These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

[nitzan_schwarz]

To read this review and more check out my blog Afterwords!

I've originally read THESE BROKEN STARS in 2014 and loved it. But as I did with many of the series I read back then (and now, too, but let's pretend this illness has gotten better, okay?) I just kind of let the series dangle with no conscious intention to do so.

But 2018 is the year for change, or at the very least the year to make myself feel slightly better about the abysmal state of my series reading, and that starts right here, right now, with the Starbound trilogy.

Now, I'm going to do something slightly different with this review. Mostly because, as I was reading it a second time, I couldn't stop this feeling that THESE BROKEN STARS will lend itself beautifully to a cinematic adaptation. Maybe by throwing this fact out there the gods of Hollywood will hear me and make it happen.

Now, as books and movies definitely move in different rhythms, the pace will have to be adjusted. The book illustrates the difficulty to survive, stranded on a deserted planet with no means of communication, by emphasizing the long journey. The inherent tension of the travel as well as the tension between our characters. On how it stretches them thin and threatens to destroy them mentally, more than physically.

The movie, being a movie, will add more mortal peril to the whole experience because while the book has just enough of that to be perfect, the movie will just need more. So I'm certain we will see more of the strange wild-life the planet has to offer, perhaps more danger with the Whispers and certainly more injuries will be sustained (eek!)

I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that because the movie wouldn't need to change much else.

Like, take our main characters Lilac and Tarver for example; who wouldn't watch a movie about the haughty, beautiful society girl who's just too afraid to let anyone too close (for good reason), and the ragged, kind-hearted, handsome young soldier and war hero who get stranded together after a horrid spaceship crash à la the Titanic?

Space is all the rage right now, Titanic has been a smashing box office success for a reason, Survivor is on its 36th season, and we all enjoy watching good looking faces on big screens. A recipe for success!

Then let's talk dialogues. You could keep them almost entirely intact (although let's be real they won't. Studios love changing dialogue. Sigh). They're fun, they're banty, they're occasionally flirty and it's so great when they are. And the delicious and thinly veiled sexual tension throughout the whole thing is definitely something Hollywood would love.

And let's not forget the contained and limited cast that allows you to explore two characters and their growing relationship, as well as the environment and the toll of isolation. Now, sure, Hollywood does love having huge ensemble casts where each audience member can find a character to connect to, so that may deter them a little bit, but it's also cheaper to have a very limited amount of actors for 75% of the movie! lol

Now, the setting is another thing that I think movie execs would love to pounce on. First of all, there is a wonderful duality of beauty and cruelty in the setting, as well as two opposite backdrops that somehow blend seamlessly. And holy hell would they be absolutely stunning on the big screen.

First, we have the Icarus, an advanced spaceship traveling in hyperspace on a luxury cruise. Imagine our heroes traveling the deck, with the windows outside showing the smudged lights of the stars as the ship passes them by. Here and there floating trays will offer food and drinks, screens and holograms will tell of news and sales. And between all that technological advances, there are the upper floors of the rich and famous, where they gallivant in Victorian dresses and corsets, pretending to be something they have only read of in history books. Already extremely compelling, right?

But then it all comes crashing down, in what would be an epic sequence of mayhem and horrifying destruction, and all the slick and manufactured perfection will give space to a land abandoned by men, where nature grows wild and creatures that shouldn't exist walk around. Where the sky breaks open and showers rain and snow. And death. All equally beautiful, yet equally repelling.

Admit it, I'm selling you over here.

And then, on top of all these great things, on top of a story of survival and love, bravery and redemption, of real versus fake, of people having more than one side to them, of right and wrong, there is a mystery.

Because the Icarus should have been indestructible - what was its iceberg? Why is no one coming to save them? Why is the planet abandoned, when it shows clear signs of human interference. And if Lilac And Tarver aren't going mad... what is the source of those visions, of those... whispers?

You're completely sold on the movie?? Wonderful. It doesn't exist. Go read the book instead, it's better than the movie (could be) anyways ;)


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Original Thoughts

I think, out of a lot of books I've read, this one would lend itself beautifully to a cinematic adaptation. Just throwing this thought out there. Maybe someone will hear me.

I mean, sure. The pace would change a little; books and movies move to different rhythms, and while the book relies more on the long, tension hardships of travel to illustrate the trouble of surviving, the movie would have to up the ante on actual mortal peril. Although just to clarify, the book has exactly the right amount of it imo.

but other than that, you could keep most things a lot like in the book.

First, the characters. You've got a great setup for some great mains. You want to tell me you wouldn't watch a movie about the haughty, beautiful society girl who's just too afraid to let anyone close and the ragged, kind-hearted soldier who gets stranded with her on an abandoned planet after her dad's ship pulls a Titanic and goes down when it shouldn't be possible for it to?

Yes, you would.

Then, you could keep the conversations almost entirely intact. At least, I hope they would. They're fun. They're banty. They're occasionally flirty. And they definitely don't lack for some delicious sexual tension (and Hollywood execs LOVE thinly veiled sexual tension).

Then, you've got a contained cast that allows you to explore two characters and their growing relationship really well, and it's an explosive relationship for sure, and a setting that is both beautiful and harsh.

The setting really does have a really interesting duality to it.

First, you have the original backdrop of the Icarus. A ship so advanced it travels in Hyperspace, the stars just a smudge of lights outside its windows, with floating drink trays, screens and holograms everywhere, and yet the rich and famous gallivant about the upper floors in Victorian dresses and corsets.

Then, that beautiful sparkling world shatters into a land almost untouched by men, where nature grows wild and creatures that shouldn't exist walk around. And then you're left to face the real world; real planetary, and real rain, and real snow, and real death. Sometimes entirely beautiful, and sometimes entirely repelling.

And in the background; a mystery. Why did the ship crash? Where are the rescue ships? Where are the inhabitants of this planet, that clearly shows signs of human tempering? And if they aren't truly going mad... where do those whispers and visions come from, and why?

Did I sell you on the movie already? Great! It doesn't exist. Go read the book instead, it's better (or will be) than the movie anyhow.

I can't wait to see these characters again the the sequels, although from other characters' eyes!