Incidental Fandom Crossover = Mind₣¤¤¤
Seeing as I was having plotbunny overload to the point where I have about five different stories and arcs to do with the boy in blue, I felt I needed to step back for a bit in order to clear my head so I could focus on what I'm CURRENTLY supposed to be writing. With alphielj going on a SW Expanded Universe spree, I looked at my bookshelf and found some books I decided would need a re-read.
My first true Science fiction literature love (and thereby fandom) is the epic Dune by Frank Herbert. I discovered it about the same time I discovered Star Wars as a young kid, and even though the first novel is a massive, hard-going, four hundred and ninety two pages of heavy, jargon-infested tome - the story of the House Atreides and how its destiny is intertwined with that of the planet of Arrakis, and by extension the Universe, just managed to somehow draw me in.
It's an amazing exploration of the concepts of religion, philosophy, destiny, science, ecology and politics - with all the intrigues and conspiracies within. Plus it doesn't hurt that the Weirding Way of the Bene Gesserit combined with the prescience (ability to see each and every possible future and choice before it happens) of "Muad'Dib" and his descendants just beats - in my opinion - the power of the Force.
After Mr. Herbert senior died, his son Brian co-wrote the prequels and is writing the final novels in the original series now with Kevin J. Anderson. To most Superman fans, the name won't mean much - he's more attached to Star Wars (comics and books) and licensed Sci-Fi based spinoff novels. That's about to change, with the publication of "The Last Days of Krypton." Below the cut is an illustration for said book, and an explanation:
[Fanboy note: That'd be (Clockwise from top) Jor-El, Lara Lor-Van, Argo
City, General (Dru-)Zod, the Kandorians and... BrainIAC?!?!?!]
The news of the book fills me - as a comic book and movie fan who also happens to be a "continuity cop" - with both dread and elation. I've wanted more than fleeting pages in the comic book and a Silver Age, Pre-Crisis and stupid "World of Krypton" miniseries that focuses on Jor-El and Lara. Yes ladies and gents, the only time that Kryptonian history has been properly delved into canonically has been during the period when, "comic books cost ten cents and made no sense."
So, we're guaranteed to have something good? Actually, no we're not... you see Marv Wolfman has written the introduction and foreword to the book. Back in the 80s, Marv's Superman work with John Byrne was amazing, though more recently, he was the author of the painful Superman Returns novelisation.
So now, not only does the fact I have an unintentional crossover happening, it's being endorsed by the guy who wrote possibly the most painful and inconsistent adaptation of a movie known to man. If that isn't a mind₣¤¤¤, what is?
Kinda makes me glad that one of the plotbunnies I have helped cook up in a fellow author is to do with MovieVerse Jor-El... Knowing who is likely to write it, it can only be good - meaning that I can go with her version if Kevin's one turns out to be [expletive deleted].
Van-El II