I am Dave’s partner - you got us both today! We originally created this in two directions:

1st - as a project that would be worthy of SyFy Channel or another large network.

2nd - as a high concept live-action kids show. Where we would focus on Donal as a young boy and his journey to becoming the greatest general.

We are hoping for the 1st option, as that would allow us the most flexibility to tell a great story worthy of the book and the fans.

I hope that this clears up any confusion.

Thanks again for your interest and a great posting.

Mark Rodriguez

Thanks for posting. Starting with Dorsai! makes a lot of sense.

Is this intended as a mini-series, or an ongoing production?

Also, can you comment a bit on Bill’s question about the target age? I can see both pros and cons for doing a kid-friendly series (I have 3 kids aged 10 -14), so I’d love to know.

John

Thanks for posting this. I am Dave Fraunces, one of the executive producers of the project. My partner, Mark Rodriguez and I are long time fans of the books. I myself, read Dorsai! at age 12, 25 and 35. It gets better every time.

To answer the question above - we are starting with Dorsai!, the signature book in the series. Necromancer, Tactics and Spirit of the Dorsai occur prior to Dorsai! However, Dorsai! represents the most complete story arc for a series. Plus Donal Graeme is the hero we follow throughout all remaining books (with a slight name change). Dorsai! remains one of the foundation novels of military sci-fi … along with Starship Troopers. How could we start anywhere else?

Be well and feel free to forward any additional questions.

Dave Fraunces

I’d say the best way to experience it would be to read Dorsai!, Soldier Ask Not, and Tactics of Mistake, as a ‘trilogy.’ Necromancer doesn’t really feel like it fits the rest of the series (it’s a prequel taking places centuries before everything else).

I think ‘Tactics’ is probably the best, and could be read on its own with no problem. I did lose interest in the series after a while, as the style shifted and the books got much longer and slower.

Cool news. I have to admit that I was always a little confused about where to start with the Dorsai books. The novel DORSAI! was written in 1959, but the books that seemed to get all the press were SOLDIER, ASK NOT (1967) and NECROMANCER (1962).

They were written out of chronological order, too. According to Wikipedia, NECROMANCER actually occurs first, then TACTICS OF MISTAKE.

This was too much for me as a teenager (when I didn’t have Wikipedia to help me sort it all out). I was always intrigued by Dorsai, but never read it.

At least a few of the novels appeared first as short stories that I first came across in THE HUGO WINNERS anthology, edited by Isaac Asimov, though.

According to Wikipedia (where I got all these dates), Dickson died before he could finish the last book, CHILDE.

Any idea where the series will start? Or where they SHOULD start? Chronologically, or in book order? Right at the beginning, or with the later, more famous novels?

See? I’m already confused. I should just stay away from this topic before I confuse everyone else.

John