Dead Island Novel Shambles Onto Shelves

The Wooster

King Snap
Jul 15, 2008
15,305
0
0
Dead Island Novel Shambles Onto Shelves


Can Dead Island's Novelization match its award winning trailer?

Judging by what we've seen [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110904-E3-Dead-Island] of the upcoming zombie bashing-sim Dead Island [http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Island-Pc/dp/B004PAGJMO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1311801488&sr=8-3], the only thing it has in common with its absolutely haunting first trailer [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107826-Dead-Island-The-Best-Zombie-Game-Trailer-Ever] is its title. Many gamers, myself included, are wondering if the game's final narrative can possibly reach the high bar set by its trailer. My prediction? Probably not, but the newly announced book just might.

The imaginatively titled Dead Island: The Book written by UK based author Mark Morris will hitting UK shelves on September 8th. Though a veteran horror writer, Morris is no stranger to adapting other people's work, having written novels based on Hellboy, Doctor Who and Torchwood amongst others. The book itself will be based on the game's narrative which means sadly, no, it won't be written backwards though Morris did add that it was the trailer that caught his attention in the first place. "Having marveled, like the rest of the world, at the stunning trailer earlier this year, I absolutely leaped at the opportunity to write the official Dead Island tie-in novel," he said.

Sounds promising enough, but if the book doesn't satisfy your thirst for sad piano music and defenestrated children then perhaps the upcoming movie might. Within days of the trailer's release there were already reports of a movie deal, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107877-UPDATE-Dead-Island-Trailer-Buzz-Ensures-Movie-Deal] that will use the same Memento-esque structure as the beloved trailer.

Dead Island: The Book will be published by Bantam and arrives in the UK on September 8th, no word on an international release just yet.



Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/dead-island-novel-brings-dead-people-to-dead-trees/]


Permalink
 

IamQ

New member
Mar 29, 2009
5,226
0
0
Which games don't get novels anymore? Gears of War has them, Left 4 Dead, and now this? I never knew that so many people bought them.

Though I also don't know if this is a bad thing, considering that I own 5 Warcraft books.
 

manythings

New member
Nov 7, 2009
3,297
0
0
IamQ said:
Which games don't get novels anymore? Gears of War has them, Left 4 Dead, and now this? I never knew that so many people bought them.

Though I also don't know if this is a bad thing, considering that I own 5 Warcraft books.
If you try enough times on of them will eventually sell. It's why investors can act like they are so business savvy but really (as proven by science) now absolutely jack.
 

Mr.Pandah

Pandah Extremist
Jul 20, 2008
3,967
0
0
Did everyone really think that trailer was all that great? I actually don't like it even more now that the actual gameplay trailer came out showing some really "meh" combat. I was following this back when it was first announced and then the trailer came out and got me somewhat interested again and then gameplay FINALLY came out and disappointment settled in. Blah.

Also a book? To each their own...
 

GrizzlerBorno

New member
Sep 2, 2010
2,295
0
0
Grey Carter said:
... it won't be written backwards though Morris did add that it was the trailer that caught his attention in the first place. "Having marveled, like the rest of the world, at the stunning trailer earlier this year, I absolutely leaped at the opportunity to write the official Dead Island tie-in novel," he said.
Wait this man wrote this book and had it published....in 5 months? You can do that? Does that mean it will inherently be a boat load of Arse, like it would if this was a video game or movie?
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
Trailer: May 17th...

Book Release : Sept 8th.

Probable book length: 90,000 words, if I'm pitching it as fantasy-horror. About 300 pages.

Now, half the time will be used up in production, pre-production, marketing.

So, let's say, of the 3 and a half months, he's spent 50 days writing 90,000 words.

Looking at about 2000 words a day...from nothing. I could do that, but I'd burn out pretty quickly.

Maths is very useful to determine probabilities. And probably this will be rather rushed.
 

dragongit

New member
Feb 22, 2011
1,075
0
0
Shelves? Book stores still exist? There isn't one near me for miles at least. I'm surprised there are any.
 

Podunk

New member
Dec 18, 2008
822
0
0
Did the trailer really win an award? Or is that just hyperbole? Because if it did actually win an award, then I think I'm gonna come down with a case of the sads... : (
 

William Dickbringer

New member
Feb 16, 2010
1,426
0
0
IamQ said:
Which games don't get novels anymore? Gears of War has them, Left 4 Dead, and now this? I never knew that so many people bought them.

Though I also don't know if this is a bad thing, considering that I own 5 Warcraft books.
...duke nukem? and now that I said that there's gonna be an announcement about one being made
O.T. I don't know what to think I looked at the game after the first trailer as meh but a book I just don't know books aren't my thing
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
Golem239 said:
[
...duke nukem?
http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Nukem-Does-Internet/dp/0782120385

I'm just waiting for Minecraft : The Book. But apparently it's not finished yet. Notch keeps adding letters every so often.
 

Doclector

New member
Aug 22, 2009
5,010
0
0
IamQ said:
Which games don't get novels anymore? Gears of War has them, Left 4 Dead, and now this? I never knew that so many people bought them.

Though I also don't know if this is a bad thing, considering that I own 5 Warcraft books.
Hold up. Left 4 dead has novels!? I thought it only had a couple of webcomics! As a green flu info hound, please, tell me where I may buy these wonderful things!?

Gotta admit, the only game to novel transition I liked was resident evil: city of the dead, AKA resi 2 as written by SD perry. Then again, the only other one I've read was assassins creed: renaissance. Reminds me, I really need to finally get round to getting the halo novels.

This could end up being good, but I don't want to spoil the game. That's the problem with non-backstory gaming novels, sure, you can gain a more in depth take on the story, but if you read it before completing the game, the story portion of that game is gonna get pretty predictable.
 

Assassin Xaero

New member
Jul 23, 2008
5,392
0
0
... Dammit, not another book to buy. I still have Boneshaker, Homefront, and Bioshock to go through... plus all my text books for work. Ugh.
 

Baresark

New member
Dec 19, 2010
3,908
0
0
I'm not surprised at all. I have never read any of this gentleman's works, but I would imagine he makes a decent living off of doing tie in novels. I love certain writers that seem to only do tie in novels, such as Karen Traviss. She is a superb writer, and she did some original IP novels, but I can't find them anywhere.