Update: First Run of John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood Is Off To The Printer Later Today

Michael Sellers Other Stuff

I’ve been a little quiet the last few days because I’m on a mad finishing kick to get the print master of John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood delivered so that “ARC”s (Advance Reading Copies) can be printed and delivered.  ARCs, I guess, are what “galleys” used to be.

At the moment I’m also working on the back-cover copy and wanted to share it for comments if people see things I can/should improve. This won’t be “forever” — it can be changed once we get past the ARC stage.  So there’s a little time to tweak it.

Also — scroll down to see the work-in-progress front and back cover.  Welcome notes on that too.  At the moment a final determination is being made on whether or not I can use Bryan Bustard’s wonderful fan art.  There is a chance it may have to be let go for “Disney character” legal reasons.  In the meantime I have reverted back to what I was originally using, some amazing art from J. Allen St. John along with some Hollywood imagery, pending getting resolution on that.  (FYI within the book itself it’s okay to use images from the film, etc, as this is covered under “commentary and criticism” fair use.  It’s just the cover that’s an issue.)

Anyway — here it is:

How the Rosetta Stone of Modern Sci-fi became the biggest flop in cinema history,but isn’t dead yet!

In 1912 struggling Chicago businessman Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote “A Princess of Mars”, the tale of John Carter, a Virginia cavalryman mysteriously transported to Mars where he would find adventure and meaning in life alongside Dejah Thoris, the incomparable Princess of Helium.  The story would lead to an 11 book series and become what many would consider the Rosetta Stone of modern science fiction. Burroughs would go on to write Tarzan of the Apes, and at the time of his death in 1950 was the best selling author of the first half of the twentieth century, with his books translated into 58 languages and outselling the likes of Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald combined.  His creation Tarzan was then, and remains today, the single most universally known literary character ever created.

Burroughs tales of Barsoom would influence and inspire scientists and storytellers like no others. Ray Bradbury, Carl Sagan, Arthur Clark, Jane Goodall, James Cameron, George Lucas and others would find inspiration for their life’s work in Burroughs imaginative creations.  Flash Gordon, Superman, Star Wars, and Avatar all were inspired by John Carter of Mars.

For a century from 1912 to 2012 Hollywood grappled with the highly imaginative tale, attempting to translate it to film, but Hollywood could not match Burroughs imagination and it was not until 2012 that Disney Studios, with Andrew Stanton directing, would finally bring the classic tale to cinema screens.  But instead of success commensurate with its storied history, Disney’s JOHN CARTER became the most costly flop in cinema history, yet inspired a global alliance of fans and film-makers who refuse to give up on the storied tale.

JOHN CARTER AND THE GODS OF HOLLYWOOD tells the complete story of the hundred year journey of A Princess of Mars from the mind of Edgar Rice Burroughs to cinema screens worldwide.  It examines the story itself; the uniqueness of Burroughs’ vision and abilities, the key choices made by Andrew Stanton in adapting the story,  and analyzes in compelling detail the disastrous marketing campaign that preceded the box office failure.  It also examines the stubborn efforts by fans and film-makers to transform the legacy of the film from flop to classic, and in the process enable the continuation of the John Carter franchise.

UPDATE: I was just able to confirm that I can use any of the Robert Abbet Ballantine covers as part of this, and I’m thinking about using this one instead of the St. John (which is still my favorite). This is his illustration of Book 11, “John Carter of Mars” (funnily enough) and I’m just getting a kick out of the “hand of the Gods” reaching down, propelled by Hollywood searchlights, to grab JC and presumably munch him for breakfast. But JC is fighting back, got the “We still live!” vibe going on. What do you folks thing. Also, this one let me extend the “stairway to the Hollywood gods” a bit, an present an image that is in landscape aspect rather than portrait.

14 comments

  • Only advice I can give: don’t repeat words.

    Somebody else caught “storied being used twice. Funny, I thought I saw that too, then when I checked I didn’t see it. Everything in such a rush, I guess I couldn’t slow own long enough to find it.

    Any other ones? Specificity appreciated!

  • Sounds very, very good!

    Just a couple things…

    If there is any uncertainty about using “the Rosetta Stone”, perhaps change it to “the Cornerstone…”

    cor·ner·stone/?kôrn?r?st?n/
    Noun:
    1. A stone that forms the base of a corner of a building, joining two walls.
    2. An important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based.

