Novelisation: crappy

POSTED BY: BrainMissing
UPDATED: Monday, October 17, 2005 08:45
VIEWED: 19854
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PTROPE

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 5:15 AM

Two major grammatical errors in this sentence (ironic, considering it comments upon awkward sentence structure):

Quote:
His sentence structure is awkward and pitifully, reminds me of some of the stories in my Grade 12 writing class at the beginning of the year (before we'd learned anything).

You should have used "pitiful," an adjective, instead of "pitifully," an adverb. Also, the "reminds me" is unrelated to any noun in the preceding clause; it needs a noun or pronoun to define it.

Misspelling or simply an incorrect choice of contraction:

Quote:
There's plenty of writers out there who are hysterically funny, and don't insult the intelligence of their readers.

"Writers" is plural, therefore "there's" is incorrect; it should have been "There are plenty of writers" (and maybe substitute "many" for "plenty of").

Well, you did say you didn't make any errors ;).

As for KRAD's novelization, I wasn't especially shot with it, myself, because I thought it was a poor editorial choice to construct the narrative in an autobiographical fashion, speaking in the characters' "voices" and changing from scene to scene as the focal character changes. I found it a conceit, very artificial and off-putting; I would have much preferred the narrative be simply that, because it doesn't really do a good job of getting into the characters' heads, the only really valid reason to take such an approach. I bought the book, but I gave up reading it after the first chapter, because of this; if he had chosen one character to relate the entire story, such as Inara or Kaylee, or possibly even River, I think it would have been a much stronger story.

Rock is dead - long live paper and scissors!

THECRAZYIVAN

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 5:26 AM

i liked it...plain and simple....and refreshingly easy read about something i love

~~~~~~~~~~
"There is a sense that this is still not over. It's hard to put a finger on what's so special about this project and about this group of people, but it's just one of those things you have to trust in, and relish. I am very, very proud."
---Jewel Staite on "Firefly" and "Serenity" in "Finding Serenity" (essay collection by Jane Espenson)

BRAINMISSING

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 6:56 AM

Actually, the mistake in this sentence is a missing comma.

His sentence structure is awkward and, pitifully, reminds me of some of the stories...

Thanks, Ptrope, for pointing out the sentences to which Tomanta was referring!

But I think we're getting away from the point here. I'm not complaining about DeCandido's grammar. I'm complaining about his writing style. And whether you call it scifi or 'space opera', it's still sub-par.

FRAY101

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 7:47 AM

Quote from Joss (in response to my question about how involved he is with the novels):

"I don't have much involvement. I just don't have time. If I started to read them I'd just get frustrated and have to write them myself. This would cause fewer movies and shows. I just whistle and look the other way. Hope ya like 'em!"

Quote:
As for KRAD's novelization, I wasn't especially shot with it, myself, because I thought it was a poor editorial choice to construct the narrative in an autobiographical fashion, speaking in the characters' "voices"

Have to agree with Ptrobe there - I enjoyed the book but this did tend to grate a little.

_____________________________________

Design a Serenity poster & win a Serenity t-shirt at http://www.destinything.com/id152.html

Visit the Browncoats' Photo 'Verse at http://disneypix.tripod.com/photoverse

www.cafepress.com/fireflyclass & www.cafepress.com/session416

RELFEXIVE

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 10:12 AM

I've got it but not read it yet. I have, however, read KRAD's Farscape and Andromeda novels, and he does seem to suffer from what I call over-referential-itis. This is the writer's affliction of referencing every possible event in a tie-in novel to similar events in the series/movie it ties to.

So lots of "It was like when Jayne did such and such in Place X..." and "...just like the time that Mal shot so-and-so because of some-similar-reason-or-other."

I gather this trend continues in the BDM novelisation, which may prove to be a little annoying for me.

Apart from that, I've had no problem with his writing, but then I've not read one of his actual movie/episode novelisations before, so we'll see I guess.

ADDENDUM: Picking on a poster's own spelling and grammar when they are commenting on the quality of an author's writing ability is the cheapest, flimsiest shot possible. Please don't do it, it's just embarrassing.

"My God - you're like a trained ape. Without the training."
"Come a day there won't be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all..."
I know the secret.
http://www.theshadowdepository.co.uk/index.htm

ANNIE

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 10:50 AM

Read it.
Enjoyed it.
And mailed KRAD to tell him so.
Also, on the more shallow side, even if you don't read it and like it, money talks.
Buy everything Serenity related you can anyway.
Annie

Sex and violence on the big screen, where it belongs.

TOMANTA

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 12:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RelFexive:

ADDENDUM: Picking on a poster's own spelling and grammar when they are commenting on the quality of an author's writing ability is the cheapest, flimsiest shot possible. Please don't do it, it's just embarrassing.

You are right, and I would like to apologize to Brainmissing. I think I was just upset at the tone of his original post and some of the errors (particularly what turned out to be a missing comma) really bothered me.

RelFexive, over-referential-itis is definitely in the novelization, and it did begin to bother me as I went through it. I thought it was just used as space-filler, but knowing that it is done in other novels is a little dissappointing. I breezed through it without giving it much thought until now.

The one thing that makes the novel worthwhile is the background on Mr. Universe, who was a poorly developed character in the film. With the novelization you at least know his background and connection to the crew.

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."

KOZURE

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 2:00 PM

The short excerpt I read at Amazon.com did not impress me, but judge for yourself:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416507558/103-1632345-7810256

I'm still going to pick it up, mostly for background information and the like, but it certainly doesn't seem to hold up to the source material.

Then again, not many novelizations do.

Kozure the Kamikaze Highlander

Proud Citizen of Canada-That-Was

CALLMESERENITY

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 2:10 PM

I liked it. I've never read any other novelizations, but I liked this one. I liked getting into the characters' heads a bit. And I liked the bits of background he threw in there, even if they are just ones he made up, and not Joss's. The stuff about Mr. Universe, for example.

And I met KRAD and he's a very nice guy, and quite funny. (Got my picture taken with him, too.) I think he deserves some respect for being a fellow browncoat at the very least. You don't have to like his book, but you don't have to tear it to shreds, either. No one deserves that. Browncoats are better than that.

Serenity, First Officer of Destiny

RELFEXIVE

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 3:07 PM

Oh yes, he's definitely a fan, and I did enjoy the other books of his that I've read (the Farscape one more than the Andromeda one). The over-referring thing was annoying, but once you look past it the rest is good.

I liked what I've seen of it so far (the Serenity Valley prologue that I read when it became available online) so I can't imagine I won't like the rest of it.

Well done KRAD!

"My God - you're like a trained ape. Without the training."
"Come a day there won't be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all..."
I know the secret.
http://www.theshadowdepository.co.uk/index.htm

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