The Film Library

Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

So far in this group I've been focusing mainly on movies or television shows based on books, but shortly I'll be widening the perameters to include books based on movies or television shows.

I believe it was in 'Full of Secrets', a book of academic essays based on Twin Peaks, that someone tried to define what makes a 'cult' television show or movie. One of the criteria needed, according to this author, was some form of media that expanded the show's universe and scope outside of the camera's frame, and allowed fans to feel part of a community. Books, magazines, fan fiction, toy lines, all are examples. As unpleasant as The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer was, it still enforced the reality of the television show, and allowed fans to become more deeply rooted in that universe.

Has anyone out there turned in their hipster credibility and read any licensed books? I know the Star Wars universe has been greatly expanded by plenty of 'canon' stories, but I must admit I've never read any of them. Any favorites? Thoughts? I'll be starting another, more focused thread on this either later today or tomorrow, but I thought I'd try and get the ball rolling early.

Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

TheWorkingDead:

Has anyone out there turned in their hipster credibility and read any licensed books?

Why does reading licensed books mean turning in your hipster credibility? Actually what is a licensed book?  And what is turning in your hipster credibility?

Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

When I was a kid, I was so geeked about Gremlins that I read the novelization. It was a desperate sort of nostaligia for the movie experience that provoked it. A novelization was the closest thing to being able to watch the movie whenever I wanted. I think technology has solved the need for instant nostalgia. If I like a movie or show, I can probably catch clips on Google video or YouTube to share with friends or tweak my memory.

 What this says about the future of memory is intriguing to me.

Re:Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

Risselada:

Why does reading licensed books mean turning in your hipster credibility? Actually what is a licensed book?  And what is turning in your hipster credibility?

Sorry, I should apologize. I wrote that at about 4am after 2 hours of sleep, and it was going to be a bit more fully developed, but I ran out of time and instead of scrapping or saving the post, I went ahead and published it. So my original post is a little bit less focused than I would have liked.

The hipster credibility joke was probably only funny to me. Dorkiness has become kinda cool, in it's own way. Look at Chuck, The Big Bang Theory, Beauty & The Geek; geeks are being marketed as sex symbols these days. I work at a comic shop and come into contact with a lot of people who are aware that being dorky can be cool, and they spend a lot of time honing an image of 'cool, hip' dorkiness. But the two holdouts so far, the two activities that seem to be too dorky to be cool, are roleplaying and reading books based on, say, Star Wars or Star Trek. The height of dorkdom, as it were. So basically I was saying that you could no longer be 'hip' if you read Star Trek/Wars novels. It was ofcourse sarcasm, because I *KNOW* I'm cool, and I've read both! I mean, my mom thinks I'm cool.

As to the other question, Licensed Novels basically refer to novels based on a previously existing franchise. Say, Dark Horse bought the license to the Star Wars franchise in comic book form(it used to belong to Marvel back in the 80s), so they now publish all of the Star Wars tie-ins. That would be a licensed comic book. It's probably more of a video game term, so I might have misused it.  

Re:Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

quint:

When I was a kid, I was so geeked about Gremlins that I read the novelization. It was a desperate sort of nostaligia for the movie experience that provoked it. A novelization was the closest thing to being able to watch the movie whenever I wanted. I think technology has solved the need for instant nostalgia. If I like a movie or show, I can probably catch clips on Google video or YouTube to share with friends or tweak my memory.

 What this says about the future of memory is intriguing to me.

As a kid I remember reading the novelization for Gremlins 2. I'm pretty sure I read the novelization for the first one, but I only distinctly remember the sequel. For some reason the way Gizmo's described as escaping the wrecking ball in the beginning still sticks with me.

Your comment about memory reminds me of Bill Pullman in Lost Highway, saying he hates camcorders because he prefers to remember things his own way, not necassarily the way they happened. I'm torn, because I love revisiting favorite movies or books, and I love taking pictures and filming, but I certainly empathize. Nostalgia is usually more rewarding when we can't surround ourselves with the very things we're reminiscing about. 

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Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

indieabby88:

I remember there was some kind of Young Adult series of Star Wars novels I was big into as a kid. I don't remember much about them other than the fact that they had holograms on the cover. For a while in middle and high school, I got into the definitely unlicensed world of online fanfiction, a habit which I have (thankfully!) broken.

Online fanfiction, I think that might be the geekiest of any activities mentioned yet!

Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

Re:Expanding Horizons; The Wide World Of Licensed Novels

indieabby88:

Shuh up! I said I was in middle and high school. I never said I was terribly smart or mature back then.

I'm gonna have to side with risselada on this one. Fanfiction is terribly geeky. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I remember in elementary school writing my own sequel to The Blob(the '89 version, which came out when I was 11). I think I wrote a story about Quantum Leap, too. But I never could get into reading fan fiction.