeSabre: Dashiell is getting his geek on. In the bright, shining future, there will be no contradiction between loving SF and loving football! #v
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92BuickLeSabre
11/03/09

@Annalee Newitz: Yes! That means that we will have found a way to pause time in the future!

Because as it is, when I watch Football on Sunday and Monday, V on Tuesday, Lost on Wednesday, NBC Comedies on Thursday, and DVR Doctor Who, Medium, and Psych, when I go out on Friday, and then of course, there is Baseball from 8:00 p.m. on almost every day, the obvious question presents itself:

When am I supposed to find time to watch Flipping Out and Project Runway? #v
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Dashiell Bennett
11/03/09

@92BuickLeSabre: Sadly, they just wouldn't understand..... #v
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92BuickLeSabre
11/03/09

@Dashiell Bennett: I promise not to breathe a word of it. #v
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omnibus_spiritus
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
Great article. I didn't even know there were V novels. Of course I can't remember the details of the series as I was a young gaffer, just the parts that would intrigue me then, like eating a rat. #v
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Allen_Richards
11/03/09

In reply to The V Novels That Might Have Been Better Than The TV Show
How 'bout some love for the DC comics series?

Okay, okay, so "love" might be asking too much... #v
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cylon_conspiracy
10/31/09

In reply to V's Original Creator On Why The Reboot Can't Fail... For Him
I'm not sure about the comparison to
Tom Zarek's attempt to remake the show he was only a cast member of decades before. This guy CREATED V, it's his story. It would have remained his story and his vision if the power people hadn't made "The Final Battle" so different than his vision (I seem to recall that he wanted his name pulled from the second miniseries).

This guy created something and had it taken away from him, and now he'd like to further his own creation and that means whatever comes will be a BAD product compared to Tom Zarek trying to remake BSG? I don't see how these two things have anything in common.

Watch the first miniseries again... there's no lack of vision or storytelling in there. Then watch the second miniseries. I would think Johnson's vision should be taken more seriously, and not the vision of whichever tv executives worked at ABC in the 1980s. #v
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Bat21
10/31/09

@cylon_conspiracy: The original minis and series aired on NBC.

There were 3 significant differences between Kenneth Johnson's version and NBC's: characters Ham Tyler, Elizabeth and the ending. Tyler was in a wheelchair but still a badass. Elizabeth didn't have superpowers; she was just really smart.

The biggest complant Johnson had about the second miniseries (V: The Final Battle) was tone. The moral ambiguity was removed. It was just good guys fighting bad guys.

The novelization of the 2 minis by A.C. Crispin is out-of-print but worth seeking out. It hews pretty closely to the minis that aired but had Johnson's original ending. #v
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