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Serial Fiction Novel/Movie Recommendations
Oct. 5th, 2009 07:07 pmSeveral people in A&E have suggested that I write a game supplement on how to mirror serial fiction from other media in gaming. it's a topic that is near and dear to my heart, so I am seriously considering it. For examples from existing media I can readily draw on
Super-Hero Comic Books: Chris Clairmont's first few years on X-Men (for an example of a good extended arc, devolving into subplot kudzu); Paul Levitz's last few years on Legion of Super-Heroes (likely the best example of braided plot structures in the genre), and Grant Morrison's run on Justice League (to show the transition from the 12 issue annual story to the more recent 8 issue story better suited to trade paperbacks), plus a few others.
Television: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (for seasonal length stories with asides to the villains); X-Files (for an ongoing story with no asides); Star trek: The Next Generation (for episodic stories linked by repeating subplots [Borg; Lore; Worf's Family Honor])
Movies: Star Wars (The original trilogy, which breaks down neatly into 12 sessions, counting the preludes for the main PCs)
Books: The 87th Precinct novels; Various Diskworld series (the watch books and the Lancre books).
Obviously I want more in the movie and book departments, but I don't know what to add. I want the examples to be well know, well done and still accessible to the reader. They should also lean to what people consider 'gameable'
I suppose I could include the Harry Potter books, but I also wanted something currently ongoing that didn't have as strong an end point (likewise, no Amber). Are the Dresden Files worth reading in this regard? The Anita Blake books? I don't want to start something that everyone acknowledges turns to trash in book 3+. I'd consider the Vlad Taltos books, but the achronological order of them makes it harder to examine beat structures and character growth over time.
As for the movies, I don't want things that were one successful movie followed by a couple of unprepared for sequels (such as the Indiana Jones films), and I obviously want to avoid things like the LotR adaptation.
Any advice or suggestions of where I should apply my analytical skilz would be appreciated.
Super-Hero Comic Books: Chris Clairmont's first few years on X-Men (for an example of a good extended arc, devolving into subplot kudzu); Paul Levitz's last few years on Legion of Super-Heroes (likely the best example of braided plot structures in the genre), and Grant Morrison's run on Justice League (to show the transition from the 12 issue annual story to the more recent 8 issue story better suited to trade paperbacks), plus a few others.
Television: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (for seasonal length stories with asides to the villains); X-Files (for an ongoing story with no asides); Star trek: The Next Generation (for episodic stories linked by repeating subplots [Borg; Lore; Worf's Family Honor])
Movies: Star Wars (The original trilogy, which breaks down neatly into 12 sessions, counting the preludes for the main PCs)
Books: The 87th Precinct novels; Various Diskworld series (the watch books and the Lancre books).
Obviously I want more in the movie and book departments, but I don't know what to add. I want the examples to be well know, well done and still accessible to the reader. They should also lean to what people consider 'gameable'
I suppose I could include the Harry Potter books, but I also wanted something currently ongoing that didn't have as strong an end point (likewise, no Amber). Are the Dresden Files worth reading in this regard? The Anita Blake books? I don't want to start something that everyone acknowledges turns to trash in book 3+. I'd consider the Vlad Taltos books, but the achronological order of them makes it harder to examine beat structures and character growth over time.
As for the movies, I don't want things that were one successful movie followed by a couple of unprepared for sequels (such as the Indiana Jones films), and I obviously want to avoid things like the LotR adaptation.
Any advice or suggestions of where I should apply my analytical skilz would be appreciated.
