delphipsmith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
delphipsmith) wrote2015-09-20 05:26 pm
delphipsmith) wrote2015-09-20 05:26 pm
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My dilemma, it has horns
I just discovered that in December, SyFy will be airing a tv miniseries version of Childhood's End, and I am sorely conflicted.
I love this book. It was one of the first science fiction novels I ever read. My mother introduced me to it when I was about twelve or so; it blew me away and set the bar for future reading very high indeed. I have re-read it many times since, always with great pleasure. It's a classic that turns up on every science fiction "best of" list: thought-provoking, complex, beautifully crafted, joyous and heartbreaking at the same time. The thought of seeing it brought to life fills me with unspeakable excitement.
But it's SyFy. Their record with adaptations fills me with equally unspeakable horror. If I watch the first episode and it's awful, I may never get it out of my head. Back when they were SciFi, they did a shamefully poor adaptatio of Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books. Fortunately I knew ahead of time that it stunk -- Le Guin herself disclaimed all connection with it -- so was able to avoid it, but it has left me highly distrustful of them. They're fine with Piranhaconda (after all, it isn't really possible to screw THAT up) and things of that ilk, but a Golden Age science fiction classic like this?
As I said, I'm on the horns of a dilemma :P
I love this book. It was one of the first science fiction novels I ever read. My mother introduced me to it when I was about twelve or so; it blew me away and set the bar for future reading very high indeed. I have re-read it many times since, always with great pleasure. It's a classic that turns up on every science fiction "best of" list: thought-provoking, complex, beautifully crafted, joyous and heartbreaking at the same time. The thought of seeing it brought to life fills me with unspeakable excitement.
But it's SyFy. Their record with adaptations fills me with equally unspeakable horror. If I watch the first episode and it's awful, I may never get it out of my head. Back when they were SciFi, they did a shamefully poor adaptatio of Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books. Fortunately I knew ahead of time that it stunk -- Le Guin herself disclaimed all connection with it -- so was able to avoid it, but it has left me highly distrustful of them. They're fine with Piranhaconda (after all, it isn't really possible to screw THAT up) and things of that ilk, but a Golden Age science fiction classic like this?
As I said, I'm on the horns of a dilemma :P
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But. Their miniseries tend to be EXCELLENT. Say what you want about the series and movies, I know they've gone downhill (though I have a soft spot for the movies, though there's not been a decent series since Star Gate went away). But the money they don't put into those, they put into the miniseries. So there's a good chance it's going to be good. I've never read it though, so I probably should.
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*puts it on a list*
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That being said, I'm wary of seeing favourite books turned into visual adaptions too since all too often they turn out to be disappointing.
I've yet to watch a single adaptation of Frankenstein and I hesitated for a long time before I watched any of the Harry Potter films.
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Very sharp horns indeed.
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On the other hand, I've enjoyed every syfy miniseries I've seen--there are a couple coming this winter I'm really looking forward to, this being one--and most of their tv shows. Why they make crap movies is beyond me.
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