JMS adapts Ellison's '"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman"

[Christopher]

^Yes, but sales success does not necessarily equate to good writing. Just ask Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown.

Granted, I haven't read Superman: Earth One so I don't know how good it is (though I've read enough to know that JMS doesn't even seem to know what the term "passive voice" means, which isn't encouraging). But I do know that citing sales figures doesn't count as evidence of quality.

 

[Nerys Myk]

^Yes, but sales success does not necessarily equate to good writing. Just ask Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown.

Granted, I haven't read Superman: Earth One so I don't know how good it is (though I've read enough to know that JMS doesn't even seem to know what the term "passive voice" means, which isn't encouraging). But I do know that citing sales figures doesn't count as evidence of quality.

What he said.


I read it. Didn't like it. Don't care how many copies it sold.

 

[Starbreaker]

The script for Changeling was great. That movie just needed to be edited down by about 20 minutes.

He also wrote the screenplay for Ninja Assassin and the story for Thor.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I wonder if the adaptation of "Repent..." will attempt to break the "rules of good film making" like the short story deliberately broke the "rules of good writing" --Terry Gilliam to direct? Rebellion is back in vogue so I'm looking forward to something coming out of this.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Rebellion is back in vogue? Good gravy, I hope that's true.

"Repent, Harlequin" is one of my favorite Ellison stories, probably second only to "The Whimper Of Whipped Dogs." I hope this is good. It's kind of hard to see it stretched out to movie length, though....

 

[plynch]

I just met a man yesterday on first name basis with "Harlan." He said he was a great guy. I said his reputation is not stellar on this board. He reports he is just super-blunt, but will telly you positives to your face too, if you deserve them.

Ok. At least that's first-hand, rather than reading reports of someone else reporting what HE said. And as to "Repent," I think it's one of the most reprinted sf stories. The representative of that new gen of writers HE anthologized in Dangerous Visions.

I'd go see it, that's for sure.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Five bucks on the table right now that this does not make it to the screen without a Harlan tantrum of some variety.

I'll lay another five that the title does not remain unchanged.

 

[Reverend]

I just met a man yesterday on first name basis with "Harlan." He said he was a great guy. I said his reputation is not stellar on this board. He reports he is just super-blunt, but will telly you positives to your face too, if you deserve them.

Ok. At least that's first-hand, rather than reading reports of someone else reporting what HE said. And as to "Repent," I think it's one of the most reprinted sf stories. The representative of that new gen of writers HE anthologized in Dangerous Visions.

I'd go see it, that's for sure.

^That's more or less the impression of the man I've formed based on second, third and fourth hand accounts. Passionate and opinionated, no question, but since when have those been negative qualities for a writer? Sure he seems a little sue happy but from what I can tell, (in most of the cases I've read about) he's had good cause to at least make a case of it.

As for a 'Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman' movie, what do we think the odds are the Robin Williams is in the running for the title role? Hell, he could probably do both.

Five bucks on the table right now that this does not make it to the screen without a Harlan tantrum of some variety.

I'll lay another five that the title does not remain unchanged.

No bet.

 

[Neroon]

^Yes, but sales success does not necessarily equate to good writing. Just ask Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown.

Granted, I haven't read Superman: Earth One so I don't know how good it is (though I've read enough to know that JMS doesn't even seem to know what the term "passive voice" means, which isn't encouraging). But I do know that citing sales figures doesn't count as evidence of quality.

What he said.


I read it. Didn't like it. Don't care how many copies it sold.

It's all subjective and open to interpretation, what appeals to the individual reader/viewer. Sales aren't necessarily directly proportional to quality, true. But it's also true that does not hold true for everything. Very often financial success does indicate at least a certain amount of quality. Of course, that brings us full circle to the subjectivity of the question.