Byrax
Topic Author
Posts: 1094
Joined: Fri 08 Jan 2016, 10:42
Location: Mythic North

Blade Runner Inspiration: the novels? Comics? Other?

Tue 05 Oct 2021, 20:24

Blade Runner 2-4 by K.W Jeter; any good? I believe I have at least 2 lying around somewhere. Book 3 shows life on Mars, and 4 is set Off World right? Could be useful for inspiration.

The comics, including Boom Studios Do Androids etc : anything to be inspirered by here?
Last edited by Byrax on Thu 11 Nov 2021, 03:27, edited 1 time in total.
 
User avatar
Fragpuss
Posts: 122
Joined: Sun 23 Jul 2017, 14:02

Re: Inspiration: the novels?

Wed 06 Oct 2021, 12:12

I'd also be interested in knowing whether people would recommend Jeter's sequels.

I've shied away from them because I'm naturally sceptical about writers producing sequels to another's work, especially when the original is so iconic. I've enjoyed some of Jeter's books like Dr Adder, Farewell Horizontal and Dark Seeker and a few others have great ideas like the CIA's 'Slow Bullet' in Death Arms, but some have been pretty 'meh' like Infernal Devices and Moorlock Night (a half-baked sequel to 'The Time Machine' , hence my doubts about the Blade Runner follow-ups).

I expect though, even if his sequels aren't considered canon (or very good), there will be some great ideas that can be baked in to the game world.
 
Bengt Petter
Posts: 772
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2011, 11:27

Re: Inspiration: the novels?

Wed 06 Oct 2021, 12:45

I doubt that the sequel novels are considered canon, but I guess that you could still mine them for ideas. Is there anything specific that makes them interesting? If so, I would look for characters, technology and details about L. A..

Of course, Philip K. Dick’s original novel is interesting, even though the characters have slightly different names and the story is set in San Fransisco. I haven’t read the book yet, but it seems to be worth reading. To me, it’s kind of canon. I will most likely use some details.

The comic books are something else. Personally, I don’t like the anime style (what’s noir in a childish style?), but the stories still seem to be part of the official expanded universe. You should be able to draw a lot of stuff out them, I guess. And later this year, an anime TV series will be released as well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_R ... lack_Lotus

As I’ve said in some of my previous posts here, I see Bladerunner as a strongly genre based franchise. It’s a mix of very early cyberpunk and film noir. Ridley Scott has talked about the Marlowesque style in several interviews. Deckard is an obvious noir figure - basicly a Philip Marlowe put in another era. He’s got the trench coat, the Fedora hat and it’s allways raining. I think the game will need to include much of the rich noir tradition to be really interesting.

Many film noir movies are also set in L. A., so they could be used as an inspiration for developing and expanding the city. Of course, you can’t just copy the 1940s film noir L. A., but some stuff will most likely still be there. For example, the Bradbury Building where J. F. Sebastian lived, was used in several older movies long before Bladerunner. Reusing other locations in the same manner could be really interesting. I would add well known movie locations like Little Tokyo, Mulholland Drive and China Town. They would make sense in the setting.
Last edited by Bengt Petter on Wed 06 Oct 2021, 14:16, edited 1 time in total.
 
Balou1917
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun 07 Jun 2020, 22:45

Re: Inspiration: the novels?

Wed 06 Oct 2021, 14:09

I was able to pick up all the novels but the but the last one. That is still a challenge to find the last time I went looking. That being said, and my opinion only, the novels (Jeter) were pretty dry. I have owned Androids since my junior college days and read it twice. I have attempted to read book 2 twice and never got interested enough in it to finish it. Try them out for yourself, maybe I was just not in the right head space at the time.

There is a new-ish series of three books by Michael Green and Mike Johnson that I will have to check out. It looks promising.
 
downerczx
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue 02 Feb 2021, 18:58

Re: Inspiration: the novels?

Tue 09 Nov 2021, 01:04

Some of the comics have anime style covers, but the inside art is pure graphic novel.
 
User avatar
Vader
Posts: 944
Joined: Fri 15 Nov 2019, 14:11
Location: The Frozen North

Re: Blade Runner Inspiration: the novels? Comics? Other?

Mon 15 Nov 2021, 21:50

Anyone seen Black Lotus?
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
Vagrant
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun 23 Jan 2022, 12:55

Re: Blade Runner Inspiration: the novels? Comics? Other?

Mon 25 Apr 2022, 23:45

Anyone seen Black Lotus?
Yes.
Started promisingly, but went downhill after the first few episodes.

Aside from Crunchyroll you can find it on Channel 4 streaming app (4OD) in the UK.
 
Bengt Petter
Posts: 772
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2011, 11:27

Re: Blade Runner Inspiration: the novels? Comics? Other?

Fri 06 May 2022, 08:08

Bladerunner inspiration? Well, any of the movies or books about the detective Philip Marlowe. It’s for sure film noir and hardboiled fiction from another era, but just add some neon and replicants and you are on the right track. Ridley Scott called Bladerunner ”Marlowesque” for a reason. Deckard is more or less Marlowe put in a dystopian LA.
 
User avatar
Grimmshade
Posts: 209
Joined: Wed 05 May 2021, 23:15

Re: Blade Runner Inspiration: the novels? Comics? Other?

Fri 06 May 2022, 16:09

I keep meaning to check out Black Lotus, but there are a lot of episodes and I'm a bit put off by the episode thumbnails.
It's available on HBO Max in the US.
 
baldrick0712
Posts: 671
Joined: Fri 28 May 2021, 12:29

Re: Blade Runner Inspiration: the novels? Comics? Other?

Fri 06 May 2022, 21:01

My main concern about "Blade Runner" RPG is that it will be very limiting. Unless there is a GM and just one player whose character is a Philip Marlowe style hardboiled detective it might not feel like "Blade Runner" but just a generic dystopian future world setting. Hopefully I'm proved wrong and Free League's editorial team expand the IP's boundaries without going so far as to dilute its essence too much.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests