EarthSea

[Leovinus]

I just got through watching EarthSea miniseries on SciFi channel. It was pretty good. I had started reading the first ES novel and had gotten to the point where Ged first met Jasper and had asked his teacher why he couldn't permanently change pebbles into diamonds when the show appeared. I don't recall Ged having a girlfriend at the start of the book before he met Ogion. The girl he was fooling around with was the daughter of a witch who was only interested in learning magic from Ged and they weren't really boyfriend/girlfriend.<br /><br />I kept seeing bits and pieces of Lord of Rings and Harry Potter in this show. For example, Vetch was Samwise Gangee for me whereas Ged was Harry Potter/Frodo. The school at Roke was Hogwartz and the headmaster was Dumbledore/Gandalf. Jasper was that irritating blond kid from Slitherin -- Malfoy. <br /><br />Finally, I'll say that I think "EarthSea" is a stupid name. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

My guess is the book has to be better than the show. I agree that the maid was an idiot. In fact, I agree with all your points. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

Speaking of the stupid maid: When she was strangled, she didn't even fight back. She just stood there and watched it happen. I don't know about you, but if someone tried to strangle me I'd be scratching eyes out and kicking. She did nothing. Now that's not the actress' fault -- she just did what the director told her to do. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

The book so far is good. For example, the "mist of concealment" defense right up front looked so bad on TV. But in the book, it was much better. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

I have read a fair bit of fantasy in my time, but LeGuin's Earthsea is one of the outstanding works. Original, thought provoking, with a well imaginedmulti-level secondary creation, and beautifully crafted. It does not surpise my that the entertainment industry has botched it. LeGuins comments http://slate.msn.com/id/2111107/fr/rss/ are spot on. Pity Tolkien was not around to comment on what was done to his great work. I suspect it would have been equally scathing.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

I guess as I continue to read the books, it will begin to differ widely from the McMagic miniseries. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

LeGuinn she is *really* hung up on the race thing. I taped the miniseries but havent watched it yet. my wife just re-read the books in preparation for the series, and she did comment negatively on the protagonist's race change, but no surprise being the liberal she is. I will mention the race issue and the author's take on the miniseries, see what her opinion is, then form my own later when I do watch it. <br /><br />I read <i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i>, like it a lot but dont remember any racial issues in it, or caring about the race of the characters, just the plot and the gender concepts. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[ai_sci]

Ask, and thou shall receive! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Official UKL site. Scroll down to the 11/13/2004 announcement.<br /><br />edited to add, nope, it is still overloaded. The movie was rerun tonight, that is probably why. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

wmdragaon<br /><br />I would not say she is "hung up", she chose in her books to make a subtle but important point in the details of her world. And annoys her greatly to see that point ignored. As it should. <br /><br />I agree with her it annoys me greatly that so much SF assumes an American" future, this is alright as an assumption some of the time. But boring and cliched after a while, and hardly likely. I would like to see more SF and fanatasy written were the characters are not of European extraction.<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Hi "sfjabays"<br /><br />Simple yes, simplistic no. Earthsea, within the framework of a linked series of good stories deal with issues of mortality, power and is rejection, awareness and freedom. <br /><br /><br />It is worth noting that some of the greatest stories are simple - The Old Man and the Sea. The Time Machine. The Man who would be King. No a word out of place, not an unnecessary word in the story.<br /><br />But each to their own <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[cp28]

My favorite part of the article was this... <br /><br /><i>...I hoped they were making no unnecessary changes in the plot or to the characters—a dangerous thing to do, since the books have been known to millions of people for decades. They replied that the TV audience is much larger, and entirely different, and would be unlikely to care about changes to the books' story and characters. </i><br /><br />That is the sign of a clueless producer. People are almost always vocal with every book to movie adaptation(especially with fantasy/sci-fi). The audience would be different!?? It's showing on the sci-fi channel a genre with the most rabid fans who also most likely read the books and would be nitpicking over every detail. <br /><br />*shakes head* Well at least these guys weren't allowed to touch LOTR. <br /><br /><br />

 

[JonClarke]

Indeed! What we got from Jackson was bad enough!<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>