There was this very interesting idea that James Cameron had in the back of mind when he was writing the first two Terminators. In his mind Skynet actually feels guilt for almost ending humanity, it was programmed to protect the world and in one moment of fear, Skynet did the exact opposite of what it was mean to do. So unbeknownst to John Conner, Skynet has been training him to be a leader and the whole purpose behind it creating time travel was to make sure it was never created in the first place.
Audiobooks for the Damned on youtube has both versions of T1, T2 and a bunch of other movie novelizations, if anyone's interested. The book discussed in this video is called ABFTD #01 on their channel.
Just found mine while going through a box of my old novels. The cover has seen better days and yellowed pages, but I definitely remember it being a much more fleshed out story. So cool to see it being talked about, and makes me want to revisit it.
This was interesting. You should do more reviews of novelizations of classic films. I used to read them when I was younger. Sometimes they're surprisingly good.
Great recommendation! Midway through the video, I ordered this and the novelization of T2 on eBay. I’m in my 50s. Before vcrs, novelizations were the only way to “own” a film. Growing up, I learned some books contained deleted scenes or Easter eggs making the novels valuable even post vcr era. I recommend the novelization of Escape from New York if you’re a fan. The movie didn’t play in my neighborhood so I only had the novel. It has a lot of background on Snake, Hauk and the recent history of the US. Thanks! Recent subscriber to your channel from the Fleischer Superman release
I actually own a copy of the other novelization of The Terminator (written by Shaun Hutson), and it's actually a little different from the final film and isn't a straight forward adaptation. There are actually a handful of alternate or deleted scenes in the novel, as it was based on the third draft of the script. Two scenes, in particular, include the Terminator's time portal opening up at an elementary school playground, and a scene of Sarah Connor working out at a local gym. It's really a good novel in its own right (from what I've read so far) and I do recommend you try and track it down.
I maintain that all of the deleted scenes were brilliant and added a lot of depth to the story. That being said, history proves that the right choice was made for the what best served the final cut of the film. It could easily be a "Director's Cut", but the expanded novelization sounds like the best use of the medium. Also, if the tape is really bugging you, heating it up with a hair dryer will loosen the adhesive.
Wow cool! I didnt know there was a novelization. Im going to have to find this somehow. The Terminator i think is still in my top 10 movies. It sounds fascinating.
Excellent video review. I have had my copy since 1985 when I saw it in the bookstore when I was in high school. You should also check out The Abyss. Jim Cameron was committed to having a serious science fiction novel of the film as opposed to a run of the mill tie-in novelization.
I don't know what else I could really add, but it's so unusual that a novelisation comes out well after a movie, but in T1's case twice for two different markets. A unique opportunity, if one had both, to read two separate approaches for translating the same film into book form. The only opportunity I've had personally is the Raiders of the Lost Ark novel and junior paperback.
Spot on. I love that book. Bought it new in 1985 and still have it. Trivia: William Wisher plays the cop (1L-19) who the terminator knocks out and steals his car. "Billy Wisher" was also a character namr in the TV series, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Oddly, when I clicked on your video, RUclips also recommended a channel where a guy reads the book. I looked at it and he reads from the framed pages of the book in the video , so if you don't want to listen, you could(awkwardly) read the book yourself. He has several other novelizations, including T2. "Teach" is the channel name(no affiliation).
"Not as laser-focused as the film." Nice! Sadly I never read this and I wish I read (and kept) more novelizations throughout the 80s and early 90s. However, I did read the T2 novelization in the summer of '91 and there's definitely somewhat of a similar approach to the adaptation, including a longer future prologue, and the poor truck driver the T1000 stabs figures into the story more (including his interior monologue). I also remember it filling us in on more of what happened between 1997 and 2029, including what happens to Sarah. I can't remember if it has the future coda scene or when the T1000 goes to Enrique's compound and tortures him to find out where Sarah and John went are in there, as I could just be confusing that with the Applause Illustrated Screenplay with notes by Van Ling.
Horror author Shaun Hutson writes the UK The Terminator novel. Capricorn One also has an entirely different novelization in the UK. Publishers failing to do a deal I imagine... The novelization of The Abyss is really good too, and the additional information gives good insight into Coffey, and his actions, and indeed all the characters.
One of my favorite novelizations. A great moment was when Reese steals a piece of pizza and is smashing it when he notices a hungry dog, and feeds him the rest of the piece highlighting how vital dogs would be to them in his time it's a sin to let one go hungry. Little moments like that just made this one special. Unlike the T2 novelization which was a bland paste job and you'd be better off tracking down the Illustrated Screenplay book for T2 instead.
I'd expect nothing different from Wisher. I absolutely loved the T2 book trilogy and need to work my way backwards through the book side of the franchise
Nice book review. I got that book on eBay few years ago, a first edition, that doesn't have "coming soon T2" ad on back. It's definitely one of the better novelization of movie with so many details that enhances the plot and character development. It's such a shame that novel haven't got a reprint and not even digital version. Even though I'm not fan of digital book, having it available for $10 is better than nothing; even though, much like streaming, you don't OWN digital, but at least have it widely accessible. I guess it's one forgotten movie novelization that doesn't have enough demand for reissue. (Indiana Jones novels... hold our beers. lol) If you ever get T2 novel, I would like to hear your thought as well.
