"Beyond" Novelization

[Greg Cox]

And if the stars had approval over their images . . . that was a whole other headache!

True story: I was once the assistant editor on a lavishly-illustrated nature book about beavers. (Think GORILLAS IN THE MIST, but with beavers.) Getting the right captions on the many photos was a nightmare because, strangely, the production people seemed to have difficulty telling the different beavers apart.

"No!" I would protest indignantly. "On page 62, lower right-hand panel, that's clearly Mopsy, not Screwball!"

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Beavers don't seem to have any trouble telling each other apart, why should we?

Then again, to them, all humans probably look alike.

 

[KRAD]

Movie novelizations have been a victim of spoiler culture, as studios are now incredibly paranoid about details about a movie going into the general public before the movie is actually released, especially since the Internet makes it easy to spread them thar spoilers around. As a result, studios are unwilling to release movie scripts prior to release and unwilling to let publishers publish the book before the movie's release date.

Which makes it hard for publishers to justify it, because the ideal window for selling a novelization is in the few weeks leading up to the movie's release, as there's buzz about the movie, plus from the studio's perspective, they've got a bunch of movie posters sitting on bookshelves all across the world. Free publicity!

This also flop-proofed the book. If you can't release it until the movie's out, you're subject to whether or not the movie succeeds. If it's released before the movie is, Schroedinger hasn't opened the box yet......

The Star Wars movies got around this by releasing novelizations six months after the fact, but they can do that because Star Wars. For a normal movie, the selling window closes pretty soon after the movie stops being in theatres (if not sooner).

 

[Greg Cox]

Yep. All "major motion pictures" are hits -- until they actually open.

 

[drt]

I used to always read the novelizations after I saw the movie, because the authors used to be able to embellish and enrich what was in the screenplay, so reading the novelization usually provided a bonus experience. However, it largely seems that anymore the studios insist the authors don't deviate at all from the movie, so losing that added value may also have had an impact on novelization purchases.

 

[jaime]

I skim read the Nemesis novel in Borders til I could check the ending.
I was already not champing at the bit to find time to see it, and that pretty much sealed the deal. (It also wasn’t on anywhere local from what I recall… I had heard it was coming pretty late too for once.)
Ended up buying an ex-Rental DVD from the local video store eventually, and for once wasn’t sad to have missed something.

Years later I watched 2009 on a whim really. Date movie with Mrs. But again, any advertising had mostly gone un-noticed.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Yep. All "major motion pictures" are hits -- until they actually open.

And then, a lot of the ones that should be aren't, and a lot of the ones that shouldn't be are. And if it's a hit, then it can probably kiss its chances of getting any non-technical Oscar good-bye.

(I lost all interest in the Oscars after [1] the first SW movie got beaten out by a movie by Woody Allen and his girlfriend, starring Woody Allen and his girlfriend, as Woody Allen and his girlfriend (what an acting job that must have been!) and [2] The Right Stuff got beaten out by Terms of Endearment.)

 

[DonIago]

Movie novelizations have been a victim of spoiler culture, as studios are now incredibly paranoid about details about a movie going into the general public before the movie is actually released, especially since the Internet makes it easy to spread them thar spoilers around. As a result, studios are unwilling to release movie scripts prior to release and unwilling to let publishers publish the book before the movie's release date.

Which makes it hard for publishers to justify it, because the ideal window for selling a novelization is in the few weeks leading up to the movie's release, as there's buzz about the movie, plus from the studio's perspective, they've got a bunch of movie posters sitting on bookshelves all across the world. Free publicity!

This also flop-proofed the book. If you can't release it until the movie's out, you're subject to whether or not the movie succeeds. If it's released before the movie is, Schroedinger hasn't opened the box yet......

The Star Wars movies got around this by releasing novelizations six months after the fact, but they can do that because Star Wars. For a normal movie, the selling window closes pretty soon after the movie stops being in theatres (if not sooner).

Man, I very much remember skimming if not reading the novelization of TSFS before seeing the film, and then being shocked and disappointed that the film seemed to start (I'm probably exaggerating here) about halfway through the novel, 'omitting' what I felt was some of the most poignant material (Carol viewing her fallen coworkers in stasis, David and Saavik seeing the 'evolution' of the Genesis Cave, all of the minor characters introduced and given more depth). The movie's pace still feels incredibly brisk to me as a result (though somehow David and Saavik exploring the Genesis planet still drags a bit).

