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Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

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Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#41

Post by BerislavLopac »

shmerl wrote: post #24
legohead wrote: post #5

There are so many amazing fantasy novels that need movies or TV shows. Tolkien was good, and for his time, amazing. But compared to what we have available today, I wouldn't even put him in the top 10. sigh

I tend to disagree. Very few live up to Tolkien's level. And it's not about the brand, it's about the depth of the settings he created.

Actually, there is a lot of amazingly detailed settings in fantasy novels -- much more than really good stories set in them. Heck, some fantasy series read like tourist guides through the world with little to no plot and original character development (I'm looking at you, David Eddings).

One advantage of worlds like Westeros and Middle-earth is that they're pretty much immediately familiar to most Western readers: they're basically just a condensed version of Europe and its immediate vicinity -- geography, history and all. There are some amazingly detailed settings which are more difficult to feel immediately connected with, and some of them also feature amazing stories with great characters -- Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea is a prime example (yes, there was a TV series based on it, but we should collectively forget about it; it got wrong everything it could).

As I've said elsewhere, one of the best fantasy series I've recently encountered -- and IMO ideally suited for TV treatment -- is the Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb. While technically set in the same world as the much better known Farseer Trilogy (and its sequels) it is a completely separate, and IMO much better written story.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#42

Post by peatmoss »

colemannugent wrote: post #19

If there is any author who has fleshed out their world enough to have an entire TV series focus on minor characters it's Tolkien. Personally, if they include Tom Bombadil in the show it will be entirely worth it for me.

I like to imagine that the Tom Bombadil Chronicles would look a whole lot like PBS's "The Woodwright's Shop."

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#43

Post by cavanasm »

enervate wrote: post #39
mmanfrin wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean original as in first-as-a-series, or original as in something that hasn't been made for tv/movies yet? If the latter, there are tons: - The Expanse - American Gods, Good Omens - Kingkiller Chronicles (being produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda) - Wheel of Time However, if you mean the former, then I agree, although there are new shows, they just don't have high budgets like those with followings already.

Syfy has an Expanse show. It's pretty good, imo.

Parent was listing smaller original fiction literature universes that HAVE recently gotten TV shows.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#44

Post by pvg »

thefalcon wrote: post #31
pvg wrote: post #10

Dupe of https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15643856

No it isn't. The deal was announced today, the linked article is from six days ago. Speculation and rumors are not the same thing as a done deal.

Sure and you could have another thread when the schedule is announced but that doesn't make for interesting conversation or an interesting front page. There's nothing in this thread that wasn't in last week's thread and chances are there won't be.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#45

Post by vlunkr »

untog wrote: post #4

In case anyone was curious: > television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring So it's not going to tell the main story itself, which is probably wise given the film adaptations aren't even that old. Maybe it's just me I'm not super-excited by this news. I wish there were more original universes being created with the insane amount of TV money swirling around the…

If this means they will be adapting some of the Silmarillion stories then I might be on board. There are some great sketches of stories there that unfortunately were not completed in Tolkien's lifetime. I would love to see them fleshed out.

When publishing these, they try not to modify the original writings, which is nice, but also frustrating, because they aren't written in a way that Tolkien deemed them ready for publishing. What I would really love is for them to publish the originals, but also give them to other fantasy authors and let them adapt it into a complete novel. A TV show is less exciting (for me), but could be interesting.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#46

Post by BerislavLopac »

acdanger wrote: post #7
legohead wrote: post #5

There are so many amazing fantasy novels that need movies or TV shows. Tolkien was good, and for his time, amazing. But compared to what we have available today, I wouldn't even put him in the top 10. sigh

Care to offer any recommendations? I'm in the market for new sci-fi / fantasy lit.

    The Liveship Traders trilogy (Robin Hobb)
    The Earthsea tri(penta)logy (Ursula LeGuin)
    Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
    Gentlemen Bastards (aka Locke Lamora) series (Scott Lynch)
    Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (Susanna Clarke)
If you're in the mood for something more modern, I'm highly recommending the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#47

Post by mmanfrin »

santaclaus wrote: post #35
mmanfrin wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean original as in first-as-a-series, or original as in something that hasn't been made for tv/movies yet? If the latter, there are tons: - The Expanse - American Gods, Good Omens - Kingkiller Chronicles (being produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda) - Wheel of Time However, if you mean the former, then I agree, although there are new shows, they just don't have high budgets like those with followings already.

> Kingkiller Chronicles Sweet, maybe we'll get book 3 on TV before in print like Game of Thrones!

I hope so. I worry Rothfuss has gone full-GRRM; got too successful before the series concluded and now it's up in air if it will conclude.

The only real hope I have is that it feels like Rothfuss wouldn't let his series be finished by TV in the way GoT has for ASOIF. Also Rothfuss claimed to have a 'finished manuscript' in 2014, so there is hope.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#48

Post by notacoward »

I really hope when they say "preceding The Fellowship of the Ring" they still mean Third Age. The Silmarillion stuff is just too big and too unfamiliar IMO. There's plenty to cover with Dol Guldur, Gollum's capture and escape, Moria, Gandalf and Saruman, Wormtongue, Denethor, Aragorn as a younger man, etc. Going further back but still Third Age you have the breakup of Arnor and the rise of Angmar, the founding of the Shire and Rohan, dwarves and dragons, and so on. There's just no need to go all the way back to the beginning, and it would seem too much like a whole different world that I think it would be a mistake.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#49

Post by BerislavLopac »

notacoward wrote: post #48

I really hope when they say "preceding The Fellowship of the Ring" they still mean Third Age. The Silmarillion stuff is just too big and too unfamiliar IMO. There's plenty to cover with Dol Guldur, Gollum's capture and escape, Moria, Gandalf and Saruman, Wormtongue, Denethor, Aragorn as a younger man, etc. Going further back but still Third Age you have the breakup of Arnor and the rise of Angmar, the founding of the…

Personally I would prefer them to go even further into the early Third Age. The Fall of Arnor, the Kin-Strife -- there is a lot of epic events, with a much darker tone.

Re: Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels

#50

Post by notacoward »

untog wrote: post #4

In case anyone was curious: > television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring So it's not going to tell the main story itself, which is probably wise given the film adaptations aren't even that old. Maybe it's just me I'm not super-excited by this news. I wish there were more original universes being created with the insane amount of TV money swirling around the…

> This just feels like a very safe "me too Game of Thrones" play.

No more than Game of Thrones was a "me too Lord of the Rings" play. I mean, seriously, Tolkien's work was first in both book and movie/TV form.

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