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
