Memories. Ahhh Yes, Memories of My Life

Empire Of The East

PROMPT July 23rd

You've been given a full budget and creative license to bring a book you read to film. What book would you pick and who would you cast as the characters? If you choose a book with an existing movie adaptation, what changes would you make?

         I'm going to go out on a limb here, and convert a book I read long ago to film. I bet most of you have never read much written by this author. Author: Fred Saberhagen (I met him in 1976 or so). His book? "Empire Of The East". This is a fantasy/Sci-Fi story that became a much, much longer story in other novels. Each novel stands alone, but at the same time, are linked by the characters. The Empire of the East is three books in one, and a sort of prelude to those other novels. For those interested in Fantasy or Sci-Fi, the novels I'm referring to are his "Book Of Swords" series.

         In brief, a change has come to Earth. Technology no longer is the mainstay of humankind, Wizardry is. A major war was going on between two great powers on Earth, and a super computer averts a major nuclear war by temporarily causing a modification to the laws of Physics, making the use of Nuclear weapons impossible. However, the enemy has a similar device, and when the two expanding wavefronts of The Change collide, the effect unexpectedly becomes permanent. Following The Change, most technology ceases to function, while magic now works. Magical beings are also created. Demons are born from acts of violence at the time of the change; the most powerful is Orcus, a nuclear bomb caught at the exact moment of exploding.

         Now you know the basic setting of the novel(s), I'd love to see this converted to a movie. Main characters?

Ardneh (Voice Only): Who else but James Earl Jones
Duncan: Ben Affleck
Rolf: Matt Damon
Orcus (The Most Powerful Demon) (Voice): Vin Diesel
John Ominor: Adam Driver
Wood (A powerful Wizard): Liam Neeson

Ardneh is the super computer, Orcus is the demon created when a nuclear explosion is halted by the change at the moment of exploding. Hence the voice only for James Earl Jones and Vin Diesel.





Jim Dorrell