Revolution - new TV series

[N9IWP]

Saw some ads for this during the Olympics.

I like post apocolyptic shows in general, and even can live with lost knowledge. But "all advanced technology stops working" bothers me. I can imagine electronics stopping (some sort of EMP), but batteries? And there is apparently fire, which means steam engines should still be possible (not to mention diesel)

I'll probably watch just to figure out where they will draw the line.

Brian

[Mister Owl]

Sounds like they took their inspiration from the novel "Dies the Fire." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire)

[Justin_Bailey]

Sounds like they took their inspiration from the novel "Dies the Fire." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire)

Every time I see a commercial for this show, I wonder when S.M. Stirling will get around to suing the producers. At the very least, he's got to be thinking about it.

[charmstr]

Sounds like they took their inspiration from the novel "Dies the Fire." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire)

It's a whole series of books (I think they're referring to them as The Emberverse now but I have no idea what that means). This was my thought too. Like the OP, I'm looking forward to this show, if for no other reason but to see exactly how far they take the lack of technology and how they try to explain it. Stirling makes a point of attempting to explain how it happens in his books but it doesn't really matter. The truth is that what doesn't works is random so the only explanation that fits (other than "the author needs it this way for the plot to work") is that God/a wizard/magic did it.

I still like the books though, and I really do look forward to Revolution. Fantasy disguised as science fiction doesn't offend me as long as it's interesting.

[Justin_Bailey]

The truth is that what doesn't works is random so the only explanation that fits (other than "the author needs it this way for the plot to work") is that God/a wizard/magic did it.

I'm not sure how far along in the "Dies the Fire" series you are, but...

"God did it" is the official explanation.

[Mister Owl]

I hope this doesn't derail this thread, but this seems like a good time to ask. I enjoyed "Dies the Fire" very much. However, I just couldn't finish the second in the series. I suppose it just felt like the author was too heavy handed, took the story too seriously. Does the series get better or worse as it progresses? "God did it" as an explanation doesn't really bother me much provided the rest of the story is worthwhile.

[obfusciatrist]

I found it got worse (I think I made it through three) and the first Nantucket book was even worse than that so I never made it any farther. My one attempt at reading a Stirling book outside the series didn't go well either.

So out of five books, Dies the Fire was the only one I liked.

[Justin_Bailey]

I hope this doesn't derail this thread, but this seems like a good time to ask. I enjoyed "Dies the Fire" very much. However, I just couldn't finish the second in the series. I suppose it just felt like the author was too heavy handed, took the story too seriously. Does the series get better or worse as it progresses? "God did it" as an explanation doesn't really bother me much provided the rest of the story is worthwhile.

Dies the Fire is, BY FAR, the best book in the series. None of the other ones even come close. And the two most recent books, (#7 and #8 of a planned 10-book series) are just padded out messes. After #4, Stirling said everything would be wrapped up after seven books. That didn't happen.

[alphaboi867]

Saw some ads for this during the Olympics.

I like post apocolyptic shows in general, and even can live with lost knowledge. But "all advanced technology stops working" bothers me. I can imagine electronics stopping (some sort of EMP), but batteries? And there is apparently fire, which means steam engines should still be possible (not to mention diesel)

I'll probably watch just to figure out where they will draw the line.

Brian

In the Emberverse gunpowder (& by extension all explosives) stop working as well. The same even also caused the island of Nantucket to travel back in time 3,000 yrs (their technology still works).

[control-z]

It looks cool but I'm sure there will be something about it that drives me crazy. They will draw it out relentlessly, it will be full of flashbacks, some sort of soap opera issues will become central to the plot, etc.

[silenus]

The Nantucket trilogy were good. The Emberverse books are good, not-so-good, good, bad, even worse, and that's when I gave up.

I'll give Revolution a chance, but I'm not optimistic. It looks like a producer said "Let's see what we can rip off from a dozen different books."

[RealityChuck]

It did look deadeningly familiar. Everyone dresses like Mad Max. Evidently, the technology for doing laundry and washing have been lost, too.

The idea was done long before Stirling: Fredric Brown's "The Waveries" was written in 1945 and uses the same premise. No more electricity. Brown, however, didn't see that as the end of society, just a step back to a 19th century agrarian one.

[alphaboi867]

The Nantucket trilogy were good. The Emberverse books are good, not-so-good, good, bad, even worse, and that's when I gave up.

I'll give Revolution a chance, but I'm not optimistic. It looks like a producer said "Let's see what we can rip off from a dozen different books."

I really wish Stirling would revist the 13th century BC. How's Nantucket doing 20+ yrs after the Event? How are Tartessos, Achaea, & Babylon developing? What's Princess Althea up to?

