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Read The Thing (1982)

The Thing (1982)

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3.94 of 5 Votes: 4
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ISBN
0553204777 (ISBN13: 9780553204773)
Language
English
Publisher
bantam books (mm)

The Thing (1982) - Plot & Excerpts

Novelizations of movies are always precarious reads, especially in this case where the novel was written after a script that was created from a long lineage of novels. In the case of The Thing we're stuck with a book that is based on the original script for the film, not the shooting script. Fans of the movie might find this both refreshing and annoying.Briefly: members of a science outpost at the South Pole discover an alien species capable of mimicking any life form it encounters, which it does unannounced and with devastating results. Based on an original short-story by the name Who Goes There? the movie The Thing from 1982 is perhaps the ultimate test and triumph of psychological terror on film. None of which can be found in this novelization by Alan Dean Foster. Chances are this is not the result of Foster's choices but most likely a mandate from the producers. Incidentally most will agree that The Thing was also the pinnacle of what can be done with special makeup effects.In either case, the novelization is a rather bland version of an otherwise psychologically sound and scary script. Foster does try to add his own perspective and sensibilities to the book and with some success. The dialog is crisp and appropriate, the action and character descriptions feel real and believable. Foster also attempts to explain more of how the creature works on a biological level and also manages to sound quite credible. It is up for debate what the novel would have turned out had Foster been allowed to re-write other portions of the film and my guess would be it might have been an improvement. It is important to note that a novel reads and works very differently than a film script and readers might feel uneasy at times with this novelization since certain sections does read more like a screenplay than a novel. Still this novel is a pleasant and quick read with some nice surprised for those who have only seen the movie.

Blew through this one rather quick. It adheres closely to the script. And it's been a while since I've read Bill Lancaster's screenplay, but as I got to portions of the book that deviated from the film, I began to remember the script, so it kinda ruined the suspense for me. However I still found it to be an entertaining piece of fiction. Had it been a standalone work, it would have been very good, but I think most people - fans of the movie at least - would read this hoping to glean any questions they have about John Carpenter's film. They won't really find any answers here. Even Carpenter admitted he had no idea who got absorbed when. And this ignorance is reflected in script as well as the novel. If you haven't read the script yet (which itself is not hard to obtain online) then you might enjoy reading this novel. Of course you might also enjoy the source material that started all this - the original short story Who Goes There by John W. Campbell Jr. Peter Watts also wrote a short story called The Things about the events of Outpost #31 told from the actual Thing's point of view. You can Google it and read the story online (Clarkesworld Magazine hosts a copy of it.) There's also an eBook you can find in PDF format (don't worry if you want to save a copy; there's a disclaimer stating the eBook can be copied and distributed provided its author Robert Meakin is acknowledged, the document isn't modified, and the distribution done free of charge [i.e. you can't make money off of it]) called All About the Thing. This is just the speculations of a fan, but an enjoyable read if you love the movie or are curious about it. "No. We don't wait. Somebody in this camp ain't what he appears to be. Right now that may be one of two of us; by Spring it could be all of us."

What do You think about The Thing (1982)?

Maybe one for the fans (& I am one, so obviously I enjoyed it). Foster gives a sharp, stark sense of place & some entertaining - though extraneous - historic details, plus some oddly slippery omniscient narration. Based on the original, unfilmed script for John Carpenter's 1982 film version, there are some horrible new moments here which will keep your attention even if you do know the story well. The stuff with the dogs is even more awful than in the film, fer instance, & the death of Nauls is savagely tragic - just like you always knew it would be. So if you, like me, always wondered what happened with the sweet & funny chef on roller skates, then this is the book for you. Also: that whole ending between Childs & Macready makes more sense in the book, which charts their increasingly uneasy friendship. Recommended for the completists amongst us.
—Deborah Biancotti

Some people learn, just the wrong things. Like many of my ADF reviews/comments this is more about the writer than the work. An opportunity to learn from this turkey of a film and book didn't seem to happen. How a skilled writer and talent such as ADF could countenance this work and continue with film story re-write novelization, after this one, I don't understand. Admittedly I read the book several years ago. It was as much to see if there was something in the movie I missed. No. Just a bad piece of studio supported film. ADF's early work such as this should have given us a clue. But we've muddled on for another 30 years with many clunkers and a few surprises; a very few surprises.If it's an ADF work that hasn't been a movie, it has more than a good chance of being worth the time to open the book. Otherwise, approach (or not) with caution. Kurt Russel is still thanking his lucky star that his next film was Silkwood and his star really took off after this turkey!
—CD

I've been a fan of the 1984 John Carpenter movie 'The Thing' since I was a kid. The movie gave me nightmares at the time but I remember being so impressed and enthralled in the story and the special effects. Even by todays standards they are impressive. This book is based on the movie which in turn was based on John W.Campbell's 'Who Goes There?'A Norwegian research team in Antarctica find an ancient alien spacecraft frozen in the ice. They thaw it out and soon discover its sole occupant is hostile in the extreme. The alien attacks, kills and absorbs organic life forms then assumes the physical identity of said lifeform. The creature is so convincing at mimicing its victims that it is almost impossible to tell it apart from the original. It isn't long before the Norwegians are dead and the alien attempts to escape Antarctica and find more lifeforms to absorb. The alien arrives at another research station disguised as a husky, this time the station is manned by an American team. Soon the alien attacks again and the Americans are fighting for their survival. Paranoid and unable to trust each other they know that one or more of them are the thing but are forced to work together if they are to prevail.This book is what I would describe as a 'guilty pleasure' Alan Dean Foster writes entertaining fiction for movie fans but isn't going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature anytime soon. His writing is basic and action packed which is fine. If you liked the movie you will probably enjoy this as a light bit of fluff. Some aspects of the book are different from the movie but not in a huge way. I was slightly disappointed that some of the many questions raised in the movie were't answered but I plan to read 'Who Goes There|' soon which i'm certain is of a much higher standard.
—Chris

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