For a Small Production/Fan Game the Effort, Time and Labor of Love put into this is OUTSTANDING...

This would make such a Interesting Game......

I always felt the Hadleys Hope Outbreak Warranted a Survival Horror Game ;)

Keep up the Good Work ;)

I have noticed quite a Few Actually would carry on with quite a Number of Elements from Prometheus with Gavin being the ONLY one for a Clean Slate...  Interesting.

@Leto

What you describe is NOT too far off John Spaights drafts Alien Engineers/Genesis, just with a Few Tweaks... Mainly in that the Scarabs/Goo would be Obtained from the Xenomorph.  Your not alone as i would think a Majority would have Preferred more of a Spaights work than Prometheus, and i think most seem to be more Interested in the Engineers Technology and their Current Agenda as opposed to say too much about their History/Fall and Ancient Chariots of the God Shenanigans.  Which i think for some would be getting to be Too Much a Distraction from ALIEN which i think a lot of Fans had expected the Prequels to be more connected to ALIEN, as opposed to becoming more Disconnected to ALIEN.

@MonsterZero

Thats some Interesting Ideas about other DIMENSIONS, and indeed we had seen such things like this with for Example the Movie Event Horizon which indeed gives a Hubris of attempting to OPEN/USE a Worm Hole to Travel Further in Space... only they OPEN UP a Gate Way to another Hell Dimension.

I think a Number of Fans had Expected something more LOVECRAFTIAN than what Prometheus had given us.

One of Lovecrafts Stories was From Beyond which also had been adapted to a Movie in 1986 the premise of this and Lovcrafts Story was about Hubris of Unlocking Access to other Dimensions where those Scientists end up Opening a Portal to Many Horrors, and they even MUTATE the Scientists.

So MonsterZero your idea is somewhat similar to FROM BEYOND...  Now i mentioned this in this Thread THE ENGINEERS: THE VERGE OF GODHEAD where i discussed the Original Idea that Jon Spaights had pitched Alien 01 The Master Narrative

The Engineers attempt to Transcend to Godhead was a attempt to Transform Themselves to Multi Dimensional beings without Physical Form and so this is VERY much Lovecraftian and like what you point MonsterZero....

In his Alien 01 The Master Narrative had the Engineers Achieved their Objective or in Hubris what Horrors could they have Unleashed or Became?

So at Jon Spaights Pitch there was some Lovecraftian Ideas that just got Down-played by the Time the Drafts began.

@Gavin

Its Interesting to offer something as a Complete Change from what Spaights had laid down that Evolved to Prometheus.  IF/WHEN we heard say 10 Years ago we would get a ALIEN PREQUEL i am sure what we have at the Moment is NOT what most would have expected.

The Discovery of a Relic, a Ship that is Connected to the Space Jockey that is LOST at Sea is Interesting. Its a idea that could be Evolved.... such as it think the detection of a Signal we would have to ASK... how come it was NOT detected before?

So you could have instead a Downed Satellite, or Ship (Ocean or Space or Air Ship) that has Crashed in the Ocean and During the Recovery Mission they THEN would detect the Signal or Spot something Buried at Sea.

Or even we have a Archeological Team that feel they have FINALLY managed to locate ATLANTIS and they do indeed Discover a Buried at Sea Long Lost ANCIENT CITY.... which could then be connected to the Space Jockey Race...  Maybe this Atlantis has a Derelict Ship left behind?

I think if we went such a Route as these or what you had Suggested we would have to clear up that there is NO WAY to obtain a Xenomorph or maybe also Technology from this Lost City/Ship which means the ONLY option would be LV-426 but Certainly having this Under Water Discovery being what leads to LV-426 is Interesting.

Maybe we could Combine what you suggest with MonsterZero and my Two Cents on both?

So that we have a Atlantis Lost City or Star Port that was some Ancient Gate Way, that was LOST or was DESTROYED/SANK on Purpose...   For a Good Reason that any would be Adventurers would soon Discover to a Great Hubris, this Place should NOT have been Discovered.

