Thursday 5 November 2020

The Technic History On Screen

My idea of a complete screen adaptation of Poul Anderson's History of Technic History is one that I regard as artistically valid whether or not it would currently count as commercially viable: a long, high-production-values serial dramatizing every narrative detail from the beginning of "The Saturn Game" to the end of "Starfog." Not only every novel but also many if not all of the shorter works would have to be serialized to do their contents justice. Viewers would recognize van Rijn, trader team and Flandry series while understanding that continuing characters come and go within the longer history. There would have to be two actors for Flandry, before and after his single biosculp. We might also see scenes of Hloch researching and writing The Earth Book Of Stormgate.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

We agree that not all of the shorter stories in the Technic series would need to be serialized in a filmed version. I think "The Game of Glory" could be shown in a single feature length film. ENSIGN FLANDRY might well need a three part serialization if it's to be done RIGHT.

A two part serialization might be enough for A CIRCUS OF HELLS and THE REBEL WORLDS. And one whimsical thought I had was us being shown a flashback of Admiral Kheraskov meeting the Empress Dowager, to discuss the problem posed by Aaron Snelund and her son Josip's infatuation with Snelund. To flesh out what Kheraskov told Flandry.

Ad astra! Sean''

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

I imagine very detailed dramatizations requiring a lot of episodes. And I agree that all sorts of extra scenes like the one you suggest could legitimately be added.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Thanks! But I would like TV/movie producers to be careful, even minimal about the kind of fleshing out I suggested. Extra scenes of the kind I speculated about should not be so numerous as to over whelm the actual story.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Note that movies are equivalent to short stories or novellas... but SF novels were much shorter until the 1980's. Most of Poul's early novels are around 60-80K words.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I remember you explaining that to us--about how publishers used to insist only on shorter books. And PA was skilled enough a writer that he was able to PACK so much into short books like A CIRCUS OF HELLS and THE REBEL WORLDS.

BRAIN WAVE, THE BROKEN SWORD, THE LONG WAY HOME, and ENSIGN FLANDRY were among Anderson's longer earlier works.

Ad astra! Sean