Monday, May 13, 2013

PaperBack



Michale Avallone, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Bantam, 1970

12 comments:

Tom Johnson said...

You know, in 1970 Mike always had three or four books on the spinner racks. I still have a bunch of his books, but not this one. Maybe because I didn't like the movie (g).

Todd Mason said...

I did like the movie and the novel at the time I bought it (1973?), the only Avallone book I believe I have ever purchased. Rather better than John Jakes's CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, purchased at the same time (and Jakes would soon never need to write another tie-in, particularly for a film as weak as CONQUEST).

mybillcrider said...

I have both books, but I've never read them. I should read the Avo book just for fun someday.

Todd Mason said...

I didn't get very far with Geo. Alec Effinger's novelizations of the POTA tv series, either...like the Jakes, published by Award rather than Bantam. They had so given up on the series novelization that Award published them as an omnibus, in what I suspect has been their only (Anglophone, anyway) edition so far.

Todd Mason said...

Nope, I'm wrong...there were individual volumes as well:

http://pota.goatley.com/books.html

mybillcrider said...

Yes, I have the individual volumes. Or did. I think I gave all my APES books to my son, who's a fan of the movies.

Todd Mason said...

In fact, it seems the two-novel omnibus is hard to find evidence of...

mybillcrider said...

I've never see it.

Todd Mason said...

The WorldCat citation for the first volume notes this:

Notes: "The Cure," based on the teleplay by Edward J. Lasko;
"The Good Seeds," based on the teleplay by Robert W. Lenski. Based on characters from "Planet of the Apes."

Description: 172 p. ; 18 cm.

It could be I must remember the two scripts being adapted being separated within the book...but I also remember the book being rather long, much longer than 172pp...

James Reasoner said...

I remember buying this Avallone book brand-new and reading it the same day. Didn't care for it much because, like Tom, I didn't like the movie much.

There's a story I could tell about Jakes, his POTA book, and his subsequent success, but I might get sued if I did. Let's just say not everything was as it appears in that situation.

mybillcrider said...

My bet would be that a certain book packager is involved in the story.

James Reasoner said...

That would be correct.