Stargate Universe: John Scalzi has been hired as creative consultant

[wraithfodder]

Looks like they're actually getting a real, honest-to-gosh writer to work on Stargate Universe. They've hired a book author John Scalzi as a creative consultant. See below snippet from his blog.

January 14 2009

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/01/14/one-of-my-big-announcements-for-
january/

excerpt:

The reason I'm in Vancouver, aside from having dinner at Fuel last night with Joseph Mallozzi, can now be revealed: I have a new gig as Creative Consultant for the upcoming Stargate: Universe television series. I've been talking to the SGU folks about it informally for some time and flew out to meet the producers and writers, and talk about the ideas and directions of the new series. I also got the tour of the sets, which are still under construction, and which look pretty damn nifty so far. It all went very well, and I liked what they were doing with the show and the people involved, and equally importantly they seemed to like me too. So I was happy to say yes when they invited me onboard.

REST AT LINK ABOVE

His official site: http://scalzi.com/
His books: http://www.scalzi.com/books/
A YouTube interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZN6GA4JsOs
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Scalzi

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I've never read this guy's work, let alone heard of him (I avoid any book reviews on Mallozzi's blog as he gives away too much). I read mostly non-fiction books as theyr'e fascinating, and probably far too much Stargate Atlantis fan fiction, but there is good stuff out there so I read it! :) Too bad they couldn't have gotten some consultants in on SGA; might have avoided "Identity" then ;)

I see Scalzi's books are in my local library, so I'll go down and grab one when there's less snow and ice out there.

Comments

[a-pilgrim-soul.livejournal.com]

I read Scalzi's The Android's Dream when it was one of JM's BOTM choices. Both JM and David Hewlett had raved about it, I think JM said it restored his faith in Sci-Fi novels but I really couldn't see what was so amazing about it, it wasn't a bad book but it isn't something I'll ever read again and I've not been tempted to read any of his other work. There were some great ideas in there and if he's just going to be someone to bounce ideas off then he could prove a great asset to the franchise.

My main problem with the novel was that the main character was so overwhelmingly a Mary Sue: genius, heroic soldier, good looking and an all round great guy who saves the universe as we know it. The character was so flawless he just became unbearably generic and dull and I stopped caring and kept wanting to skip ahead to the chapters that dealt with the secondary characters some of whom were so much more interesting.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Flawless? nnnooooo, cannot have flawless heroes. Heroes must have flaws, challenges, etc. or else, well, it's just another day for them, saving the world...

[a-pilgrim-soul.livejournal.com]

Maybe his other books are better, I don't know. Like I said Mallozzi seems to adore his work but I just couldn't see what was so amazing, I kept feeling like I'd read the book before only then it had been better written. I guess its all down to personal taste *shrug*

There were some very good ideas but at times there was also a smugness about those ideas - just not the book for me I guess but any fresh blood on the ideas front - not entirely sure what a "creative consultant" is, isn't that what Mallozzi and Mullie are supposed to be for SGU? - can only be a good thing.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I gotta admit I think getting this guy on board will help. My lord, they've need fresh writing blood for years!