Comments on: Koja's novel THE CIPHER to be a film http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: dhalgren http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809476 dhalgren Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809476 This is AWESOME NEWS!!! Her first novel melted my brain out of my ears. I was a huge fan of her early novels. BAD BRAINS, STRANGE ANGELS, and especially SKIN. Her short fiction too was unique. Her voice shattered bones when she first burst upon the scene. I'm definitely curious who is going to direct and star in this movie. It has the potential to be mind-blowing awesome - or to suck ass. Either way I'm looking forward to it. This is AWESOME NEWS!!!

Her first novel melted my brain out of my ears. I was a huge fan of her early novels. BAD BRAINS, STRANGE ANGELS, and especially SKIN. Her short fiction too was unique. Her voice shattered bones when she first burst upon the scene.

I’m definitely curious who is going to direct and star in this movie. It has the potential to be mind-blowing awesome – or to suck ass. Either way I’m looking forward to it.

]]> By: Derek C. F. Pegritz http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809479 Derek C. F. Pegritz Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809479 HOLY SHIT. YES! I've been a huge Koja fan until she stopped writing real books and started wasting her talents on kiddie-fodder. This is amazing news! HOLY SHIT. YES! I’ve been a huge Koja fan until she stopped writing real books and started wasting her talents on kiddie-fodder. This is amazing news!

]]> By: Quiet Wyatt http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809483 Quiet Wyatt Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809483 Ooh, goody! Of all her pre-kid-lit horror novels, this is the one that's stuck with me the longest. I do wonder (with cautious optimism) how they're going to translate the cipher itself visually, as one of its central characteristics is its inability to be perceived and/or described by human eyes/words, in the great Lovecraftian tradition of the truly ineffable Other. I hope they don't go overboard with CGI, and leave some things (as Koja does) to the imagination. Ooh, goody! Of all her pre-kid-lit horror novels, this is the one that’s stuck with me the longest.

I do wonder (with cautious optimism) how they’re going to translate the cipher itself visually, as one of its central characteristics is its inability to be perceived and/or described by human eyes/words, in the great Lovecraftian tradition of the truly ineffable Other. I hope they don’t go overboard with CGI, and leave some things (as Koja does) to the imagination.

]]> By: Nadreck http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809484 Nadreck Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809484 That book was the first one I ever read that I didn't finish: not because it was badly written but because it was <i>too</i> well written. Much too scary! I think it was especially scary to me because, at the time, I knew some people who's personalities were <i>way</i> too close to those of the characters in this book. I was worried for weeks that one of them was going to find a naked singularity in a closet in their crappy (and also eerily accurately described) rooming houses and go the way of the characters. That book was the first one I ever read that I didn’t finish: not because it was badly written but because it was too well written. Much too scary! I think it was especially scary to me because, at the time, I knew some people who’s personalities were way too close to those of the characters in this book. I was worried for weeks that one of them was going to find a naked singularity in a closet in their crappy (and also eerily accurately described) rooming houses and go the way of the characters.

]]> By: igpajo http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809498 igpajo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809498 I swear I've seen a trailer for something like this. Kids in a shed...big black hole under a secret door...the kids tossing stuff into it. But I think they go into it though and it leads to an alternate world or some bizarre hell or something. Can't remember where I saw it though. This book sounds like a trip. Have to check it out. I swear I’ve seen a trailer for something like this. Kids in a shed…big black hole under a secret door…the kids tossing stuff into it. But I think they go into it though and it leads to an alternate world or some bizarre hell or something. Can’t remember where I saw it though.
This book sounds like a trip. Have to check it out.

]]> By: GoDownMoses http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809539 GoDownMoses Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809539 Love, loved this dark and seedy novel. It's like Lovecraft meets "Will It Blend?" Love, loved this dark and seedy novel. It’s like Lovecraft meets “Will It Blend?”

]]> By: simonbarsinister http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809547 simonbarsinister Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809547 I think you are thinking of 'The Gate' Fun little movie. Kids find a hole in their backyard. Nasty mind bending demons and such come out of it. I think you are thinking of ‘The Gate’
Fun little movie. Kids find a hole in their backyard. Nasty mind bending demons and such come out of it.

]]> By: GoDownMoses http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809813 GoDownMoses Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809813 I hope Tommy Wiseau directs/co-stars: "Broom-closet, you are TEARING ME APART!" I hope Tommy Wiseau directs/co-stars: “Broom-closet, you are TEARING ME APART!”

]]> By: UncaScrooge http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-810074 UncaScrooge Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-810074 Speaking as someone who has read way too many horror novels, this thing is in a league of its own. This was the only horror novel I ever read that made me question why the hell I like reading horror novels so much. I literally felt unclean after finishing it and have not cared to revisit it. There are no big scares and very little bloodletting. It just takes you to a very depressing and miserable little black hole. Naturally, this review will send some of you scrambling to read it. Much happy fun to you. It's essentially unfilmable. Maybe Kiyoshi Kurosawa (director of "Pulse") could pull it off. Speaking as someone who has read way too many horror novels, this thing is in a league of its own. This was the only horror novel I ever read that made me question why the hell I like reading horror novels so much. I literally felt unclean after finishing it and have not cared to revisit it.

There are no big scares and very little bloodletting. It just takes you to a very depressing and miserable little black hole. Naturally, this review will send some of you scrambling to read it. Much happy fun to you.

It’s essentially unfilmable. Maybe Kiyoshi Kurosawa (director of “Pulse”) could pull it off.

]]> By: KBert http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809649 KBert Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809649 This all sends me straight to A-zon. Thanks to all! This all sends me straight to A-zon.
Thanks to all!

]]> By: nfatb http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809652 nfatb Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809652 Can't wait! I actually hope they end up with a small budget and a director with a little bit of self-restraint - that combination could keep it from sucking. Loved her since reading her short fiction in F&SF before the novels - even some of the shorts would be virtually unfilmable, hoping they find a way to pull this off. Can’t wait! I actually hope they end up with a small budget and a director with a little bit of self-restraint – that combination could keep it from sucking. Loved her since reading her short fiction in F&SF before the novels – even some of the shorts would be virtually unfilmable, hoping they find a way to pull this off.

]]> By: defacebook http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-809954 defacebook Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-809954 Oddly, there's no sign of it on the IMDb, but good news nonetheless. Congrats, Kathe. Oddly, there’s no sign of it on the IMDb, but good news nonetheless. Congrats, Kathe.

]]> By: dragonfly10305 http://boingboing.net/2010/06/13/kojas-novel-the-ciph.html#comment-810211 dragonfly10305 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-810211 This is a wonderful book... and I would have to agree with some of the other commenters - I don't see how it could be filmed effectively. If anyone's in NYC, she's going to be reading November 17th: http://www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/ This is a wonderful book… and I would have to agree with some of the other commenters – I don’t see how it could be filmed effectively.

If anyone’s in NYC, she’s going to be reading November 17th:
http://www.kgbfantasticfiction.org/

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