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Well, good ones anyway.
Right, lets make a start on this, I haven't read a good book from start to finish, ever. I've spent my life playing video games and thinking that I could get as good a narrative from games as I could from Holywood movies, or even from books themselves. However, recently, something strange happened.
I started reading Lord Of The Rings, mainly because of the number of people berrating the film for not being accurate enough to the books. Fair enough I thought, it's time to run the test of the three big formats of education for todays youth. Yes, before I get castrated from some angry thirty-something with kids that school is the be all and end all of education, your wrong, and I'll write a post to kiddies tomorrow explaining my views on education, look for it about the same time tomorrow in the Life forum.
Well, anyway, most of us will have seen Lord of the Rings at the film, and yes it is spectacularly amazing. The sort of film that makes any budding 3D/CG artist have nightmares because their latest 3D model looks no where near the standard required of an actaul professional product. In it's own right the film is very good, it has drama, it has suspense, and it has plenty of swords and sorcery. You just get the feeling that something bigger and better should be driving the film from one set-piece trap to the next, just somewhere hiding under the surface is a compelling narrative just waiting to brek out and describe the scene in all it's utmost glory.
If anyone owns the DVD and have watched the special features, especially the documentaries where some of the actors claim that the sets in the film are everything they imagined, and even more, then they are blighted by holywood, or have a severe lack of imagination. You se the imagination cannot be curbed by boundaries, it just cannot be dictated by budgets, deadlines or physical locations. The imagination can create anything the person so wishes to invisage. The book has much, much more detail regarding the narrative, and yes, for the non-reading holywood (soon to be Nintendo) generation, you just need to realise that your brain is a powerful thing.
Ideas, thoughts and amazing feelings race through your head when your reading a book. You attach more to the characters, because the characters are portrayed by you, not Elijah Wood, Frodo is in your head, he looks like you think he looks, and he sounds like you think he should sound. When he's scared, he's only as scared as you need him to be, he's just as inquisitive as you need him to be, and he's just as intelligent as you would have him be. Yes, the book pushes the story along, it gives you the setting, the scenario and the context, but a good book lets you imagine the threat and the level of danger, something a visual representation just can't.
This is where games take us to the next holwood level. Games make you think, but not on the same level as books. Like films, they give you all the visual stimuli, they don't leave anything to the imagination. Games make you think about simple problem solving, or at best they tax the physical responses and hand-eye coordination of an individual, but they still will never match a good book in terms of driving the imagination, and this is where budding games creators should take note. You will not be able to come up with original ideas for making a game, simply from watching films and games, those are other people's dreams and ideas.
To be truely original, you must develop the imagination, taking pointers and inspiration from captivating authors.
Right, lets make a start on this, I haven't read a good book from start to finish, ever. I've spent my life playing video games and thinking that I could get as good a narrative from games as I could from Holywood movies, or even from books themselves. However, recently, something strange happened.
I started reading Lord Of The Rings, mainly because of the number of people berrating the film for not being accurate enough to the books. Fair enough I thought, it's time to run the test of the three big formats of education for todays youth. Yes, before I get castrated from some angry thirty-something with kids that school is the be all and end all of education, your wrong, and I'll write a post to kiddies tomorrow explaining my views on education, look for it about the same time tomorrow in the Life forum.
Well, anyway, most of us will have seen Lord of the Rings at the film, and yes it is spectacularly amazing. The sort of film that makes any budding 3D/CG artist have nightmares because their latest 3D model looks no where near the standard required of an actaul professional product. In it's own right the film is very good, it has drama, it has suspense, and it has plenty of swords and sorcery. You just get the feeling that something bigger and better should be driving the film from one set-piece trap to the next, just somewhere hiding under the surface is a compelling narrative just waiting to brek out and describe the scene in all it's utmost glory.
If anyone owns the DVD and have watched the special features, especially the documentaries where some of the actors claim that the sets in the film are everything they imagined, and even more, then they are blighted by holywood, or have a severe lack of imagination. You se the imagination cannot be curbed by boundaries, it just cannot be dictated by budgets, deadlines or physical locations. The imagination can create anything the person so wishes to invisage. The book has much, much more detail regarding the narrative, and yes, for the non-reading holywood (soon to be Nintendo) generation, you just need to realise that your brain is a powerful thing.
Ideas, thoughts and amazing feelings race through your head when your reading a book. You attach more to the characters, because the characters are portrayed by you, not Elijah Wood, Frodo is in your head, he looks like you think he looks, and he sounds like you think he should sound. When he's scared, he's only as scared as you need him to be, he's just as inquisitive as you need him to be, and he's just as intelligent as you would have him be. Yes, the book pushes the story along, it gives you the setting, the scenario and the context, but a good book lets you imagine the threat and the level of danger, something a visual representation just can't.
This is where games take us to the next holwood level. Games make you think, but not on the same level as books. Like films, they give you all the visual stimuli, they don't leave anything to the imagination. Games make you think about simple problem solving, or at best they tax the physical responses and hand-eye coordination of an individual, but they still will never match a good book in terms of driving the imagination, and this is where budding games creators should take note. You will not be able to come up with original ideas for making a game, simply from watching films and games, those are other people's dreams and ideas.
To be truely original, you must develop the imagination, taking pointers and inspiration from captivating authors.
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Mouldy Cheese wrote:
> Kurt Cobains journels are crap. Shopping lists are not great just
> because he wrote them.
