Raymund Eich

Science fiction and fantasy - from Middle America to the ends of the Universe

Hi ,

To me, the biggest science fiction and fantasy news to break recently is the announcement of a Chronicles of Amber TV series.

As a teen, I was a huge fan of Roger Zelazny. Still am. (Sounds like the same is true for executive producer Steven Colbert). Zelazny's death in 1995 at the relatively young age of 58 shocked me. PSA: don't put off your colonoscopy when you're due.

I'm looking forward to watching the show when it finally gets produced and released in a few years. If I'm reading the showbiz jargon in the link correctly, Colbert and the other executive producers haven't even found a studio to, you know, actually film the stories.

Who'll play Corwin? Zelazny thought Timothy Dalton would have been great in the role... in the mid 1980s. Dalton might be too mature and distinguished for the role now. Plus, Dalton is now horribly typecast. As soon as you'll hear his voice, you'll think of Mr. Pricklepants from Toy Story 3.

The bigger casting question, of course, is who'll cameo as Roger the dungeon guard, who moonlights as an author "working on a philosophical romance... shot through with elements of morbidity and horror." Zelazny obviously wrote himself into this bit part in the Corwin series sometime in the mid '70s, and I know fans will be looking for this character as an Easter egg.

Will it be Roger's son Trent, a fine writer in his own right and driving force behind the estate's IP licensing? Or Peter Grosz, a character actor whose name you don't know, but who has worked with executive producer Steven Colbert and whom you would instantly recognize as the taller, dark-haired guy in the Sonic Drive-In TV commercials in the 2010s?

Either of those two would be fine. Anything but the Peter Cushing/Carrie Fisher treatment in the most recent Star Wars movies. Splice the voice of Zelazny recording audiobooks of the Corwin series with CGI video, or clips of Andy Cerkis in a mo-cap suit.... shudder.

Amber's not your jam? No sweat. What science fiction book would you love to see adapted to movies or TV? Hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Even if the book you vote for isn't one of mine :)

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Stinger

by Tom Dell'Aringa

With movies and TV on my mind, it was easy to visualize some of the scenes in this free short story. Warships on intercept courses, fight scenes, an alien monster with a scorpion tail. And the main character has a redemption arc. Hollywood eats up stuff like that.

If you've got a half hour to sample something by a new author, the link is here:

Stinger, by Tom Dell'Aringa

That's it for now. I'll be back in a couple of weeks, with some sort of publishing news. A story on newsstands? A cover reveal? My first foray into a new distribution route? Stay tuned!

Till next time,

Happy reading!

Raymund