[Push You Down]

I made the mistake of watching the extended "preview" a few months ago... structurally you could tell it was the entire pilot episode cut down to a few minutes. It didn't look awful and reminded me a lot of Showtime's "Jeremiah."

[Loach]

I will watch but I suspect it will become more about pretty people falling in love than what happened to the power.

[justrob]

Every time I see a commercial for this show, I wonder when S.M. Stirling will get around to suing the producers. At the very least, he's got to be thinking about it.

Of course he would have to stand in line behiind Steven R Boyett's Ariel (http://boingboing.net/2009/08/25/ariel-post-apocalypt.html). Of course it's not exactly the same.

p.s. Thanks for the inspiration to actually find this novel. I remember reading as a kid and wanted to find out what it was.

[Justin_Bailey]

Of course he would have to stand in line behiind Steven R Boyett's Ariel (http://boingboing.net/2009/08/25/ariel-post-apocalypt.html). Of course it's not exactly the same.

Ha! There's a quote from S.M. Stirling on the cover.

But yeah, not exactly the same. Stirling's original trilogy actually has no magic at all (though there are a bunch of pagan witches running around). Which is what I assume NBC is doing with Revolution.

[silenus]

What's Princess Althea up to?

That's the big question I wish he would get around to.

[Lsura]

I thought I'd read somewhere it was loosely based on Dies the Fire, but I'm not finding that now to cite it.

As for the books - I've read all of them so far. First one was great. The second two were good. After that, it's been a struggle, and the last one was like slogging through it. Will I read the next one? Yes, because I've invested too much to not do it. It's kind of like Jean Auel's stuff at this point.

[N9IWP]

Here is some more info - at least the steam engine question gets answered. Still no explanation as to why the plane falls out of the sky (I can see engines failing, but it would still glide).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/revolution-nbc-jon-favreau_n_1699753.html

I'm willing to suspend disbelief (my guess, the permitivity of free space is changed or something like that), but only so far.

In the extended preview

A computer boots up next to a amulet


Brian

[Czarcasm]

Here is some more info - at least the steam engine question gets answered. Still no explanation as to why the plane falls out of the sky (I can see engines failing, but it would still glide).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/revolution-nbc-jon-favreau_n_1699753.htmlFrom that link:We actually brought a physicist into the [writers'] offices and we pitched him the concept and our secret of why it all happened ... His face just lit up and he said, 'That’s absolutely possible!' So we did our homework and came up with something that’s actually plausible.Any speculations about how it could happen?

[Mister Owl]

We actually brought a physicist into the [writers'] offices and we pitched him the concept and our secret of why it all happened ... His face just lit up and he said, 'That’s absolutely possible!' So we did our homework and came up with something that’s actually plausible.

I'm getting "Lost" flashbacks and I don't like it. Guess I'll wait until the series wraps and is out on DVD before I dive in.

[Bryan Ekers]

It looks cool but I'm sure there will be something about it that drives me crazy. They will draw it out relentlessly, it will be full of flashbacks, some sort of soap opera issues will become central to the plot, etc.

"Sure, we're barely hanging on in this post-tech world but last year you slept with my brother!"



Geez, people.... priorities!

[Evil Captor]

All the images of the hot chick with the bow had me thinking "Hunger Games" clone.

[zoid]

Here is some more info - at least the steam engine question gets answered. Still no explanation as to why the plane falls out of the sky (I can see engines failing, but it would still glide).

Planes these days are fly-by-wire. Without electricity there's no way to move the control surfaces and the aircraft will go ass over teacups pretty damn fast. It won't so much glide as plummet and tumble with some forward momentum.

I’m also very curious about their explanation. I originally thought massive EMP – maybe from some gigantic solar flare, but then my daughter ask why the hell the guns would stop working and they’d have to rely on bows.

[Bryan Ekers]

So, will we see people riding bicycles? Those still work, right?

[Czarcasm]

Could you start a fire with flint?

[RikWriter]

Could you start a fire with flint?

No, but I could with Lady Jaye! :D

[N9IWP]

There are candles, so I assume fire works.

Brian

[randwill]

I'm sure it'll be standard TV soap opera fare, just set in that world. Networks rarely do anything new or experimental or the least bit challenging. They gotta' sell ad time. "Terra Nova", anyone?

[DMark]

I just feel burned by so many of these types of shows that may or may not start off really good, and they turn into a puddle of lame soap opera subplots and stereotypical plots and flashbacks and...then canceled.

I know there are some LOST fans here, but for me, the first few seasons were pretty good but then it got to be almost impossible to follow what the hell was happening and I pretty much didn't care anymore. Seemed like they were pulling things out of their ass and it made no sense whatsoever. They tried to wrap it up in a pretty bow at the end, but it just pissed me off.

Thus, I will read threads on Revolution and wait until they are in season three or so before even bothering to waste my time on what probably will be another crash and burn series that will be canceled before it is resolved.