It would be a bit of a HP Lovecraft meets Stargate Atlantis, meets ALIEN... but then Prometheus was basically a bit of Star Gate, minus much of HP Lovecraft and Toned Down ALIEN.

A new, introductory trailer for Alien: Hope for the future. https://youtu.be/uCpr-aGh9zw

chli

Omniscient Narrator 

That is entirely correct and that is because in this constructed mythos in the movie we know about the Waterfall Incident and in the book I know precisely what that means but those participating in the story, film or book, do not...to begin with (in the books).

Elizabeth

Thanks for this question :-

1) Film to Book Elizabeth is very very closely aligned so I would argue I am recording Ridley's vision. 

2) With the prologue and book 2 her portrayal is heavily influenced by 

i The serious young girl asking her father where do we go when we die. 

ii As the only child of a missionary in Africa I used a character from a Rider Haggard novel as a template. She was a daughter of a dutch missionary priest, isolated, used to living off her own resources but profoundly interested in matters of the spirit. Unsurprisingly she was socially naive living in an isolated mission.

When Noomi was doing wardrobe tests they dressed her in quite sophisticated outfits but then settled on her field suit again simple unsophisticated.

Her natural inclination then was to keep her own company and revel in her surroundings which I emphasis in the prologue. My eldest daughter is married to a Vicar but she is a very social creature but shares the humble uncomplicated personality traits of Elizabeth and her serious persona but she was never in my mind. 

iii The line in the Crossing "what if they are no better" again a comment on mankind in general and only heightened by what happens during the Moon event which I make darker.

iv Damon Lindelof's comment that she is our proxy. We want the questions she has answered.

Her being isolated and feeling different from her contemporaries is not only a crucial part of her overarching journey but plays very heavily into her journey with David.            

Her being barren is not significant other than it has a part to play in a story about creation and the forbidden fruit. It is a function of the narrative not her per se. 

If her portrayal feels very real and very personal then I am pleased. I do not have any issues as regards men or woman. I have two quite separate teams of men that I lead on my building projects and they love working with me as I do them. I am one of an increasing number of independent professional woman who do not need a man financially or for companionship and my really dynamic relationships are with both woman and men and they tend to be much younger than me. I love their enthusiasm for life and its boundless possibilities rather than the two generations above them who are becoming more and more cynical and not a little entitled, and if thats me its nothing to do with Elizabeth.      

Where I agree with Elizabeth and David is that mankind isn't doing very well and that plays into Ridley's point we may be a footnote and explain why we are not doing well.

I hope that helps and fingers and toes cross you continue to enjoy the books.   

Michelle

I've started reading and enjoy it. You use an omniscient narrator but much of Elisabeth is you, isn't it, feeling isolated and different (among men and people in general :) )?

'depths of the Pacific Ocean'

Nice one Gavin...and I could see James Cameron wanting to film that!

All of humanity (buildings/bones/plastic/etc...)will be scrubbed from the face of the Earth in a million years or so.....so I could envision a cuthulu race who setting up shop on Earth millions of years ago.

Thanks Leto!

I'd like to think that the dwarf galaxy is facehugging the Milky Way! A truly epic scale face hugger/egg pod. 

Shaw and David realize it's probably too late to save the patient(Milky Way)...the seed has been planted.

Shaw finds there was a quarantine shield that surrounds the alien gateway...it no longer operates..they are unsure when it last worked?( The Engineers were smart enough to stop/scan anything dangerous coming from another galaxy)

Capt. Janek and Vickers don’t think it’s a good idea to board the monstrous alien gateway ...The talk of restarting is just insane. There are heated arguments,...most aboard are for leaving, some for its destruction.

Vickers and Janek hatch a plan to disable David and take control from Peter Weyland...If it comes to that.

They find the Gateway is also a decontamination site...sterilizing the vessels returning from the other galaxy.

Peter Weyland wonders just what in the other galaxy was so valuable that they would take such a risk?

Weyland staring into the void: “It has always been calling to me...Always”

Janek snaps Vickers neck as she is trying to implement their ship takeover. Janek has also heard the calling.

