Many a book and film has predicted the future with varying levels of success. 1984 is the first title that comes to my mind, but there’s many, many more. And with the popularity of apocalyptic and dystopian stories, I kind of hope they DON’T get it right!
Occasionally someone does get pretty close to the bull’s eye. This time, it was, of all people, the marketing department at AT&T. Maybe you saw these ads back in the 90’s?
(Thank you to Peter Kafka at All Things D for highlighting this blast from the past.)
Do you see yourself in any of those commercials? I know I was stunned by how accurate they were. Unfortunately for AT&T, the one thing that was really off was the “Who’s going to bring it to you?” line. Okay, maybe the A was a little right (Apple, Amazon…?).
Technology is changing so fast, it’s hard to predict what will be around next month, let alone the next decade (see my post on that here). We now have 3D movies, phones that do everything, and cars that just about drive themselves. I’d love for the guys at AT&T to put out a new commercial showing us how we’ll be living in the 2020’s. Just so long as it doesn’t look like this:
Image by flexgraph via Flickr
Meet an Author Monday
Check out what other authors are chatting about today. Whether you’re a reader or a writer, there’s a lot of great stories out there! Hosted today by Carol Oates.
With the release of the movie, Water for Elephants, I was faced with the new-age chicken-and-egg question: Do I read the book or watch the movie first?
Over the years, I’ve seen many movies made from books I’ve read. The first one I think I can remember is Shirley Temple’s version of The Little Princess. I’d read the book, and I remember picking out the differences, especially the ending. There have been many more books I’d read made into movies since then – Patriot Games, The Bourne Identity, The Da Vinci Code and Twilight, just to name a few. What I’ve learned is that movie versions of books can be very entertaining, but should be viewed as separate entities. They are not, nor can they be, twins. In some cases, a book and its movie counterpart can be seen as siblings, in others, it’s hard to tell if the two are related at all. But that doesn’t mean each isn’t entertaining.
There have been cases where I saw the movie before reading the book – most notably for me, the first three Harry Potter movies. I wasn’t particularly interested in reading the HP books at first (probably because my kids were too young to appreciate them at the time), but I did enjoy the movies. After seeing the third movie (which I loved – don’t hate me), I read the fourth book. I then went back and read the first three, and have picked up the remaining books of the series when they came out – before the movies. Again, I enjoyed both print and film versions, even though they were different, and am looking forward to the movie conclusion to that series.
So, what to do about Water for Elephants? I had the book (thanks, Jenn!), but didn’t have a lot of time to read it before our family movie night on Saturday. I did get a few chapters in, though, and got a feel for the voice and the story, which I liked. When faced with seeing Prom or Water for Elephants, I opted for the later. And I loved it.
There are those that have critiqued the acting, but I have to say, the movie was lovely. I especially liked the way the violence implicit in the story was handled. Yes, it was PG-13, but considering some of the horror flicks with that rating, it wasn’t that bad. Even though I’d only read a bit of the book before seeing the movie, I could see where some changes had been made, but I also recognized some dialog lifted directly from the manuscript. It was a very good blend, from what I could see.
I do intend to finish the book, by the way – it’s my “carrot” for finishing my next chapter’s worth of writing. I’ll be looking for that part of the story I didn’t see in the movie, including more about present-day Jacob. But I’m glad I got to see it when I did.
What do you think? Do you always read the book first? Does that set your expectations for the movie? What about vice versa? If you’ve seen the movie first, does the book disappoint, or give you more story than you expected? Remember, your comment gets you entered in the Share the Wealth Giveaway.
And whether you’ve read Water for Elephants or not, I highly recommend the movie.
Meet an Author Monday
Be sure and check out Meet an Author Monday, hosted on the lovely Lisa Sanchez’s blog. Just click on the photo below to check out what other authors are blogging about. Are you an author? Join the hop with us and meet new readers!
After having such a great time at the RT Booklovers Convention and scoring a TON of new books, I’m sharing the wealth and giving some away!
Here’s how it works:
1. To enter, comment on any of my blog posts that go up in May (starting with this one!). I want to hear from you! And yes, more comments equals more entries! Note: comments are moderated, so spammers are not eligible to win.
2. Due to postage costs, this contest is open to US addresses only. 8( Sorry!
3. Winner will be picked at random on June 1, 2011.
WHAT DO I WIN??!
The grand prize winner will get their pick of FIVE books from the following list (you can see them all in one place HERE on Goodreads):
The runner-up gets their pick of TWO of the remaining books.
What? You DON’T have a copy of Whirlwind yet? Each winner will also get an autographed copy!
So if you like to read, be sure and check out my blog entries this May and leave a comment or two. You may win a box of books to take to the beach this summer!
As you’ve probably heard, the RT Booklovers Convention is this week in L.A. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a long time! I’ve signed up for a ton of workshops – everything from “Romancing the Killer Instinct” to “5 Times a Night? Really?” I can’t wait to meet readers, other new authors, as well as some of the big names from the NY Times Bestseller list. As both an author and a reader, I’ll be pulled in many directions.
Besides all the great information and networking, a conference like RT is all about the goodies! I’ll be looking for new ideas for bling and swag (bookmarks, key chains, trading cards, gadgets, and the like) as well as free books, both to read and pass along.
I’ll also be giving away some goodies of my own at the Indy Expo on Friday, and you’ll even have the chance to win a Kobo e-reader (Remember my post last week?). Independent authors and publishers from all over will be available to sign books and visit from 4-6pm at the Westin Bonaventura. The public is also welcome (for a small $5 entrance fee). I’m really looking forward to meeting readers, so if you’re in town, please stop by!
I CAN’T WAIT!
But, before all the fun, I have to get my bags packed. Maybe a better theme song for today would be:
Meet an Author Monday
Whether your a reader or a writer, there’s a lot of great information and fun on the Hop. Check it out!
Robin DeJarnett 