on the closing credits of John Carpenters cult (and fantastic) movie 'The Thing' there is mention that it is based on a book called 'who goes there?', but I can't seem to find it anywhere.
Anyone had any luck?
2006-07-03 08:22:55 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
okay. It is in Amazon (duh should have looked first), but has anyone read it, and does it compare to the movie?
2006-07-03 08:24:31 · update #1
"Who Goes There?" is not a book, it's a short story by the late John W. Campbell, former editor-in-chief of Analog magazine. It's been made into movies twice, one in the 50s with James Arness as the thing, and the Carpenter version. Expanding a short story to a feature length film requires liberties with the plot to allow for a decent running time, the original story could have been done in a half hour Twighlight Zone episode. It is an excellent story, you might try your local library for SciFi anthologies from the late 50s and through the 60s.
2006-07-12 08:26:35 · answer #1 · answered by rich k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a longish short story, NOT a book. It is in a few short story collections, including "Adventures in Space and Time", edited by J Francis McComas: it was written by John W Compbell Jr. You probably know "The Thing" has been made twice: the earlier (Howard Hawkes) movie is barren of special effects but more interesting. The John Carpenter one is almost word for word like the story, but relies on special effects. An interesting feature of the first one is that it marked the debut of actor James Arness (of Gunsmoke fame, and brother of Mission Impossible's Peter Graves). At one point it ws pointed out that the alien, though humanoid in shape, was made of fibrous matter unlike sinew and muscle: the ensuing comment by a media type present was, "wow -- an intelligent carrot!". Oh - the earlier movie took place near the north pole, but the more recent at the south pole (as in the short story -- though it would have been unlikely that a contingent of scientists and soldiers, along with a few reporters, could have lived comfortably in the antarctic when the short story was originally written.
2006-07-16 16:45:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
O.K. I'll add to or confuse the minutia. It first appeared as a novelette in the sci fi magazine ASTONISHING going back to 1938. Is it a good read for its genre? I've heard: yes.
2006-07-17 07:23:14 · answer #3 · answered by ElOsoBravo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Congratulations on answering your own question!
Sorry haven't read the book or seen the movie.
2006-07-03 19:13:48 · answer #4 · answered by tsmith007 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry havent read it yet
2006-07-09 12:54:33 · answer #5 · answered by ms_marcia_brady 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