Later ….With the gateway opened...  they decide to make the jump to LEO A...David estimates it will take 300 years to reach the outer rim of the dwarf ...using a juggernaut(scorpion design..or something giger esque) the remaining crew of the Prometheus (or whatever it would be called in this version) make the jump………..

In this version Peter Weyland  appears 40-50 years old, even though he is twice that....he has been modifying his aging(the Alien universe has FTL and anti grav....you would assume they have some anti-aging tech?)

MonsterZero, wow, just wow! Very epic and dark.

Alien style opening credits, background rotating through space finishing on a planet. Planet's surface is uber hostile, barren and lifeless (like LV-223, but with skeletons everywhere). Zoom in on an animal skull which gets picked up by a gloved hand. Then show a Juggernaut leaving the planet. Inside, the Juggernaut looks shiny and new (like in Prometheus) as within one of the vessels 'arms' the hand places the skull in a container on a shelf, a shelf full of other containers, each with something unique inside them (one of which will be an insect). Focus back on the skull to see some black liquid moving inside the skull.

Earth, mid 21st century. A Weyland Corp satellite picks up a strange signature in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Zoom in from orbit to see dozen of ships arranged in a circle. Onboard one ship a crew enters a submersible and descends towards the source. Due to terrain, the crew has to 'land' the sub at a distance and climb the terrain underwater toward the source of the signal, whereby they discover a Juggernaut. The crew approach one of the three vaginal entrances, which are closed, but suck them inside where it is dry and the air is breathable. They explore the Juggernauts cargo hold, which is empty before ascending to the cockpit, complete with a pilot. They presume the pilot is dead but when it moves in its chair one of the crew overreacts and kills the pilot. Examining the pilot the crew remove its helmet to reveal a C'Thulu-like head. Noticing a flashing squidgy button on the Pilots chair the crew activates an Orrery (like David did) showing them something emanating from one of three moons around a gas giant.

Transition to said, some years later as a Weyland Corp vessel approaches it; LV-426. The crew (same as before) land and venture towards the derelict Juggernaut and finding it's pilot dead. However, they notice the interior of the juggernaut is different from that of the Juggernaut on Earth (and different from what the Juggernaut looked like in the opening scene). The team split up alone to cover more ground as the leads stay in the cockpit. The lead characters activate the chairs holo-ghost recording showing the pilot awakening and struggling yet failing to leave its chair, and then while trying to break free of its suit the recording shows some smoke coming from the platform, where there is now a hole. Through the hole we see one of the crew without a helmet walking towards something unseen, but shown to be under a layer of blue mist. As the leads continue to watch the recording which shows the dead piot being suffocated by a spider-like parasite (Facehugger)we see elsewhere in the Juggernaut another lone crew member discover a strange dessicated corpse, but as they approach it the corpse attacks and kills them. Back in the cockpit, the leads watch as a snake-like creature bursts through the pilot's chest, ending the recording while the crew member in the cargo hold meets the same fate and the awakened corpse (the pilot born Alien) begins stalking the crew.

Fight for survival. More deaths. Alien portrayed as being more cunning and devious. Pilot born ALien killed on LV-426, but the crew is unaware of other Alien which stows on board their ship as they leave. After failing to vent it into space (re-imagining of Alien airlock scene) and a few more deaths, but with no means to escape the lone survivor warns Weyland Corp about the Alien and self destruct the ship killing themselves and the Alien.

Inferences...

#1 - Goo inside skull contaminates Juggernaut and creates the eggs and the blue-laser mist.

#2 - the goo, inferred to be remnants of the Alien, devasted the planet in the opening scene.

#3 - The container show the pilots are benevolent collectors and their vessels are arks.

#4 - The insect in the pilot's collection is suggesting the Queen Alien is a variant from the goo infecting the insect.  

#5 - The pilots (Space Jockeys) are not human or our creators.

#6 - The devastated world is unknown, and though not the Alien homeworld, remains a mystery.

An infected galaxy is a great idea. I also liked your idea about eggs having to be scrapped from their hulls, it just shows how infected that galaxy has become!.

A bit like Event Horizon where the ship returns from Hell and was witness to god know what horrors - it returned disturbed and twisted. Its a terrifying idea

Thanks I Raptus!