[control-z]

I would almost watch the last few seasons of Lost if someone cut out all the flashbacks. Almost.

[DKW]

After reading the article (and sitting through roughly 3,000 promo spots on NBC), I'm picking up an unsettling similarity to Y: The Last Man. If you recall, the premise of that lengthy graphic series was that every male human in the world except one died under mysterious circumstances. So naturally, we're treated to scads of pointless violence, torture, power ploys between treacherous, bloodthirsty factions, and plenty of catty sniping. And of course, the almighty ironclad law that no one can even talk about sex ever at all*, including the ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY scene where the hero walks in on two women having sex (after which, of course, they act shocked and stop completely and never never never think of having sex again instead of just throwing the damn klutz out of the room). Swear to god, this made 300 look like a Nobel Prize winner.

That's what I can't stand, introducing an amazing, novel concept and then utterly wasting it with predictable cliche crap. I can almost guarantee you that we will not get any serious discussions about reshaping government, remaking society, nihilism, religion, resource conservation, nature, traditional gender roles, etc., let alone any kind of plot or action along those lines. From the linked article, what we can expect is plenty of cheesy TV-safe chopsocky and lots of nitpicky squabbling over what should and shouldn't still work.

Blech. Fine, I'll catch the first couple of episodes, but if this turns into a poor man's Xena: Warrior Princess, include me out.

* Alison Bechdel knew that this would be an issue for Dykes To Watch Out For and handled it skillfully and maturely. The best one, IMO, was where Lois admits that it's a little pathetic for someone to be so obsessed with sex, while at the same time acknowledging that that's not going to stop her from having it.

[Shawn1767]

Yeah, I was wondering about bicycles too. But as far as no electrical power, wouldn't there have to be something suppressing the use of electricity? I mean, even if everything got wiped out in an EMP or something, we'd still have the knowledge to make things work again. We wouldn't be starting from scratch. Ancient people didn't harness the power of electricity, but eventually humans figured it out and that stuff was written down so, couldn't someone just say "oh, hey, here's how you do it."

[BrainGlutton]

It's a whole series of books (I think they're referring to them as The Emberverse now but I have no idea what that means).

The first novel in the series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emberverse) is called Dies the Fire. What is left when a fire dies?

[Bryan Ekers]

It's a whole series of books (I think they're referring to them as The Emberverse now but I have no idea what that means).

Without electricity, your ems get cold.

[JSexton]

I watched the first episode. It was okay. The minor twists they revealed early on were telegraphed and easily guessed. I liked the characters well enough so far to keep watching.

The backward crossbows bugged the shit out of me. I can't figure out how those are supposed to work. Are they real, or made up for the show?

[Sarabellum1976]

I watched the pilot tonight also, and thought it looked like it might be good. The actors seemed a tad "pretty" but that's TV for you, I guess.

I liked the "ice cream" scene.

[N9IWP]

Just a reminder that the 1st episiode airs tonight on NBC

(mostly a reminder to myself tio record it as I won't be home)

Brian

[Death of Rats]

You also have to add to the explaination the twist that somehow the power does still work for someone and that there is a way to turn it back on. So whatever happened is not permanent, yet somehow prevents steam power, solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity to fail.

[Push You Down]

I watched it... it wasn't terrible.
Seemed way more influenced by Jeremiah and The Postman than I imagined.

I have the feeling a good 1/4 of the show is going to be flashbacks.

[Tristan]

It was also available on Hulu as of last week. Not sure if it's still out there.

In Revolutions it seems that gunpowder still works just fine. It was interesting, if a bit silly/predictable, but I'll give it a shot. Hell, I'm still watching Burning Skies, and that show is terrible.

[Gagundathar]

I find the premise difficult to accept.
If all electricity were somehow suppressed, the neural networks of all multicellular life would be disrupted. Does lightning not happen anymore? The linked article boasted about how the idea was run by a physicist and he was all, 'Oh yes, that could work!" Hmmm. Perhaps he wasn't a biophysicist or a moderately informed lay-person.

In reality, the idea is quite literally fantastic, as in based upon fantasy.
So, I can imagine that. After all, in several AD&D worlds that I have created, gunpowder and electricity don't work. It makes for a more entertaining milieu. I hope the series' creators don't try to make the reason for this sudden change 'scientific'. That would be a game-spoiler for me.

[Dana2012]

Every time I see the promos for the tv show "revolution" I can't help but wonder if Stirling is getting some credit for the idea of the show, it is clearly derived from the series of books he wrote. I enjoyed them very much especially the first book "Dies the fire".

[zoid]

So no explanation yet, or did I miss it?
If the cause turns out to be the tease that we're supposed to tune in for in lieu of plot and character development I'm bailing (but I still have some hope after seeing the pilot).