So yes, in that case the publicity angle worked, though it perhaps accentuated any disappointment I had upon leaving the cinema. It's a bad example of some of the other points, as I would have seen the movie or wanted to read the book either way.

I still remember my acute disappointment when the novelizations stopped being as creative in lieu of a stricter interpretation of the film's events, though at least I got the GEN novelization before it was updated for the reshoots.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Hope everyone doesn't mind me bumping this very old thread.

You're fine in here, but probably a good idea to avoid doing so in the other forums of the board.

True story: I was once the assistant editor on a lavishly-illustrated nature book about beavers. (Think GORILLAS IN THE MIST, but with beavers.)

 

[jaime]

Man, I very much remember skimming if not reading the novelization of TSFS before seeing the film, and then being shocked and disappointed that the film seemed to start (I'm probably exaggerating here) about halfway through the novel, 'omitting' what I felt was some of the most poignant material (Carol viewing her fallen coworkers in stasis, David and Saavik seeing the 'evolution' of the Genesis Cave, all of the minor characters introduced and given more depth). The movie's pace still feels incredibly brisk to me as a result (though somehow David and Saavik exploring the Genesis planet still drags a bit).

So yes, in that case the publicity angle worked, though it perhaps accentuated any disappointment I had upon leaving the cinema. It's a bad example of some of the other points, as I would have seen the movie or wanted to read the book either way.

I still remember my acute disappointment when the novelizations stopped being as creative in lieu of a stricter interpretation of the film's events, though at least I got the GEN novelization before it was updated for the reshoots.

First Contact had nice helpful details too, like how Cochran was Bipolar and now without meds, so Crusher popped a discrete implant in to manage it and hoped it wouldn’t fudge with the timeline.

 

[James Swallow]

Hope everyone doesn't mind me bumping this very old thread.

Like many, I was very surprised and disappointed that Beyond never had a novelization, especially after all the previous films were novelized. I thought it was a given that Beyond would have one as well. I could be wrong, but I am not expecting the Section 31 film to receive a novelization either, particularly as it is a streaming-release film rather than a theatrical film.

Remember when we used to get pilot episode & season finale novelizations too? I think JM Dillard's adaptation of Enterprise's "The Expanse" was the last (21 years ago!)

Ah, those were the days/get off my space-lawn/you kids don't know you're born...

The four Indiana Jones movie novelizations were all good IMO (though Crystal Skull is still not a very good movie.) Surprised Dial of Destiny broke the trend and still puzzled as to why. I know perfectly that the limitations of TV make this impossible, but I would have loved to see more adult novelizations like 'The Mata Hari Affair' for the entire YIJC.

Agreed, I was very dissapointed by the lack of tie-ins for Dial of Destiny - and it would have been an ideal opportunity to bring the Bantam series of original Indy novels back around. But I did pick up that cool Barnes & Noble collected edition of the first three movie novelizations.

Last one I bought was for Ghost In The Shell, and so far haven’t really read it (ebook) sorry Jim.

No worries, the Ghost in the Shell novelization that was published bears little resemblence to the one I actually wrote! Working on that was probably one of the most up experiences of my tie-in writing career...

 

[jaime]

Remember when we used to get pilot episode & season finale novelizations too? I think JM Dillard's adaptation of Enterprise's "The Expanse" was the last (21 years ago!)

Ah, those were the days/get off my space-lawn/you kids don't know you're born...



Agreed, I was very dissapointed by the lack of tie-ins for Dial of Destiny - and it would have been an ideal opportunity to bring the Bantam series of original Indy novels back around. But I did pick up that cool Barnes & Noble collected edition of the first three movie novelizations.



No worries, the Ghost in the Shell novelization that was published bears little resemblence to the one I actually wrote! Working on that was probably one of the most up experiences of my tie-in writing career...

