# Masters of SciFi: TV Show: Heinlein & Ellison stories among them. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2007, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947 "2007-07-24T12:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/1 "2007-07-24T12:12:52Z")
A friend forwarded this to me and it looks exciting. [Masters of Science Fiction](http://abc.go.com/specials/mastersofscifi.html): Saturday, August 4 at 8/7c > [@](#): > > Four thought-provoking tales of present and future Earth are brought to life in “Masters of Science Fiction,” an all-new anthology series featuring a stellar lineup of actors and directors, and narrated by acclaimed physicist **Professor Stephen Hawking.** The series premieres SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (My Bolding in quotes) I am especially intrigued by the 3rd and 4th installments. > [@](#): > > The third installment is **“Jerry Was a Man”** (SATURDAY, AUGUST 18), featuring Anne Heche and Malcolm McDowell. Michael Tolkin (“The Player,” “The Rapture,” “The Burning Season”) directs from a script he wrote based on the classic \*\*Robert Heinlein \*\* story. Set in the future, the world’s seventh richest couple, the van Vogels, find their lives changed forever when they acquire an anthropoid named Jerry. > > The series concludes with **“The Discarded”** (SATURDAY, AUGUST 25), based on the short story by seven-time Hugo Award winner, three-time Nebula Award winner and Science Fiction Grand Master Laureate **Harlan Ellison**. The episode is written by Harlan Ellison and 2005 Academy Award nominee Josh Olson (“A History of Violence”). Jonathan Frakes (“Star Trek”) directed. Brian Dennehy, John Hurt and James Denton star in this ultimate story of despised minorities sentenced to drift in the darkness of outer space forever. These men and women make a desperate pact in the hope of being offered refuge at home on Earth. I love the story “Jerry was a Man”. It is a classic and some say the inspiration for Planet of the Apes\*. I have hopes that someone will finally do a good treatment of a Heinlein story. I of course look forward to seeing any of Ellison’s works. I always enjoy his stuff. I have to set up my DVR for these. My TV watching this summer has consisted of the New “Dr. Who” and Yankee baseball. This will be a welcome addition. Jim - Is that a good thing or bad thing, I am not sure? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/2 "2007-07-24T12:56:46Z")
[Earlier thread on this show](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=429658). Here’s the [Masters of SF website](http://www.mastersofscifi.com/site/). I know it doesn’t mean as much to you guys, but the first episode is based on a story by my old friend John Kessel so I’m even more excited by it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/3 "2007-07-24T12:59:32Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] [Earlier thread on this show](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=429658). Here’s the [Masters of SF website](http://www.mastersofscifi.com/site/). I know it doesn’t mean as much to you guys, but the first episode is based on a story by my old friend John Kessel so I’m even more excited by it. [/QUOTE] I never heard of Kessel, what can you tell us about him? What stories or books do you recommend? (I can’t imagine how I missed the earlier thread 😉 ) Jim ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/4 "2007-07-24T13:05:11Z")
Good to see they’re adapting Robert Sheckley. He’s one of the first SF authors I’ve read, and over the years his stuff has been badly adapted (Freejack, the 10th Victim, Condorman) or simply ripped off (Total Recall, I maintain, owes an awful lot more to Sheckley’s “The Status Civilization” than it does to the Philip K. Dick story that is its nominal source. I can give plenty of other examples). Maybe, for once, they’ll do a good job with his stuff. Of course, I keep hoping that someone will do justice to a Heinlein story, too. Maybe we’ll luck out for once. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/5 "2007-07-24T14:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I never heard of Kessel, what can you tell us about him? What stories or books do you recommend? [/QUOTE] He’s from the literary end of the sf spectrum, so even though he’s been writing for 30 years and has won the Nebula, Sturgeon, and Tiptree Awards, he’s effectively invisible to the sf audience. Anyway, the novel to start with is [Corrupting Dr. Nice](http://www.amazon.com/Corrupting-Dr-Nice-John-Kessel/dp/0312865848/ref=sr_1_1/002-5625761-1946464?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185285635&sr=8-1), which starts with one of the best-realized time travel tales in the field and then goes into a screwball comedy. With dinosaurs. The apocalyptic satire [Good News from Outer Space](http://www.amazon.com/Good-News-Outer-Space-Kessel/dp/0312890419/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5625761-1946464?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185285750&sr=1-1) is next. But like most sf literary writers, I think his best work is in short fiction, another reason why literary sf isn’t as well known. So his longer short story collection, [The Pure Product](http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Product-John-Kessel/dp/0312866801/ref=sr_1_1/002-5625761-1946464?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185285902&sr=1-1), is the place to start there. It includes “A Clean Escape,” the story that will be dramatized on Masters of SF. It doesn’t include his Nebula Award-winning novella, “Another Orphan,” but that can be found for a penny on Amazon in the [Ace Double](http://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Another-Orphan-Double-Novel/dp/0812559630/ref=sr_1_2/002-5625761-1946464?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185286131&sr=1-2) edition. Sheckley will not be dramatized. His was one of the two stories filmed but dropped for this shortened run. Maybe if there’s a DVD… ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/6 "2007-07-24T14:17:11Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] I know it doesn’t mean as much to you guys, but the first episode is based on a story by my old friend John Kessel so I’m even more excited by it. [/QUOTE] That’s all good information up there, but can you make it to his house in less than 12 parsecs? