The idea is toast.

[Spacejunkminer]

Look at the all of the great Sci fi movies and television over the years and anybody would notice that many had a proving ground. The book of Starship Troopers launched three movies. Legend of the Seeker had a cacophony of books with multiple adventures to inspire the reading base to watch their show. Lord of the Rings had JR Tolkein’s middle earth books and the Narnia movies had CS Lewis’ Narnia chronicles. The movie Stargate launched two great series.
My question is this: Would sgu survive as a business model, in the Sci-fi book realm? Could a sci-fi writer make this concept interesting?
According to the books I read, the easy-money answer is no. However, I did see a SGU book on Amazon simply titled “Air.” There are absolutely no reviews for this book and I don’t think anyone cares enough to leave a review. I can only scratch my head and wonder why a one, “James Swallow,” (a truly unfortunate name (probably a penname)) would be compelled to write a book about a show that so many sci-fi fans dislike.

 

[Gatefan1976]

TBH mate, I think it would have done better in book format. Books allow for a much greater freedom of imagination whereas with visual media, all you've got is whats on the screen. Take Red dwarf or Hitchhikers for example. When I read both books I sure didn't imagine either Lister or Arthur Dent looking anything like the way they do on the respective shows. Yet now, it's hard not to see Craig Charles as Lister when I re-read the books. (but I can do it if I try)

The problem with SGU as books now however is that you will immediately associate the characters with thier visual portrayal and as (at least for me) the characters are the weakest part of SGU, you're sorta fucked from the get go.

 

[Spacejunkminer]

Hollywood is slowly coming around to the realization that they need new ideas and have been branching out into the literary world to find new projects. But SGU will be cancelled and the books are going to be worthless because after SGU dies there won’t be any more SG. The franchise was allowed to gamble far too heavily on this new show. Even if new blood was brought in to counteract all of the bad writing, a new show would have to be something that brings the fan base back together.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Hollywood is slowly coming around to the realization that they need new ideas and have been branching out into the literary world to find new projects. But SGU will be cancelled and the books are going to be worthless because after SGU dies there won’t be any more SG. The franchise was allowed to gamble far too heavily on this new show. Even if new blood was brought in to counteract all of the bad writing, a new show would have to be something that brings the fan base back together.

I'm not sure that this bolded bit is possible anymore.

 

[Spacejunkminer]

It would have been better if they had gone with a different storyline. It was probably my fault for not being clear enough.

If you take SGU at its current story arc then you don't have a book. If you sat a writer down right now and introduced him/her to this show and then asked him/her to put said television show into book form, they probably wouldn't take on the job. Especially for science fiction books, one must have more than character interaction. Because of the way a writer can elaborate with words the literary market is scrutinized to a much greater extent than tv.

I don't have to tell you about all the great sci fi books out there. My point was that SGU wouldn't survive the literary market. I fully stand by that comment and am 100 percent sure of it.

Compare Sgu with the likes of Heinlein, Asimov, David Weber, Jim Butcher, Darrel Bain or Michael R. Hicks and you will find the SGU story arc to be severely wanting.

 

[Spacejunkminer]

Yeah I know that is why I'm skeptical of a new sg show after SGU.

 

[Gatefan1976]

It would have been better if they had gone with a different storyline. It was probably my fault for not being clear enough.

If you take SGU at its current story arc then you don't have a book. If you sat a writer down right now and introduced him/her to this show and then asked him/her to put said television show into book form, they probably wouldn't take on the job. Especially for science fiction books, one must have more than character interaction. Because of the way a writer can elaborate with words the literary market is scrutinized to a much greater extent than tv.

I don't have to tell you about all the great sci fi books out there. My point was that SGU wouldn't survive the literary market. I fully stand by that comment and am 100 percent sure of it.

Compare Sgu with the likes of Heinlein, Asimov, David Weber, Jim Butcher, Darrel Bain or Michael R. Hicks and you will find the SGU story arc to be severely wanting.

I will stand next to you on this bit dude. IMO, the actual "storyline" is interesting (ie the destiny itself, why it's out there etc) but it has been so butchered by the authors as to be made unenjoyable.
Really, it's the whole "100 monkeys" observation about Shakespeare, but these monkeys have only been at it for fraction of the time.

Writing this has actually made me realise something however.
As someone who reads err, lets say alot, and in highly diversified catagories, I'm alot harder on SGU because as a serialised show, it "feels" more like a book to me, whereas SG-1/SGA were always just more "for fun". I guess that does sorta make SG "popcorn Sci-fi", but dammitt man, you can't eat steak for every meal (especially if it tastes as bad as SGpoo). I like popcorn sometimes too!!