So, I started this blog thinking that I would just watch the movie and compare it to the book that it was based on. Yet, I felt it had been too long since I read the book for me to properly compare details, so I decided to re-read the book.
First, I'll give you some background on how I discovered To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer. I was about 15 years old living in Richmond, VA and I had become friends with J.R. the owner of a comic book shop near my house. I started hanging out at this shop (I was never really into comic books, but I liked Sci-fi books and he had plenty of them), one day J.R. told me he was compiling a list of obscure books that you must read books before you die, he mentioned To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer as one of his top books. Up to that point I only read classic literature and StarWars books, and was not aware there was any "legitimate" Science Fiction, just cheap "pulp" movie adaptions. J.R. decided to give me a copy of the book, it was only a little over 100 pages, but the book changed my entire outlook on literature. I found the concept behind the book to be so creative and interesting, it inspired me to seek out and read more books, as well as start writing myself. I still have that copy that J.R. gave me, I treasure it as a symbol of when I entered a new phase in my life.
And with that I will post my detailed plot synopsis of To Your Scattered Bodies Go. If you have intention on Reading the book I wouldn't read this synopsis, because it contains SPOILERS, but for those of you who are interested in the Riverworld series and need the details to understand my following review of the TV series, I have it here. Stay posted for the plot synopsis of the second book in the series "The Fabulous Riverboat", finally followed by by review and comparison of the Riverworld (2010) TV mini-series.
Riverworld Assessment
To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Novel)
Plot Synopsis:
Sir Richard Francis Burton awakens after terrestrial death on the banks of a river on a strange planet. All of humanity has been resurrected at the approximate age of 25; while their bodily needs are met through metal lunch pails referred to grails, which are activated at stones which are located along the river in intervals of every mile. Burton spends time getting adjusted to the new situation with his fellow river dwellers, Peter Jarius Frigate a science fiction writer from the 20th century, Alice Liddel Hargreaves the Victorian noblewoman who was the earthly inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, Monat a space traveller who was killed on his first voyage to Earth in 2008 and finally Kaz a neolithic subhuman who despite his rough nature becomes a dedicated friend to Burton. As Burton gets used to his new life he becomes obsessed with finding the headwaters of the river that winds along the entire world. This is seemingly an allusion to the real life Burton who spent the better part of his life in trying to find the headwaters of the Nile, but failed. Burton enlists his new friends in building a boat to travel up-river to find the source.
As they travel the river they get attacked in many locations finally captured by a warrior nation led by Hermann Goring the former Reichsmarschall of the Nazi army, who is co-ruling with Tullus Hostilius a former early king of Rome. After suffering at the hands of his captors he overthrows them with the help of the other slaves. Burton stays in this area with his friends and starts to settle as local leader. After going on a brief trip he returns to find all the people in the village have been put to sleep. He then discovers that he is being tracked by the beings who created the Riverworld, and they intend to capture and interrogate him to find out what he knows. He narrowly escapes with Alice who has become his lover. They travel up river and Burton gets killed while battling with hostile people. Burton then spends the next several years getting killed and resurrecting along the riverbanks, during this time he finds himself being resurrected in the same locations as Goring. Forced to make an uneasy peace with his former tormentor, he realizes they are somehow linked.
Burton is then visited by one of the beings that created the world, called an Ethical, who explains that the whole world and people on it are a science experiment and the humans are to be disposed of when it is complete. He wants Burton to travel to the tower at the headwaters to stop their plan. The Ethical recommends using the suicide and resurrection as method of travel and elusion of the other Ethicals. After dying and resurrecting 777 times Burton finds himself in a small village at the mouth of the river that has friends and former allies living there. He is then kidnapped and taken to an interrogation room by the Ethicals who explain they know that there is a rebel amongst them, and they intend to not let Burton interfere with their plans. They also reveal that there is a limit to the number of times he can be resurrected, though the exact number is unknown. The Ethicals end the meeting with saying if he intends to continue to the tower at the headwaters they will not let him survive, and might not be resurrected. Burton is returned to the village. Not dissuaded by the Ethicals warnings, and reunited with his friends he decides to make the journey to the mysterious tower at the headwaters.
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