Zelazny's Amber series coming to t.v.

[The Lensman]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/a...ing-chronicles-of-amber-series-for-television

Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment will jointly produce with Vince Newman Entertainment. Man, I hope this happens, and that they get it right. The best description I've heard of the Amber series is that it was Lord of the Rings as told by Raymond Chandler.I was always a bigger fan of Zelazny and Moorcocks "New Wave" style fantasy than the Tolkien and his million rip off's stuff.

The Amber series is said to have been a major influence of Game Of Thrones and I can believe it as it was doing the whole Machiavellian intrigue thing decades before GoT. Part of the fun of the original Amber series was trying to figure out who was allied with who at any given moment, since alliances were constantly shifting. It'll be weird if this takes off, like watching a band you've watched play the clubs hit the big time. At the same time, seeing as how the Amber books have seemingly disappeared from the shelves they were once a staple of, it'll be good to see them back, bigger than they ever were.

The strange thing is, I've long been surprised it's taken this long. Any time I've commented on this, I've been told that budget isn't big enough, but over the last decade we've seen a plethora of shows featuring people walking among us that belong to hidden "worlds" full of others with fantastical powers...see any urban fantasy, especially one's with vampires. An Amber t.v. show need not have been a straight up adaptation of the books, in fact it could've been completely set on our Earth, with not much more than the Amberites enhanced reflexes / strength and their Trump cards for communication and teleportation. I'm glad that never happened, but it could've been done. I'd be much happier getting a more faithful adaptation. It has a large cast, but no where near as large as GoT, and with pretty much all of the major players being in the same family, it'll be easier for noobs to remember who they are.

 

[Jedman67]

I haven't read the Amber novels since college; all i remember is that it was one hell of an acid-trip book series.

 

[Vandervecken]

OH MY GODS REALLY!!!!???

Oh wow who will be Brand!? hahahahahahahaaaahahaha!!!!

 

[thestrangequark]

I read them when I was 9 or 10, and recall loving the first two or three. After that I got confused.

 

[stardream]

Wow. Just..wow. I hope they do it justice.

 

[Vandervecken]

I'll never forget the end of The Hand of Oberon. The big reveal on Ganelon made my jaw drop. I sat in my chair like a stunned fish for about 5 minutes, I'll never forget.

Sometimes I think that if I had read them as an adult instead of a teenager I might have picked up on who Ganelon really was, but when I go back and read them I have to say Zelazny was damned subtle. When Ganelon beat Gerard in a fight I do remember saying to myself "wait, what?", but that was cunningly placed with a master's touch just before events take on a breakneck pace and you have to give all your attention to Corwin hunting Brand before he gets the Jewel. Before you know it you're in the whole Tir Na Nog'th scene with Benedict and then comes the reveal. So I think I still would have had the shit shocked out of me.

I was like you Lensman, NUTS for the Great Z and bananas for Amber (not so much the second series, but I did read them and any Zelazny is ok in my book). I've also been hoping for years we'd see a real Lord of Light movie. Be damned expensive--you'd need names for all the incarnations.

 

[thestrangequark]

Is it worth the time to reread them as an adult? The only thing I really remember was the world-building, particularly the scene driving in the car and changing reality slowly piece by piece until they got to the right world. That was Nine Princes in Amber, right? Again, I was maybe ten when I read these, so it's been over 20 years. -- Heck, I guess this is the ideal situation for watching a series based on a book!

 

[Beagleman]

So, going by your posts... I should read this series?

 

[thestrangequark]

I just recall my mother (who gave me the series to read in the first place) telling me when I got to the later books and complained about being confused, "It's okay honey, I think the author was confused too. There might have been LSD involved. A lot of LSD."

 

[Vorpal_Blade]

I hope that it is good. I have not read the Amber series since I was a teen.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

Oh god, read Amber, and if you read it years ago read it again. I think this is the series I have reread the most times, and it keeps getting better. This is the flawless series that I always hope whatever I'm reading will measure up to. Yes, the GoT vibe. But also the pacing through the series advances the story at just the right rate. Individual scenes are brilliant. The LSD reference is pretty accurate, but you're really feeling you are living the experience as you read. Hellrides!! Zelazny was an incredible storyteller.

I picked up Nine Princes around 1978 or so just randomly (no pun intended) off of the shelves, and went on to read everything he ever wrote. An amazing writer.

 

[JD]

I found a Kindle version of the first book sold by a company called Amber Ltd. anyone know if this is legit? I try to always stick to stuff from recognizable companies, so I know it's a legally sold version of the book, and I've never heard of Amber Ltd.