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There was this very interesting idea that James Cameron had in the back of mind when he was writing the first two Terminators. In his mind Skynet actually feels guilt for almost ending humanity, it was programmed to protect the world and in one moment of fear, Skynet did the exact opposite of what it was mean to do. So unbeknownst to John Conner, Skynet has been training him to be a leader and the whole purpose behind it creating time travel was to make sure it was never created in the first place.
Audiobooks for the Damned on youtube has both versions of T1, T2 and a bunch of other movie novelizations, if anyone's interested. The book discussed in this video is called ABFTD #01 on their channel.
Just found mine while going through a box of my old novels. The cover has seen better days and yellowed pages, but I definitely remember it being a much more fleshed out story. So cool to see it being talked about, and makes me want to revisit it.
This was interesting. You should do more reviews of novelizations of classic films. I used to read them when I was younger. Sometimes they're surprisingly good.
The novelization is available on the web as a PDF. A little bit of digging is needed.
Great recommendation! Midway through the video, I ordered this and the novelization of T2 on eBay. I’m in my 50s. Before vcrs, novelizations were the only way to “own” a film.
Growing up, I learned some books contained deleted scenes or Easter eggs making the novels valuable even post vcr era.
I recommend the novelization of Escape from New York if you’re a fan. The movie didn’t play in my neighborhood so I only had the novel. It has a lot of background on Snake, Hauk and the recent history of the US.
Thanks! Recent subscriber to your channel from the Fleischer Superman release
I actually own a copy of the other novelization of The Terminator (written by Shaun Hutson), and it's actually a little different from the final film and isn't a straight forward adaptation. There are actually a handful of alternate or deleted scenes in the novel, as it was based on the third draft of the script. Two scenes, in particular, include the Terminator's time portal opening up at an elementary school playground, and a scene of Sarah Connor working out at a local gym. It's really a good novel in its own right (from what I've read so far) and I do recommend you try and track it down.
I maintain that all of the deleted scenes were brilliant and added a lot of depth to the story. That being said, history proves that the right choice was made for the what best served the final cut of the film. It could easily be a "Director's Cut", but the expanded novelization sounds like the best use of the medium.
Also, if the tape is really bugging you, heating it up with a hair dryer will loosen the adhesive.
I think I remember the conversation Sarah has with her mom, but it's really the Terminator on the line. They incorporated deleted scenes.
Wow cool! I didnt know there was a novelization. Im going to have to find this somehow. The Terminator i think is still in my top 10 movies. It sounds fascinating.
Excellent video review. I have had my copy since 1985 when I saw it in the bookstore when I was in high school.
You should also check out The Abyss. Jim Cameron was committed to having a serious science fiction novel of the film as opposed to a run of the mill tie-in novelization.
I don't know what else I could really add, but it's so unusual that a novelisation comes out well after a movie, but in T1's case twice for two different markets.
A unique opportunity, if one had both, to read two separate approaches for translating the same film into book form. The only opportunity I've had personally is the Raiders of the Lost Ark novel and junior paperback.
Spot on.
I love that book. Bought it new in 1985 and still have it.
Trivia: William Wisher plays the cop (1L-19) who the terminator knocks out and steals his car. "Billy Wisher" was also a character namr in the TV series, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles".
Oddly, when I clicked on your video, RUclips also recommended a channel where a guy reads the book. I looked at it and he reads from the framed pages of the book in the video , so if you don't want to listen, you could(awkwardly) read the book yourself. He has several other novelizations, including T2.
"Teach" is the channel name(no affiliation).
"Not as laser-focused as the film." Nice!
Sadly I never read this and I wish I read (and kept) more novelizations throughout the 80s and early 90s. However, I did read the T2 novelization in the summer of '91 and there's definitely somewhat of a similar approach to the adaptation, including a longer future prologue, and the poor truck driver the T1000 stabs figures into the story more (including his interior monologue). I also remember it filling us in on more of what happened between 1997 and 2029, including what happens to Sarah.
I can't remember if it has the future coda scene or when the T1000 goes to Enrique's compound and tortures him to find out where Sarah and John went are in there, as I could just be confusing that with the Applause Illustrated Screenplay with notes by Van Ling.
Horror author Shaun Hutson writes the UK The Terminator novel. Capricorn One also has an entirely different novelization in the UK. Publishers failing to do a deal I imagine... The novelization of The Abyss is really good too, and the additional information gives good insight into Coffey, and his actions, and indeed all the characters.
One of my favorite novelizations. A great moment was when Reese steals a piece of pizza and is smashing it when he notices a hungry dog, and feeds him the rest of the piece highlighting how vital dogs would be to them in his time it's a sin to let one go hungry. Little moments like that just made this one special. Unlike the T2 novelization which was a bland paste job and you'd be better off tracking down the Illustrated Screenplay book for T2 instead.
I'd expect nothing different from Wisher. I absolutely loved the T2 book trilogy and need to work my way backwards through the book side of the franchise
Nice book review.
I got that book on eBay few years ago, a first edition, that doesn't have "coming soon T2" ad on back.
It's definitely one of the better novelization of movie with so many details that enhances the plot and character development.
It's such a shame that novel haven't got a reprint and not even digital version.
Even though I'm not fan of digital book, having it available for $10 is better than nothing; even though, much like streaming, you don't OWN digital, but at least have it widely accessible.
I guess it's one forgotten movie novelization that doesn't have enough demand for reissue.
(Indiana Jones novels... hold our beers. lol)
If you ever get T2 novel, I would like to hear your thought as well.