Literally Reruns – When Planet’s Miss by Doug Hawley

here we are just past October, or, Rocktober, as some of us like to call it. There’s something wonderfully reflective about that month (perhaps enhanced with an abundance of mini Three Musketeer Bars); and in such a mood I go all the way back to the Summer of 2016 for this Rocktober‘s rerun.

I recall the George Pal film that our friend Doug Hawley gives credit to in his story. I was very young when I first saw When Worlds Collide and it has always had a special place in my memory as do other higher end science fiction films of the fifties. In Doug’s When Planets Miss, we are treated to a singular vision of a most singular writer.

Q: Now that a few years have passed since you wrote this, are you still happy with it?

Q: I believe that something like The Day the Earth Stood Still is far better written than modern fare of the same genre. I believe that story often gets tossed aside for jamming in whatever CGI nonsense someone has wanked up. If I remember correctly, Forbidden Planet is a clever reworking of Bill’s The Tempest. Nowadays, films are terribly impressive visually, but horribly under-written. Your thoughts?

Leila

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When Planet’s Miss

Doug’s Responses

Q: Now that a few years have passed since you wrote this, are you still happy with it?

First question about changing it.  I keep getting things reprinted for a larger audience, because publications disappear, and to pad my resume.  That is true of this story, and I may have made changes along the way, can’t remember.  At this point David Henson gives me an assist.  A few years ago, I was out of plots.  I saw David Henson ‘s comment on this story to the effect there should be a sequel.  Thus, I wrote “Extraterrestrial”.  Thank you, David Henson.  Later, I combined the two with an appropriate bridge to make “Three Planets”.  

Short answer.  I may have changed it between publications, but I don’t remember.  I rarely make much change – I know little and avoid learning.  It is odd that I’ve seen comments to the effect that my writing has changed.  I can’t see it, but then I’m not a trained writer and don’t want to change my Grandma Moses approach to writing.

Q: I believe that something like The Day the Earth Stood Still is far better written than modern fare of the same genre. I believe that story often gets tossed aside for jamming in whatever CGI nonsense someone has wanked up. If I remember correctly, Forbidden Planet is a clever reworking of Bill’s The Tempest. Nowadays, films are terribly impressive visually, but horribly under-written. Your thoughts?

I am of two minds about “science fiction” movies.  Before I get to that, I’ve started to call them “scienceless fiction” because of their foolishness.  I like to write things that might happen, but “When Planets Miss” is an exception.  Back to your question.  Film is above all a visual medium, so I’m not against the CGI and so on.  It would be nice if there was a reasonable story involved beside the visual spectacle.  Speaking of “The Day The Earth Stood Still” I parodied it with “Spin”.  Without an explanation of how Michael Rennie could stop the earth from spinning, it would call the movie scienceless fiction.