I think the idea of an infested galaxy and the Engineers opening a portal to it, Then having to shut it to keep out the 'devil', could work. (it's a portal to hell trope...but I don't think the audience would mind?)

Who knows what terrors they brought back...the xenomorph might be the least of their worries.

Wonder if David could restart/open the gate?

I don't want the big baddie to be AI either...more cosmic horror. tougher to pull off correctly...especially without Giger. :-(

MonsterZero love your premise!! Ambiguous, dark and it raises the threat. Nice one

cool. I'll give it a go.

1. Classic timeline 2090ish.

2. No LV-426 visit or LV-223.

3. infer clues..they can figure it out.(maybe?)

4. Space Jockeys all dead millions(if not billions) of years.

5. absolutely. David and Shaw(and hopefully the audience) figure it out. 

6. Classic Xenomorph 

7. No one looking for ancient astronauts. hard core science.

Start the movie showing LEO A a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

 The galaxy is over run by xenomorph egg infestation sextillion dotting(and rotting) on the surface of planets and their moons(not sure how to show the galaxy is their hive?).

Cut to: A race of humanoid (Engineers) building a massive transportation super structure. the Engineers want to access local galaxies(and Andromeda) using advanced transportation technology.

They finally succeed in opening the gateway(s) and start exploring nearby dwarf galaxies(one being LEO A)....bringing samples of stuff they find back home(Milky Way)

Show the Engineers having to scrape eggs off the hulls of their juggernauts(like barnacles)

Show the Engineers encountering and battling something (not shown)......

Cut to: The Prometheus travelling at light speed.

Space telescopes(or deep space probes) have identified a large superstructure near the edge of the Milk Way.

Peter Weyland will not miss this event!

the Prometheus arrives at the alien structure finding thousands of derelict Juggernauts orbiting the gateways power source(a black hole)....David thinks it's Hard to say if they were returning or trying to leave the galaxy?

Weyland insists they must now explore the alien structure.....

BigDave

Thanks I would love some more feedback on my selection and choices for Book One.

At first glance the prologue simply positions Elizabeth but its actually an Overture to the truth which my most dedicated readers got.

In terms of authenticity I was aware of two matters which damaged the film :-

1)  Damon, probably because of where Pre Production was, simply overlaid some of Jon's Monster Beats. I think its no coincidence thats the weakest element of the film, because his original elements, the spiking of the drink and Sir Peter on board were very strong. I develop those themes much further.    

2) Specifically the original Fifield beat felt like a distraction in Jon's script. But with Weyland on board with his surrogate son and actual daughter it became a real problem. Originally Fifield was in Act 3 but that was considered to undermine the Weyland wake up so they pushed it back and wove it into Elizabeth coming round and onto the Med Pod which takes away from that scene and it overwrites Charles Death. I wont say anymore right now but I dealt with this matter head on.

Ok. My first option - classic.

1) Before Alien. Year can be the same - 2093.

2) Definitely - LV-426.

3) Only a direct prequel to Alien. Basically the same script, including the ending. Prometheus crew discover Enineer's/Space Jockey's pyramids, then all dies. Engineer/Space Jockey killed by chestburster, and Shaw & David survived and fled to another film. :)

4) Good question. I want to see more about Engineer's technologies and science, not about not about their kinship ties.

How Deep do you explore their Agenda and History or Set up this for a Sequel?

No. The story must be self-sufficient. No nonsense, such as - maybe we will answer later, maybe in a sequel, or maybe in a triquel, or maybe not answer at all - because mystery for mystery - it is very interesting!

Get me right - the film should set the stage and give enough information about the Engineers. For the viewer to understand what kind of civilization this is. The sequels can develop and deepen knowledge. But basic information should be provided in the first film.

Do they/can they Communicate with Humans and HOW?

I think - they will have the big fists. xD

5) Yes.

And what the Connection the Space Jockey has with them?

Engineers/Space Jockeys process eggs (or aliens) into black goo.

6) Xenomorph in the end. Main action with neomorphs.

