Hammers Slammers : Why David Drake should make movies.

[Flangepart]

Any one read David Drake? Drake is a Scf-Fi writer best known for his Combat SF, and most of all, the Popular Hammers Slammers tales. Stories of a space going Mercanary military unit, that no one takes lightly. Drake was an Intelligance Officer with the Army in Viet Nam, and his combat experiance makes him dead on for telling a ripping good war story. Working with the Army M-48 tank units, made him an expert at detailing armored war fare, and his characters always ring true. So, i recomend him for title "Most obvious choice of author to be picked for future screenplays". Andrew, have you read any of his stuff? If you haven't , you should. I'm betting any vets you know would , after viseting his worlds, say, "Weird place, but he sure knows soldiers."  So....any authors you guys would like to see put (Rightly) to film? I gotta hand it to Drake....who else would end a story about a Viet Vet, who goes home to track down the family of a vampire grunt who killed his buddys...and solve the undead problim....with a phosphorus grenade?

[Ken Begg]

Anyone who likes Drake's stuff will also probably enjoy John Ringo's books.  He's fairly new, but currently has two separate series going.  The first includes the novels A Hymn Before Battle and When the Devil Dances, the second March To the Sea and March Upcountry.  Also, Dickson's sadly unfinished Dorsei series is a must read for any military sci-fi buff.  Turtledove's Alternate History war series, of which he's done several, are also marvelous books.  Eric Flint also does military sci-fi, although I don't like his stuff quite as much.

I have to think, however, that Drake et al's books are way too hard edged for mass audiences, so I don't think they'll make feasible movies until the CGI gets cheap enough that you can make films for certain target demographics.

[ErikJ]

One I nominate is Thomas Pynchon. One of the wildest authors I have ever read. You need to read "Gravity's Rainbow" for the full effect of his odd style. The book deals with the Blitz of London and a GI's reaction to the bombs. Some may not like the book, I personally love it. I would love to see it made into a movie, but alas it would have to be almost 4 to 5 hours long to get everything in there. Another good onefrom him is "V".

[Flangepart]

Humm...good point, Ken. I'd think the audience for "Band Of Brothers" would appreciate Drake.  But, as in his book, "The Sharp Edge", the cruel reality of combat, and those who are good at it, would be both a challange to those who dislike such stories...and an education for them, as "Saveing Pvt. Ryan",was,  on how war changes people, and why civilians become an alien race to those who have seen war at arms length. Never read any of Pynchon's stuff, EricJ, but i have heard of it. Maby i'll give it a try.

[John]

>" So....any authors you guys would like to see put (Rightly) to film?

Clifford Simak  (SF & Fantasy)
Robert McCammon  (SF & Horror)
Claire McNally (Horror/supernatural)

[Jay O'Connor]

> So....any authors you guys would like to see put (Rightly) to film?

Stephen Donaldson

[Jay O'Connor]

>So, i recomend him for title "Most obvious choice of author to be picked for future screenplays".

Two words: "Maximum Overdrive"

[yaddo42]

I used to read Hammer's Slammers years ago; straight adaptions of those stories would probably be too hard edged and cynical (or realistic) for mainstream audiences. But the technology and the feel of Drake's stories would seem to be a natural for action-oriented scifi movies or video games. Hovertanks, cyan blasts, and the ceramic body armor of mobile infantry would look very cool in the movies if done right.

I'm surprised there hasn't already been a real-time strategy video game set in the world of the Slammers. Mercenary forces in the hire of planetary governments and corporations fighting each other, alien empires, or indigenous races of planets set for development. Deciding whether or not to overthrow your employers after a victory, weighing lucrative counteroffers to change sides or pull out of a conflict, wondering if reinforcements will arrive from off-planet in time, recruiting replacements from the local population during an unpopular conflict, etc.

[Flangepart]

Quite true. A Vid. game, if nothing else. Battletech is a lot like that, in the intrigue dept. Andrew is a clanner, btw. Why else does he use Fenris for an E-mail Address.? Yeah, Drake's world would be hard to take, but it would be unforgetable.