    A more nit-picky thing is the two uses of “storied” in one sentence. “But instead of success commensurate with its storied history (perhaps change to “historical impact”), Disney’s JOHN CARTER became the most costly flop in cinema history, yet inspired a global alliance of fans and film-makers who refuse to give up on the storied tale.” If that change were made, “Impact” would be contrasted with “flop”, which might work to make a stronger sentence. What do you think?

    Your closing sentence is very good, but maybe consider replacing “franchise” with “cinematic legacy”, to make it “…and in the process enable the continuation of the John Carter cinematic legacy,” or “…and in the process enable the continuation of the cinematic legacy of John Carter.”

    It is a great blurb! I can’t wait to read the book!

  • May I suggest foundation, basis, root or root source instead of Rosetta Stone.

    I think it looks really good!

  • I think “Rosetta Stone” is very spot-on. A Princess of Mars is really a key novel to understand the state of modern-day science-fiction, and where it comes from. If you miss it, you miss the inspiration of many first-rate authors of today.

  • Oh and I know the source material is technically “old” by 100 years, but I meant that we don’t want to discourage young ones to read the original books or watch the movie making them think its antiquated and no fun. Ooooooh “inmortal” would be nice. 🙂 I just did that poll again in my office and 2 people thought “storied” meant ” that there are lots of tales in the series” (is that what you meant??).

  • Hello Dotar!

    Great job!!! I am very excited about your book and I plan to see you at the launch along with my daughter Dejah. Here a few things I wanted to point out:

    I did a poll in my office with 8 people ranging in age from 29 (me) to 40’s asking them if they understood the use “Rosetta Stone” in this context, because I sure didn’t. I only know it as a really good system to teach you Spanish. Just the oldest coworker is the one who understood it as “Premium” or “Original”, and 2 others said that in context they could tell it meant “something positive.”

    Calling the fans “stubborn” makes us sound like we are in the wrong…. how about steadfast, unyielding, unshakable, determined, perservering?

    Also, “storied”, to me, sounds like the books are old and stuffy (remember I could be wrong about these things but I’d like to just give you a feel for how someone in my age group might understand these things)…. how about legendary or famed?

    Last thing,I would take another look at this sentence because “storied” and “history” are both used more than once (not sure if that was deliberate), but despite that, something else doesn’t seem right, I can’t put my finger on it: “But instead of success commensurate with its storied history, Disney’s JOHN CARTER became the most costly flop in cinema history, yet inspired a global alliance of fans and film-makers who refuse to give up on the storied tale.”

    Thanks for allowing a joe-shmo like me to post my opinion! You are awesome!

  • I don’t think “Rosetta Stone” is an accurate metaphor here. I believe Rosetta Stone refers to a key to translating something that was previously undecipherable. You mean something more like prototype or invention… but what would be shorthand for that…??? I don’t know offhand, but I don’t think it’s Rosetta Stone.

    That’s an interesting point and it sent me scurrying off to Wikipedia and elsewhere to read more about “Rosetta Stone”. I had always had the impression that it was the thing which provides the ability to understand something previously not understandable, and also that once it unlocks something, there is then a flow of whatever it is that it unlocked. In reading the actually complicated history of the actual Rosetta Stone …. I don’t’ know.

    But then I found this at About.com which seems to capture some of it:

    “The name Rosetta Stone is now applied to just about any type of key used to unlock a mystery.”

    In that sense, APOM might well be considered the key that unlocked the myteries of what we think of as modern sci-fi……

    But I’m open to other formulations. It’s just important that it convey the idea that he triggered creative responses in so many……not just that he was the first.

    Is there another term …. ?

    “Source Code?”

  • Mr. Sellers,

    I am really very much looking forward to your Hollywood book.

    Here are suggestions regarding your posted proposed cover blurb:

    paragraph 2: both uses of “Burroughs” should actually be possessive: Burroughs’

    paragraph 3: again, it should be: Burroughs’

    I would suggest changing “like no others” to “alike” because you have “and others” in the next line and because it’s a little confusing whether the “like no others” refers to the tales, or to the scientists and storytellers.

    Also, I don’t think “Rosetta Stone” is an accurate metaphor here. I believe Rosetta Stone refers to a key to translating something that was previously undecipherable. You mean something more like prototype or invention… but what would be shorthand for that…??? I don’t know offhand, but I don’t think it’s Rosetta Stone.

    I am happy to see “science fiction” on the cover rather than “sci-fi”

    These are a few observations on first glance.

    Sincerely,
    Roland Trenary

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