Sandkings

For some reason (I just can't quite put my finger on it...), I don't think the low-budget Sandkings movie was what George R.R. Martin had in mind as a visual adaptation of his brilliant short story.


And for that reason (whatever it may be...), I will spare my audience the pain of hearing a summary of the movie, and will stick instead to Martin's original work.

One area in which I feel that Sandkings succeeds is in its description of the sandkings. The reader is left with a creepy-crawly feeling that is sure to horrify them when the sandkings escape. Additionally, the way Martin prolongs the story's suspense and Simon Kress' demise while also occasionally hinting at the mysterious disappearance of the orange sandkings creates a very gripping tale that is full of surprises (Kress' sudden homicidal nature, Shade's secret, and the desert finale). Unfortunately, these superb sci-fi elements do not find their way to the big screen (or the straight-to-DVD aisle, judging by how pathetically crafted is the film version). Yet, I must note the peculiar Kress in the movie, whose bastardly nature in the short story is somehow morphed into the deranged psychopath you see above.

Words to the wise: stick to the short story.