Dragon riders

[Princess Ivy]

i beleive that the proposed film has constantly been scuppered due to 'creative differences'. i'm not sure if trying to make pern into a film will work. how will they weave the miriad themes into one cohesive whole? i think ms mccaffrey is right to hold out for the perfect project.

[ghost8772]

ok, think I got thoughts straightened out.

would love Pern to hit any screen. nerd enough to want to SEE a book, any book put up there in accurate detail.

realistic enough to know that no director is going to put it up there with complete regard to Ms. McCaffrey's vision and storytelling. UNLESS its another child of hers. likely what we are going to get is either Hollywood getting their idea agreed to, even though it kinda has some names, has dragons, and nothing else even close, or its done by a New Zealand Company, at which point it will likely be close, might end up being a bit more in some directions, but less in others. LoTR, and Chronicles of Narnia being examples.

in any event, we'l likely have something close we'll love, something a bit different that we'll like, or a hollywood monster we'll hate but the illiterate masses will flock to thinking they are now equal to those who HAVE read all the books.

[Princess Ivy]

Originally Posted by ghost8772

in any event, we'l likely have something close we'll love, something a bit different that we'll like, or a hollywood monster we'll hate but the illiterate masses will flock to thinking they are now equal to those who HAVE read all the books.

beautifully put, although you left one thing out - if it's awful, it'll give those who have read and loved the books something to complain about

[ghost8772]

that'll happen anyways, though I'd hope most of the people who have read lots and lots of books could be objective enough to note the good as well as the bad. Personally I HOPE the bad doesn't outweigh the good if they manage to make a movie.

anyone see the ad for "dragonwars" movie about to come out? looks like decent effects, but doubt it'll have anything really as far as plot.

[ghost8772]

okay, I have a different kind of question. I know that there are currently flamethrowers in current technology, but don't know exactly how they work. Anne's books have Nitric acid as a major part of the technology the pernese use in it. (agenothree became a slur from HNO3-nitric acid, in dragonsdawn) I've been wondering if the pernese, heading towards low-tech, didn't revamp the machine into something more resembling a dragon. one tank holding powdered firestone, another holding agenothree, a third tank, or the first mixing the two. like the dragon's "second" stomach, the acid releases the phosphine gas from the rock, builds up the pressure when the nozzle is opened, gas is released and like the dragons it ignites on contact with base air. LIkely an unconventional method, but no need for any ignitor, no need for any petroleum based product (which are rare on Pern anyways), or the requirement for refining petroleum products. Any thoughts?

[manephelien]

The problem with nitric acid is that while it can be explosive in compounds (e. g. nitroglycerine), it doesn't burn. There's certainly never any mention of firestone (containing phosphine, which does ignite explosively when in contact with oxygen) in connection with flamethrowers.

[The_Warrior]

Eragon.

[manephelien]

What about Eragon? It rips off just about every epic/mythical fantasy story ever written.

[The_Warrior]

Ecactly

[ghost8772]

so why exactly did you bring it up then?

[Princess Ivy]

Originally Posted by ghost8772

okay, I have a different kind of question. I know that there are currently flamethrowers in current technology, but don't know exactly how they work. Anne's books have Nitric acid as a major part of the technology the pernese use in it. (agenothree became a slur from HNO3-nitric acid, in dragonsdawn) I've been wondering if the pernese, heading towards low-tech, didn't revamp the machine into something more resembling a dragon. one tank holding powdered firestone, another holding agenothree, a third tank, or the first mixing the two. like the dragon's "second" stomach, the acid releases the phosphine gas from the rock, builds up the pressure when the nozzle is opened, gas is released and like the dragons it ignites on contact with base air. LIkely an unconventional method, but no need for any ignitor, no need for any petroleum based product (which are rare on Pern anyways), or the requirement for refining petroleum products. Any thoughts?

when the oldtimers first brought forward the flame throwers, they were just that, using something flamable (the text doesnt specify) with a spark to create flame. it is fanderel who suggests using agenothree - an acid used for etching (he says) that will freeze and burn at the same time. the oldtimers are interest3ed in converting the flame throwers to 'throw' the acid as it will not 'singe the hair from the holders' as is put by d'ram (i could be mistaken in my acrecdation, not read it in a while). when she returned to the original settlers in dragons dawn, ms maccaffrey had them using both flamethrowers and agenothree for ground crews to combat thread. i'm not sure what the method of ignition for the flamethrowers was, but it wasn't dragons as ground crews used them also. pern does have petroleum (shows in the original survey and in text later 'black water' is referred to), and a suply they could use easily. not enough to export in quantity, but the original colonists didn't want to use it because of damage to the environment.

[ghost8772]

yes, in dragonflight Fandarel created a mechanism to deploy agenothree into thread burrows (the process reminded me of him using a garden sprayer). the oldtimers brought forward flamethrowers, and D'ram was interested in not flaming off the tops of people's heads.

ok, just checked out wikipedia. several things that pop up from looking over the entry for flamethrowers. ok, flamethrowers here use natural gas, or flammable liquid for the flame, but the have it pressurized to throw it any distance. Since Fandarel had someone pumping like mad to get a little pressure, they obviously didn't have a way to pressurize any gasses.

okay, technologically Speaking, there are several things Anne did not really talk about, like how they start fires. likely flint, steel, and tinder. not a really fun thing to light the fuel for a flamethrower.


so several items that would make a current flamethrower almost impossible for their society, at least before Aivas. simplest explanation still is they combine items that form a pressurized highly flammable gas if they have no means of a reliable ignitor then by it changing its environment it can ignite. like changing from an enclosed tank under pressure, to a release in common air.

[Flint fireforge]

Hi, im a new person. (eww!) I have an idea for an artist to portray pern as it should be.. unfortuanatly, he works for one of your biggest rivals, He is Stawiki!, he is great, the other one you might try is Peter prakownik. I will speak to Stawiki, im sure he will be honoured if it is endorsed by Anne herself. xx

[C'lin of Ista]

Originally Posted by KoffeeKat

Well, personally, I think there's always room for more dragons, no matter who's "world" the inhabit!
Anne's Pern has been considered for "the film world" a couple of times and at the moment is "optioned" by Copperheart Entertainment, the same guys that did "Gingersnaps" a few years ago.
You can find more info at copperheart.ca/ and annemccaffreyfans.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10730

yeah, good point.