I’m one of the few who likes/defends the film GiTS on the grounds that I’ve been following it since before Shirow gave up stories for pron, following the Kobe Earthquake. So I will get around to it eventually. (And was at the launch for the 95 anime, which was I think technically a Brit co-production, because Manga Ent put up some money for the film I think.)

 

[The Wormhole]

I used to always read the novelizations after I saw the movie, because the authors used to be able to embellish and enrich what was in the screenplay, so reading the novelization usually provided a bonus experience. However, it largely seems that anymore the studios insist the authors don't deviate at all from the movie, so losing that added value may also have had an impact on novelization purchases.

Indeed, which seems an odd policy, given that embellishing on things in a manner you can in books that wouldn't work in a movie is the only thing novelizations could have going for them in modern times. But whatever.

That novelizations of the Star Wars movies are of course one exception to this rule, but that's only because those are supervised by the Lucas Story Group. And even then, any future movies or TV shows have the freedom to ignore anything from the novelizations, like The Last Jedi featuring Rey and Poe meeting for the first time, despite the novelization to The Force Awakens also featuring them meeting for the first time.

Now I guess someone's going to say the scene in TLJ is odd anyway given we see them standing next to each other in TFA in a scene near the end anyway...

Well, that sure takes me back.

 

[SilverArrow3000]

Wowza. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me, @James Swallow! I currently have your Coda, Titan, and Terok Nor novels sitting in my bedroom along with Infinity's Prism and a couple more Trek books. Gearing up to hopefully start a 'Litverse' read after Christmas. Been too long since I've read Trek (since around Destiny, though I did read Coda when those came out) and I want to dive back in. Can't get Cast No Shadow from the library though; I'll have to go ebook for that one. Rats!

And I definitely plan to read your Strange New Worlds novel when it comes out. Found out about it yesterday and the plot description is such a good hook. I know it's a 50/50 chance and probably highly unrealistic, but if the lost vessel is the Franklin, showing up in the Prime Timeline - I will my tipping my hat to you, sir.

 

[Greg Cox]

Indeed, which seems an odd policy, given that embellishing on things in a manner you can in books that wouldn't work in a movie is the only thing novelizations could have going for them in modern times. But whatever.

I suspect the studios are more worried about protecting the movie than enhancing the novelization. (Remember, from the studio's POV, their $200 million dollar movie is what matters, not that measly $20K book licensing deal.)

The fear is that some on-line site will trash the movie based on something that snuck into the novelization when they weren't paying attention. Sadly, this is not an unreasonable fear; I've seen websites trash a big new movie because somebody got a sneak peek at the novelization and based their "review" of the movie on that -- with the distinction between the movie and book quickly getting lost.

"New SPACE VIXENS Movie Sucks Big Time!!!!"

(Says some guy who hasn't seen it yet, but did skim the novelization.)

 

[Csalem]

When I first got into Trek novels I foolishly thought the only ones worth reading were the novelizations as they were the 'true' stories (I was young and naive). So the first books I read were All Good Things, First Contact and Caretaker. They were also my first experiences with those stories in any medium. Took a couple of years to see the episodes.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

And I definitely plan to read your Strange New Worlds novel when it comes out.

And thanks; that's the first I've heard of it. A quick Google search turned up the S&S page on it.

Fascinating.

 

[James Swallow]

(And was at the launch for the 95 anime, which was I think technically a Brit co-production, because Manga Ent put up some money for the film I think.)

I was at that event too... I vaguely recall getting hammered on Manga's free booze at the after-party...

 

[jaime]

I was at that event too... I vaguely recall getting hammered on Manga's free booze at the after-party...

They had some DJ in the virgin megastore basement area related to it too I think. Before they made the same mistake Sony did, and thought every damn thing had to be a clubby music thing.
Saddest thing I ever saw was the Sony interns trying to jazz up the Vita ‘launch’ At Eurogamer. Maybe they should only have hired people who played games to work in their gaming division, just a thought xD
(Neo Magazine fell into a similar hole, with that Bruce Lee cover a member of staff insisted on being a sign of its eventual dilution — surprised it’s still going tbh, but it course corrected — and an echo of exactly the same mistakes Manga Mania made under Manga Ent a decade previous.)

It’s odd how I have only orbited these things as a customer.