State of the Rendezvous--Beeb goes SF

[matgb]

Woo Hoo!:

BBC radio is to launch a major cross-station drama season based around the science fiction genre, which will see BBC 7 broadcast its biggest original series commission to date.

The season will be spread over two weeks in February and March and will see BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and BBC 7 play host to a number of science fiction-themed plays, featuring both original works and adaptations, including Arthur C Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama and Iain M Banks’ The State of the Art.

I loved Rama when I was a kid, but haven't read it since, so that'll be cool. State of the Art definitely makes sense as a Culture adaptation, and the rest of the stuff they talk about sounds very cool indeed. 5 months to wait though :-(

ETA: Paul Cornell is writing the SOTA adaptation, and gave details in an interview on IO9 awhileback:

The other great fun thing is the radio play, an adaptation of Iain Banks' "The State of the Art" for BBC Radio 4, which should go out early next year. We've recorded it, with Sir Antony Sher as the Ship (he's exactly what you expect one of Banks' ships to sound like), Patterson Joseph (who's probably best known for Neverwhere) as Linter, and Nina Sosanya as Sma, and the BBC production job is terrific. I can write 'we feel the presence of the Ship floating beside the car' and they can actually do that! Iain's approved the script. I really want to do some more SF for this lot. Good people.

Woo Hoo! That's the The Marquis De Carabas and the sexy one from Teachers. OK, it's just a radio play, but even so...

Comments

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, excellent. It's about time someone adapted some of Banks's science-fiction.

I hope someone will do a film one day, but radio will do in the meantime. :)

[matgb]

I'm guessing an TV presentation would cost a large fortune before it even started.

Having said that, watching the animated Star Trek at the moment, and that's rather nice.

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

Oh, it would cost a bloody fortune to do Banksy's sci-fi justice, no question about that. And I think it's probably enyond the scope of a telly production. His stuff is so epic that I'd like to see it in the cinema. Consider Phlebas would make a great film. Mind you, if it was madee in Hollywood, I'm sure the first thing they'd do would be to change the title...

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

The only way I would try it is lots of CGI, and bluescreen a la Sky Captain. Puppets for the Chelgrians and co.

I think a serial would be the best way to go, you'd cut too much out with a single film.

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

There would undoubtedly be wall-to-wall CGI. No other way to do it really.

I think TV would impose too many restrictions, mostly financial. Most TV sci-fi takes place in a series of small, dark rooms and corridors, for budgetary reasons. I think Banks's stuff has more scale and sweep to it, and I think it should be on the biggest, widest screen possible to do it justice. :)

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

OMG that sounds ACE!

Sci-fi Britannia was a great season on BBC4, and I'm not just saying that because it gave me my naked!Sam icon ;)

[matgb]

Double ace—see edit.

[(Anonymous)]

Awesome! In other news, work is dead and i miss my mat :(

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

Yay!

Also- there's mulled wine in the shops already.

Radio + mulled wine= GOOD TIMEZ

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Cool! I need to read more Banks.

[matgb]

No. EVERYONE needs to read more Banks.

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

I'm reading Matter at the moment. It's good. :)

[eldar.livejournal.com]

State Of The Art != Culture. It's entirely standalone. And therefore an excellent choice.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

Um, yes it is. It even shares some characters with Use Of Weapons.

[matgb]

Danke, I was worried my memory had done it's silly daft tricks again.

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

I also have trouble remembering if some of the books are Culture or not.

For instance, I can't remember for the life of me if The Agebraist is! But I do remember that it was damn good. :)

[matgb]

Algebraist isn't. I know this because it's one of the books on my 'never got finished' pile...

Which given I'm now way back into reading books, I ought to get off the shelves and start going through again, Algebraist follwed by Anansi Boys methinks.

Yay!

[joeotten.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Algebraist is well worth it. You gotta admire the dwellers even if they do treat their kids badly.

[eldar.livejournal.com]

Sorry, too early in the morning for me. I was thinking of Against A Dark Background. (The short-story collection) State Of The Art does contain a few non-Culture stories though, I guess they meant the novella (or whatever term is applied to that length of story) that lends its title to the collection.

[matgb]

What Martin said. It's been recommended to me in the past as a good starting point Culture book, which makes sense to me, but it's the one about the Culture investigating Earth IIRC.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

I knew they were plotting a State of the Art adaptation (one of the Who writers, I forget which), but its great that they've expanded it to lots more stuff.

[matgb]

Cornell, see edit, the cast list is to die for as well.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

If Cornell's doing it that's pretty much a stamp of quality right there. damn. Now I have to wait 4 months for it all. :(