so long as he only produces it
and doesn't appear in it
it might not be a COMPLETE disaster.

i have -no- confidence
that hollywood can do that text justice.

jhimm - Well, Neal Stephenson is supposed to be writing the mini series, so there is some hope. However, just because he can write a book, doesn't mean he can write for television. I too am doubtful that they can do it justice (I've been disappointed by other SciFi productions). On the other hand, we could end up being pleasantly surprised.

Excellent!!

As to whether or not Hollywood can do justice to it, well, I've gotten to the point where I don't particularly care if they create verisimilitude with the text, I tend to look for a good rendition of the spirit of a book, and even then, if the product is entertaining I'll even forgive serious divergence from the original.

Hope they get someone other than Stephenson to do the ending...

Fritz - Yeah, Stephenson doesn't seem to be so good with the endings....

Jhimm: I'm reminded of something credited to Zane Grey. Interviewer: "How can you stand the way Hollywood has ruined your books?" Grey: "What do you mean, 'ruined'? They're all right there, on the shelf. Haven't changed at all."

Movies are movies, books are books. There's never going to be a one-for-one reading, nor an adaptation that makes everyone happy. Deal with it, or live your life in frustration. {shrug}

That said, I think the Clooney/Soderbergh Solaris was brilliant. I have no idea how faithful it was, nor do I see it matters much. (I do find it interesting that most reviews took the side of who I considered the most crazed character, but hey.)

That they're planning a mini-series rather than a single movie is probably a good sign, if one values faithfulness. A short story is about the right length for a movie adaptation (how many plots had to be cut out of L.A. Confidential? or Possession? -- to name two highly divergent but applicable examples).

Isn't Diamond Age the one with the underwater orgy?

poz - i seem to recall some underwater stuff going on in that book.....

hal,

i do not know how you got the impression i have "frustration" i need to live with, but you're mistaken. i am not "frustrated", i simply am not enthusiastic when i hear that a title i enjoyed reading has been licensed for film or television.

i am not at all worried about some kind of ideal, perfect, one-to-one adaptation. i know that's not possible. i believe Peter Jackson showed the industry and the fans that an ideal, perfect, one-to-one adaptation is not necessary to do justice to a title.

SciFi makes horrible mini-series. they pick low hanging fruit which they know super fans will tune in for, even if the product isn't particularly good. i think george clooney is a horrible actor. if he wants to fund the project, hey that's great. but i'm neither enthusiastic about what this mini series will look and sound like, nor have i any confidence in SciFi's interest in making a good product.

but am i "frustrated" by this? not at all. i don't have to watch it. i can turn it off. i can go back and re-read the book and still enjoy it.

jhimm - I have to agree with you. Every miniseries I've seen on scifi has sucked the big one. And it had nothing to do with whether it was a faithful adaptation or not. Just plain suckage.

CF - Really? I rather liked the Dune mini-series.

Fritz - Really. I think I tried watching the Dune mini-series....meh.

Dune was pants.