Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The Only Constant

I don't fear change so much as resent it. I was just getting settled into the way things worked and now you're gonna pull this? I'm past the excitement about revolution stage of my life (it was brief) and well into the cranky old codger bit. You kids and your electronic readers.

But it's true that the more things change...

And one happy return I can get behind is serial fiction. Yeah, I tend to wait for the trade edition of comics and the DVD box set of TV shows, but I do love the spirit of serialization. Feels like your junk is swinging in the wind and you may lose it all, but it's exciting to tune in weekly, monthly whatever and see if they can pull it off. Over at Ransom Notes I'm chatty on the subject. I bring up stuff like Ken Bruen's new one Black Lens appearing over at the Mulholland Books blog and Stephen King'The Green Mile among others.

Speaking of the King, I was meditating again on the difference between book and film mediums and the messy and combustible collaborations that result when one artist picks up another's baby (maybe marries their teenage daughter is a better analogy) to create something new. King famously was not a fan of Stanley Kubrick's treatment of The Shining, but c'mon, who doesn't love that movie? Or compare Blade Runner to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Two different visions, disparate but each remarkable and worthy. James Ellroy once said that even a bad movie will sell books and he should know. But what about a reaallly bad movie? What kind of relationship does say Don Winslow have to Bobby Z.? Or Michael Connelly to Blood Work? With some writers I absolutely understand jumping at the opportunity to have even a questionable film made from their material, but does Connelly need the money from film adaptations? Probably not. Should he hold out for a more sure thing with movies? Nah, go for it, man. I am curious about The Lincoln Lawyer, though. Did he trade up from Clint Eastwood? We'll see.

Incidentally, if you'd like to read The Lincoln Lawyer lemme know and I'll get you a copy before the movie comes out. Just leave a message on this post and make sure that I can e-mail you, (or you can e-mail me). Supplies are limited, so lemme know quick-like.

7 comments:

Sean Patrick Reardon said...

I would like a copy of the "Lincoln Lawyer" for sure. spreardon81(at)gmail(dot)com.

I forget who said it, but when asked about his take on a movie adaption of his novel, the author basically said. "I took the check", or something lile that.

jedidiah ayres said...

Seems Robert Parker said something to that effect about Spencer For Hire

Grant Jerkins said...

Sure you've heard this one, but James Cain, when asked if he thought Hollywood had ruined his books, famously replied - no, they're sitting right there on the shelf.

Unknown said...

Hit me with a copy brother and I'll hit you back in the months to come.

jedidiah ayres said...

I expect mine autographed Mr. Bill

pattinase (abbott) said...

I have a copy but just wanted to say hi!
And although a bad movie might sell books it leaves a bad taste in the mouth over time. I think the visual images can be stronger than the words.

Scott Phillips said...

Nice still of Bryan Cranston as Lt. Lankford. Wonder how they came up with that name?