Stargate Tie-In

by Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, Roland Emmerlich

Book Overview

A brilliant archeologist and a fearless military man lead a team through the ancient StarGate and discover a planet where the humans are enslaved by the Egyptian god Ra.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451184106
• ISBN13: 9780451184108
• Release Date: November 1994
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Too many typos

Right around the time I was married, I saw two films that instantly rose to my short list of favorite films: Stargate and The Fifth Element (which is currently at #1 on my list). Stargate I love because it mixes ancient Egypt with science fiction. The Fifth Element would take to long for me to explain why I love it but for now let me just say, "decoupage" and leave it at that. They were also among the first DVDs I ever purchased. So ten years after having first seen Stargate a novelization of the film comes into my possession by way of an Egyptian themed book box. Although it hadn't received that great a review from the previous reader, I immediately snatched it from the box. It's been sitting on my bookshelf for a time when I'd need a quick book to read. I finally decided to stop waiting and just toss it into the current pile of books I reading; I'm glad I did. I am not going to claim that the book is well written; it isn't. But it is better than most novelizations that I've read in terms of content and character development. Most books like this end up being just transcripts of the film. The better ones take the film and flush it out, giving insight into characters' actions, the way their world works, and even sometimes changing scenes to improve the story: Stargate does all of these things. Unfortunately in the rush to get the book out at the same time as the film, the book's editors dropped the ball. There are numerous spelling and grammatical errors. There are characters who change gender and others who come back to life without the aid of Ra's sarcophagus. These errors were so obvious and jarring that I actually had to correct them in the book. Like a previous reviewer, I'm knocking it down to 4 because of all the typos. I didn't mind the inconsistencies of the Egyptian religion as it's explained in part by the alien in Ra adjusting it to fit his needs and then later the Egyptian religion adapting with time after they had closed the Stargate. Those sorts of inconsistencies don't bother me; most stories have holes in them, but simple spelling and grammatical errors should have been caught!

One star off for numerous mistakes and typos...

"The passage to discovery is about to be entered..."It all began in North Africa 8000 B.C. when a young boy walks into a dazzling beam of light in the sky. Egypt 1928, on the Giza plateau near a great pyramid, a mysterious object shaped like a giant ring is discovered, baffling scientists and archaeologists. In 1994, the U.S. government with the help of Egyptologist Daniel Jackson discovers that this mysterious object is a Stargate. In other words, a device able to create a passage through space. And now, a special team of scientists and soldiers is going to be sent through the Stargate to an unknown destination. With no idea what they will find and absolutely no clue if they can return, the team is going to have the ultimate adventure of their lives...I first saw the movie "Stargate" (1994) before reading this book. After watching the movie and instantly finding it a terrific film, I knew I would really like to read the novelization. And I must say, I totally enjoyed reading it though I do have my complaints about it. Here is a brief descriptions of the two main characters:Daniel Jackson: A brilliant young genius, Daniel though is scorned by the scientific community. From the first moment you read about him, I assure you that you'll find him a likable guy. Daniel is very witty and I love it when he gives his speech in the beginning of the story. Colonel Jack O'Neill: Jack is a retired operative of the U.S. special forces. Though tough and in every way a soldier, he also has a troubled past. Can't help but love him, I love his outward facade of being the 'perfect commander'. :)Another of my favorite characters is Lieutenant Colonel Adam Kawalsky. The banter between him and Daniel is great and I also like the tension between him and Colonel O'Neill.THE GOOD: First I'll give you the good. The book is well-written by authors Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. It flows very well and it's a pretty easy read. The characters are very likable, one of the most important elements of a great book. It's sometimes so terribly disappointing when you read novelizations from your favorite movies to find that your favorite characters are so dislikable when you read about them. The action and suspense is strongly given off the reader, definitely a page-turner at some points in the plot, making the book hard to put down. But most of all, some parts in the story is just totally HILARIOUS! Like there's the one instance where the people of the mysterious planet give Daniel and the soldiers a feast. That part just had me cracking up!THE BAD: But unfortunately, there's also the bad. The publisher and editor of the book should be very ashamed of themselves as some other reviewers have states. Besides having lots of misspells and typos, there's also plot errors! There's a place where it is clearly stated that someone dies, then later on at one point he's alive and helping out a fellow soldier! Tsk, tsk, tsk! On the overall, the book is a terrific one to read, though I recom