9 Response to "The State of the Art on the BBC IPlayer"

• fox-uk Says: 11:42 PM

  Hi Paul,
  
  I happened across the play this evening whilst browsing the Radio 4 I-Player site and, being an Iain M. Banks fan, decided to give it a good listening to. I'm familiar with the story, although I last read it several years ago, and was interested to hear how you'd gone about the dramatisation. So, overall, it was quite enjoyable but I felt there was something amiss and can't quite put my finger on what it was. I think it may have been a combination of miscasting of Dizziet and The Ship. OK, maybe miscasting is too strong a term but it seemed that The Ship was portrayed as being a bit too smug at times, and Dizziet was perhaps, at times, a tad overwrought and almost bitter about the planet. I guess my empathy for the characters wasn't that strong.
  
  But most of all, I felt the ending was too weak. The final minute of the play, from where Dizziet has her final talk with The Ship, just didn't work as for me, and while I can understand why you may have wished to depart from the original, I'm not sure the radio ending was any more successful.
  
  But having said all that, it was still an enjoyable way to spend forty-five minutes and at no time did I feel an urge to hit the stop button. Would I recommend it to those who may have an interest in such things? Probably yes, with an option on definitely after a little mulling.
  
  Cheers
  
  Mike

  


• Tromeritus Says: 1:16 AM

  Peace, Mr. Cornell. Just a few questions (SPOILERS?):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1) Did Dracula seriously launch rocket-vamps around Britain? Somehow the awesomeness didn't stand out to me upon the first read. Very cool.
  2) Does the reappearance of Kenneth Crichton mean that we'll see Union Jack appear in a future issue?
  
  Great comic, BTW. This is only my 2nd issue, but I dig the detail in writing and artwork.

  


• Hughes. Says: 2:26 AM

  Iain Banks, Anthony Sher, you... you're all with the same agency!! That's a decent clutch of 10%'s. Don't mind me, I'm just envious in my unpublished squallor.
  
  You watching Watchmen this weekend? If not, who watches the Watchmen?... that was awful, even by my standards.
  
  Anyway, if you haven't seen this yet it's worth a look.

  


• mckie Says: 12:39 AM

  sorry not to have written before. I thought it was a lovely piece of work.

  


• Paul Cornell Says: 7:36 AM

  Fox: sorry you weren't so keen. Trom: thanks and yes, you will! Hughes: yes, and I loved it hugely. McK: thanks very much!

  


• BaaBaaDoodle Says: 6:19 PM

  Unfamiliar with the source material, but I totally enjoyed the radio play. Hope there are more to come!

  


• Paul Cornell Says: 6:22 AM

  Thanks very much. We've said we'd like to do more, the main thing is finding time.

  


• pbristow Says: 7:20 PM

  *Finally* got round to listening to this, just in the nick of time before it drops off the iPlayer.
  
  Jolly good job sir! Having only actually read one Culture novel before (I *know*, what kind of SF fan am I? =;o} ), which wasn't this one, I had the advantage of not having too much idea what to expect. Rest assured, the story was crystal clear, the characters were engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed my 45 minutes in their company. =:o}

  


• Paul Cornell Says: 6:41 AM

  Thank very much, job done then!