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/7 "2007-07-24T14:26:09Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan] That’s all good information up there, but can you make it to his house in less than 12 parsecs? [/QUOTE] I can’t run at all these days. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/8 "2007-07-24T14:28:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Sheckley will not be dramatized. His was one of the two stories filmed but dropped for this shortened run. Maybe if there’s a DVD… Dammit! Actually, judging from the pictures on the site, he’s apparently already been dramatized. But he might not be broadcast. THAT’s a pity. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/9 "2007-07-24T14:40:52Z")
Well, all joking aside, I am glad for this thread. I love pretty much all RAH’s work, and look forward to watching this. I hope I get this channel. Hehehe… ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/10 "2007-07-24T15:26:23Z")
Please fight my ignorance, but how is Hawking going to narrate? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/11 "2007-07-24T15:44:07Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Please fight my ignorance, but how is Hawking going to narrate? [/QUOTE] I think it is in terms of introducing the works. He will say a bit at the beginning and maybe the end. Think Rod Sterling, but of course in Hawking’s very distinct and mechanical voice. Jim ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/12 "2007-07-24T17:11:28Z")
(looking at the list) But there are no light sabers or unicorns and they are all based on something called “short stories” instead of trilogies or longer series. How could they be science fiction? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/13 "2007-07-24T17:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] (looking at the list) But there are no light sabers or unicorns and they are all based on something called “short stories” instead of trilogies or longer series. How could they be science fiction? 😕 [/QUOTE] Once upon a time, Science Fiction asked its writers and readers to think and have some knowledge of or at least a keen interest in science. Despite decades of Hollywood and TV disabusing the common person of this knowledge, Science Fiction can be one of the best formats for story telling and can be kept believable at the same time. Strangely enough, instead of a Unicorn, we will probably see a Pegasus. Of course, this Pegasus will be a creature of advance science not fantasy. Therefore, I think the show will still be able to meet your expectations. I hope that cleared up your confusion, Jim I know you were joking, I just felt like playing on your joke. Plus I thought you might have forgot about the Pegasus. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/14 "2007-07-24T19:32:53Z")
Well, we all know what the fate of this series shall be now, don’t we? You aren’t going to attract favorable demographics with such a staid old title. Yet Another High Quality Yet Short-Lived SF Series, at best… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/15 "2007-07-24T20:38:46Z")
It’s being broadcast on Saturdays at 10 pm. That’s the lowest-rated slot in all of television. You could have Ron, Hermione, and Chewbacca in a nude three-way and it wouldn’t get ratings. I’m not even sure I’d watch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/16 "2007-07-24T20:45:39Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] It’s being broadcast on Saturdays at 10 pm. That’s the lowest-rated slot in all of television. You could have Ron, Hermione, and Chewbacca in a nude three-way and it wouldn’t get ratings. I’m not even sure I’d watch. 😃 [/QUOTE] That is why the DVR and VCR exist. However, I agree, these shows will get no ratings and then with any luck will be rediscovered in 2 years on the Sci-Fi channel like “Dead like Me”. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/17 "2007-07-24T21:21:31Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone] (looking at the list) But there are no light sabers or unicorns and they are all based on something called “short stories” instead of trilogies or longer series. How could they be science fiction? 😕 [/QUOTE] They’ll get William Shatner to guest star, and maybe George Lucas as an executive producer. Will that make it “science-y” enough for you? 😉 Stranger ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/18 "2007-07-24T22:00:48Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] They’ll get William Shatner to guest star, and maybe George Lucas as an executive producer. Will that make it “science-y” enough for you? [/QUOTE] > [@Rose Tyler](#): > > Very Spock! Finally, a **professional!** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/19 "2007-07-25T02:42:32Z")
I’d like to have higher hopes for this but I’ve seen too many previous adaptations of science fiction literature into movies. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947/20 "2007-07-25T03:00:32Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] It’s being broadcast on Saturdays at 10 pm. [/QUOTE] Yeah, the website starts by saying that it is 8/7c, but then later on says: > [@](#): > > The series premieres SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. TV Guide concurs with the later time. [QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] He’s from the literary end of the sf spectrum, so even though he’s been writing for 30 years and has won the Nebula, Sturgeon, and Tiptree Awards, he’s effectively invisible to the sf audience. [/QUOTE] Speaking of Sturgeon and Masters of Science Fiction (okay, yeah, it’s a hijack), anyone else buying the Sturgeon collected short stories? _The Nail and the Oracle_ just arrived yesterday. I swear, every new volume costs more and contains less. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/masters-of-scifi-tv-show-heinlein-ellison-stories-among-them/412947.md?page=2)