**
Yes, because it really is just 300 pages of shopping lists....
**
> Steven Kings books are essentially easy,
**
And that's a bad thing why?
> Kurt Cobains journels are crap. Shopping lists are not great just
> because he wrote them.
**
Yes, because it really is just 300 pages of shopping lists....
**
> Steven Kings books are essentially easy,
**
And that's a bad thing why?
> Mouldy Cheese wrote:
> Steven Kings books are essentially easy, Big Brother style mental
> bubblegum made purely for money. But hey, at least you're reading.
I'm not being that unreasonable but he is the writer that you will never be.
*Check and Mate!*
> Steven Kings books are essentially easy, Big Brother style mental
> bubblegum made purely for money. But hey, at least you're reading.
I'm not being that unreasonable but he is the writer that you will never be.
*Check and Mate!*
There's plenty on Gollum in the film. The Ring passed to another, took it into the Misty Mountains, passed to Bilbo, got captured by Mordor, escaped/let go, chases Frodo.
The only part they missed out was Gandalf and Aragorn hunting him, and his imprisonment with Thranduil (Legola's father).
The only part they missed out was Gandalf and Aragorn hunting him, and his imprisonment with Thranduil (Legola's father).
Cobains journels are crap. He was a junkie. He was not God, his journels are being released because someone wants to milk a cash cow.
Easy books are alright, but they're never going to change the world, never going to change someones life. If what you're looking for is entertainment, then thats fine, read them, enjoy it.
Didn't say I was Steven King. Of course he's a better writer than me. Duh.
Easy books are alright, but they're never going to change the world, never going to change someones life. If what you're looking for is entertainment, then thats fine, read them, enjoy it.
Didn't say I was Steven King. Of course he's a better writer than me. Duh.
I read Tom Clancy books on holiday. Not because they're good. Because they're easy reading and I don't give a toss if they get soaked in the sea.
I also take Bill Bryson books. They're funny. The End.
I also take Bill Bryson books. They're funny. The End.
The first 'proper' book i ever read was one by Andy McNab. it was great.
At the moment, i've been slugging my way through Fast Food Nation, and after about three days of on-and-off reading i'm near the end.
At the moment, i've been slugging my way through Fast Food Nation, and after about three days of on-and-off reading i'm near the end.
Microchips wrote:
> The first 'proper' book i ever read was one by Andy McNab. it was
> great.
>
> At the moment, i've been slugging my way through Fast Food Nation, and
> after about three days of on-and-off reading i'm near the end.
i'm halfway through the andy mcnab autobiography and it is one of the best books i,ve read
> The first 'proper' book i ever read was one by Andy McNab. it was
> great.
>
> At the moment, i've been slugging my way through Fast Food Nation, and
> after about three days of on-and-off reading i'm near the end.
i'm halfway through the andy mcnab autobiography and it is one of the best books i,ve read
Reading a compilation of two Red Dwarf novels at the moment, brilliant. I must get my hands on "The Last Human."
Also just finished "From The Corner Of His Eye" by Dean Koontz, and I advise everyone to read this and not his latest one, which isn't particularly good.
At Christmas I'm getting "Prey" by Michael Crichton, can't wait. {:)
Also just finished "From The Corner Of His Eye" by Dean Koontz, and I advise everyone to read this and not his latest one, which isn't particularly good.
At Christmas I'm getting "Prey" by Michael Crichton, can't wait. {:)
The Glorious Teng wrote:
> Steven Kings books are essentially easy,
>
> **
>
> And that's a bad thing why?
Because to anyone who has watched a season of the X files or more than a few films then it's painfully obvious what is going to happen most of the time. You wait for a twist....for anything...and it never comes. Stephen King's books sell, but you have to wonder who to, Anne Rice can do tons better stuff - certainly more imaginative - as can Todd Grimson - anyone who likes Vampire novels should get Stainless, tis great ! - and Chris Carter has more talent, if only he'd written books !
My fave writer is still Tom Clancy though, I swear the guy has a flipping crystal ball hidden away because he's getting a lot of things quite accurate, I wish he'd follow on to Rainbow Six though.
~~Belldandy~~
> Steven Kings books are essentially easy,
>
> **
>
> And that's a bad thing why?
Because to anyone who has watched a season of the X files or more than a few films then it's painfully obvious what is going to happen most of the time. You wait for a twist....for anything...and it never comes. Stephen King's books sell, but you have to wonder who to, Anne Rice can do tons better stuff - certainly more imaginative - as can Todd Grimson - anyone who likes Vampire novels should get Stainless, tis great ! - and Chris Carter has more talent, if only he'd written books !
My fave writer is still Tom Clancy though, I swear the guy has a flipping crystal ball hidden away because he's getting a lot of things quite accurate, I wish he'd follow on to Rainbow Six though.
~~Belldandy~~
Belldandy wrote:
> > My fave writer is still Tom Clancy though, I swear the guy has a
> flipping crystal ball hidden away because he's getting a lot of things
> quite accurate
--
Heh, you call Stephen King easy (true) and claim that Clancy books are great? Read a proper book.
> > My fave writer is still Tom Clancy though, I swear the guy has a
> flipping crystal ball hidden away because he's getting a lot of things
> quite accurate
--
Heh, you call Stephen King easy (true) and claim that Clancy books are great? Read a proper book.
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