The only positive that resulted from AMC’s disastrous remake of The Prisoner was the reprinting of Thomas M. Disch’s novelization. The original was published by ACE BOOKS in 1969 and quickly went out-of-print. I was saddened by Disch’s death in 2008. His work struck me as original and clever. Disch published mostly science fiction. Ironically, his most successful book was The Brave Little Toaster, a book for children (and readers who are children at heart) which morphed into a couple of Disney animated movies. Disch captures the claustrophobia of The Village in his novel and explores the theme of identity. If you’re a fan of the original series, The Prisoner world of menace and mystery Disch explores will intrigue you.
Yes and no. Disch published a lot of sf up through 334, perhaps his magnum opus in that mode, in the mid ‘1970s, but with his next novel, ON WINGS OF SONG (serialized in F&SF with a handsome Emsh cover starting in December 1978, and the only F&SF serial nominatied for an American Book Award, during that prize’s run), he began more fully indulging the fantasy and horror ideas that he was always willing to employ…meanwhile, along with his prose career, he had been cultivating a poetry career, usually signing himself Tom Disch, in most of the markets for poetry available…he reviewed poetry, as well, iirc, for HUDSON REVIEW and such. And fiction for F&SF. His last several novels, such as THE BUSINESSMAN and THE M.D., tended to be fairly straightforward, and at times literarily ambitious, horror…even if the largest chunk of bread did come from Disney’s jumping all over “THe Brave Little Toaster.”
Apparently there was a not-too-long-ago triple volume published with Disch’s, Hank Stine, and David McDaniel’s PRISONER novels together, but alas I haven’t seen it (I do have the Ace edtition of the Disch).
I liked Disch’s ON WINGS OF SONG and 334, but you could tell Disch was getting antsy with the SF format, Todd. Clearly, he was a guy who wanted new challenges whether it was reviewing poetry or writing horror novels.
We lasted about half an hour with the new Prisoner before giving up.
You and Jackie were smart to bail out of THE PRISONER remake after a half hour, Jeff. I watched the whole dreadful mess.
Never saw the new PRISONER. I do have this book, but as with so many of my books (you guessed it), I haven’t read it.
The AMC remake of THE PRISONER was a train-wreck, Bill. Simply terrible.
Loved the original series despite the abrupt ending. Never saw the newer version. Thank God, I guess.
The AMC remake of THE PRISONER had none of the style or innovation of the original, Patti. It was lame.
Disch committed suicide after his lover (whose name was on the lease on the rent-controlled apartment they had shared for decades) died and Disch, ill and with no health insurance, could no longer stay in their home. If there was ever a more obvious case for gay marriage and survivor rights/benefits (not to mention universal healthcare), I’m unaware of it. A very sad ending to a long career.
I thought his best book was BLACK ALICE, about a young white heiress who is kidnapped and “disguised” as black. A still-relevant book about race.
You’re right about BLACK ALICE, Deb. Another Forgotten Book… And you are so right about Disch’s tragic end. How could a brilliant writer and thinker end up that way…
I have the three Ace books and the IBook printing, I believe, of the Disch Prisoner. A long time fan of the original, I DVRed the AMC, but gave up early on it. I knew they were going to turn it into an American version. Whay thry got was boring as h***.
Boring is right, Randy. I had to make liberal use of the FF button to make it through the faux-PRISONER remake.
Amen, Deb. That and their summer house (his SO was named Charles Naylor…they collaborated on one anthology together as editors) was flood-damaged beyond affordable repair. Not exactly adding to Disch’s joie de vivre.
The first short story of Disch’s to get much attention was a surreal allegory for professional failure and death, “Descending,” in FANTASTIC in ’62 or ’63 (I could look it up). His novels followed not long after…though he was supporting himself (hello MAD MEN fans) as an advertising copywriter at about the time “Descending” was published.
Some of Disch’s advertising exploits find their way into his horror novel, THE BUSINESSMAN, Todd.
And BLACK ALICE, which I like but not as much as Deb does (334 and several others are better books by me) is a collaboration with that other genius John Sladek (who also wrote better books), and they initially published it as by Thom Demijohn. Really ugly cover on the Doubleday edition which didn’t help, I’m sure…but a Lot of Doubleday covers were pretty hideous in those decades.
I actually own a copy of that Doubleday edition of BLACK ALICE, Todd, and you’re so right: the cover is hideous!
So the novel was the “inspiration” for the AMC series, eh? Any truth to that, or it just publisher’s hype. I too, gave up on the remake. Had the whole thing recorded, but quickly lost interest.
I wish I’d been as smart as you, Evan. I hung in there, watching the whole AMC remake of THE PRISONER, hoping it would get better. But it never did. Consider it hype.
Prisoner? Television series? Remake? Novelization?I thought this was the one about an escaped convict and the little boy who helped him with food and hammer and chisel in a graveyard. An American version of that? Goodness.
Trust me, Rick, you don’t want to know.
This book is Number 2.