Wow. So people didn't know . . .
Just realized from reading a friend's blog that all the A Song of Ice and Fire fans on my f-list might not know there is a two hour pilot being cast for A Game of Thrones, and that casting is well under way, a start date for filming in Ireland is set, and if the show gets picked up (as seems probable at this point, given the investment they're putting in the pilot and the huge amount of buzz it's generating), we have a series, with the plan being a book a season, and the ever-increasing probability that the final season will finish airing before the final book is finished being written.
(hee! just to make it clear, this is said in good humor; I'm not one of the crazies pushing GRRM to hurry up; if he never finishes I will be disappointed but they are his books and quite honestly, better never finished than finished but lacking. I am one of the people disappointed in how King wrapped up the Gunslinger series, though that may have been inevitable given how very differently King and I view the first book in the series; I started to read his rewrite of it, read the preface and bailed, thinking I'll stick to my memories, thankee! Also, I am the last person in the world to have any business criticizing someone else for writer's block, having not finished anything -or even having half finished anything - since the 90's. The mid-90's.)
The casting looks great so far; I'm really pleasantly surprised. A lot of people are not. I think many of these people have an unrealistic expectation of how casting can go-- the main thing is to get people who can act and not cast Paul Rubens as Ned or Robert Hulk Hogan as Tyrion, and suddenly have Brienne looking and acting like Catwoman. Avoid stuff like this, and you're ahead of the game. Meanwhile, there is no one out there w/silver hair and violet eyes who will fit everyone's ideal of Dany. I think Tamzin Merchant seems like a good call. Sean Bean, Lena Heady, all these people, I'm cool with. The guy playing Jon has my last name so he better fucking be great. Anywhow, from what I can tell, things are looking good so far. (Of course, I probably won't be able to *watch* the series, as Sasha and I watch everything together and there is too much in here that will be too upsetting for her, and I think there's a good chance the first of these things might make it into the pilot--it's a crucial plot point so no way to leave it out--so probably can't even watch that, but as long as this is being done I want it done well and to succeed massively, and sounds like tis heading the right direction.
Also in epic fantasy --
Since I only recently found out about this and a lot of you probably don't know, the first of the homestretch sequence for the Wheel of Time is supposed to come out in October. I am looking forward to with great interest.
And am just past page 400 in Sherwood Smith's Treason's Shore, what I thought was the wrap up for her Inda series. I'm at a loss as to how this is going to get wrapped up in the next 200 and something pages, but it's certainly a terrific book thus far.
Also in reading--
I have read a few other books deserving of reviews since last I did a book recap in the spring, (Caitlin Kiernan's Low Red Moon, Daughter of Hounds, and Silk, Lev Grossman's The Magicians, a couple of graphic novels that I like enough to wanna review--After the Fall, Hush and The Heart of Hush, and eventually hope to review them, but my reviews have all been horrifically awfully written this year, so waiting till I have time to do them right, and as the books pile up the time needed to do them right piles up, so . . . hold not thy breath)
Also in TV-- Dollhouse is renewed. People seem confused about this. Season 2 starts sometime this month, I think. There was a good write-up about it by Suzie at Echidne recently -- I have lost the link and lack the patience to look, but is very worth reading if you are one at all curious about the show.
eta -- wow, my level of typos and left out words and run-on sentences hit a new high there. hopefully fixed. also, this series seems to attract more crazy and annoying fans than anything else ever. I swear!
Okay, I'm arguably crazy and may be annoying, but I don't send hate mail to people because I don't want them to be cast in a certain part or generally spout the kind of awfulness I often see in comments at various places, good grief!
(hee! just to make it clear, this is said in good humor; I'm not one of the crazies pushing GRRM to hurry up; if he never finishes I will be disappointed but they are his books and quite honestly, better never finished than finished but lacking. I am one of the people disappointed in how King wrapped up the Gunslinger series, though that may have been inevitable given how very differently King and I view the first book in the series; I started to read his rewrite of it, read the preface and bailed, thinking I'll stick to my memories, thankee! Also, I am the last person in the world to have any business criticizing someone else for writer's block, having not finished anything -or even having half finished anything - since the 90's. The mid-90's.)
The casting looks great so far; I'm really pleasantly surprised. A lot of people are not. I think many of these people have an unrealistic expectation of how casting can go-- the main thing is to get people who can act and not cast Paul Rubens as Ned or Robert Hulk Hogan as Tyrion, and suddenly have Brienne looking and acting like Catwoman. Avoid stuff like this, and you're ahead of the game. Meanwhile, there is no one out there w/silver hair and violet eyes who will fit everyone's ideal of Dany. I think Tamzin Merchant seems like a good call. Sean Bean, Lena Heady, all these people, I'm cool with. The guy playing Jon has my last name so he better fucking be great. Anywhow, from what I can tell, things are looking good so far. (Of course, I probably won't be able to *watch* the series, as Sasha and I watch everything together and there is too much in here that will be too upsetting for her, and I think there's a good chance the first of these things might make it into the pilot--it's a crucial plot point so no way to leave it out--so probably can't even watch that, but as long as this is being done I want it done well and to succeed massively, and sounds like tis heading the right direction.
Also in epic fantasy --
Since I only recently found out about this and a lot of you probably don't know, the first of the homestretch sequence for the Wheel of Time is supposed to come out in October. I am looking forward to with great interest.
And am just past page 400 in Sherwood Smith's Treason's Shore, what I thought was the wrap up for her Inda series. I'm at a loss as to how this is going to get wrapped up in the next 200 and something pages, but it's certainly a terrific book thus far.
Also in reading--
I have read a few other books deserving of reviews since last I did a book recap in the spring, (Caitlin Kiernan's Low Red Moon, Daughter of Hounds, and Silk, Lev Grossman's The Magicians, a couple of graphic novels that I like enough to wanna review--After the Fall, Hush and The Heart of Hush, and eventually hope to review them, but my reviews have all been horrifically awfully written this year, so waiting till I have time to do them right, and as the books pile up the time needed to do them right piles up, so . . . hold not thy breath)
Also in TV-- Dollhouse is renewed. People seem confused about this. Season 2 starts sometime this month, I think. There was a good write-up about it by Suzie at Echidne recently -- I have lost the link and lack the patience to look, but is very worth reading if you are one at all curious about the show.
eta -- wow, my level of typos and left out words and run-on sentences hit a new high there. hopefully fixed. also, this series seems to attract more crazy and annoying fans than anything else ever. I swear!
Okay, I'm arguably crazy and may be annoying, but I don't send hate mail to people because I don't want them to be cast in a certain part or generally spout the kind of awfulness I often see in comments at various places, good grief!