7) Characters will be smart. And scientists will work like scientists.

P.S. Of course, Giger's aesthetics should prevail. There are no stone caves, stone buildings, Jedi robes ;), no another stone planet without a life.

Had a Quick Glance through that Website Link Michelle, i think its Very Interested to add some FLESH to Prometheus to change a few things, but mainly to add some Meat to those Bones.

Help us to get a better connection with Dr Shaw and David by giving us a bit more depth about them, that you cant do with a Movie due to Time Constraints.

I am sure a Number of People are Disappointed that PROMETHEUS never got a Novelization apart from in Japan and so for those who saw Prometheus beyond looking for/at HOW we got to the Xenomorph and Derelict would certainly find it Interesting to see how you Flesh Out the other aspects of Prometheus.

And then to Continue with where the Sequels could have taken us, instead of Caving in to ANSWER the Derelict and Eggs Chronologically... that gave us Alien Covenant.

After the Weekend i will give that Prologue of Sorts a Good Read, looks Very Good so far ;)

ignorantGuy

Thank you thats very kind of you. I can honestly say it is not vanity that would respond to others wanting to make Elizabeths journey it is in the joy of knowing others find the questions which David recognises in her dreams so intriguing.    

Lone

One of the things I love about you is your passion for Ridleys visual coups and his prop design choices.

In both books I have tried to honour those choices by underwriting their meaning in what I hope you will feel is an authentic way.

I spent a long time thinking about why did they trigger protocols with musical sequences, what is the material in the four glass ampules and why does the craft at the beginning and its occupants communicate a simple unadorned elegance whereas the craft and people of the Moon reflect a curious mixture of the ethereal, organic and mechanical what was at the root of that change, for the documentary makes it clear millions of years separate the two.  

So my proposition is a simple one, whilst Prometheus is Ridleys story and is on the screen for all to see, if you consider his visuals carefully embedded in the film are all the materials for the next one.

Michelle,

I have been absent from the forum for a while. Many thanks for sharing your work. It comes from a passion for Prometheus & what it opened us up to. Given the troping & emptyness of most cinema in recent years, very few directors would have had the vision or bravery to go there.

Prometheus was the beginning of an odyssey, what a waste that it was not allowed to follow through. As an aficionado of the original ALIEN & Ridley’s work, in cinematic terms it was the most excited I had been for years. After Covenant that excitement was replaced to a certain extent by sadness & if only…. 

Anyway, I will certainly be setting aside some time to savour your reworking. 

First of all i would say Regarding Technology, that the Current Generation does rely on such things and we do spend too much Time on our Devices than Appreciate Nature, those who where Born before the 90's would have a idea of Times before we relied heavy on such things.

Regarding Alien Isolation i can understand the Points being raised, the Game is Truly Engaging  and it adds that element of Suspense and Fear because you are Responsible for what happens as you Control the Character...  But when you are the Spectator then the Effect is much Less... by that if you was to for the First Time of ever seeing the Game, and you sat and WATCHED someone who has Completed the Game Many Times and so can do just a Quick Walk Through, then as such a Spectator you are NOT going to have the same Suspense and Fear that you would if you had Played the Game from Scratch.

So then it comes down to the Character Interactions and Scenes and as a Spectator they lack Depth, that you get from a Well Written Book or Movie.

I think looking at a Continuation as a TV Series could work, provided it does-not try and tackle the Space Jockey or Xenomorph Origins.   And so as DK had mentioned the Viewer of such a TV Series Continuation could get some Dialog, Narration etc to what happened prior, but then its best to NOT go into too much Detail, where it leaves the Viewer the Option to go and PLAY the Game to get more DETAIL of what Transpired prior, or to go and READ the Novel.

I think the Problem with the Franchise is finding the Balance between Drama, Suspense, Thriller and Horror and also Action.   The Fanbase has different Wants and Expectations.

Maybe One Series of 8 Episodes thats more like a Alien or Alien 3, with another Unconnected one thats more like a Aliens and Alien Resurrection for the Action Fans..

For me its also a Question of HOW-FAR can you take the Xenomorph before its been done to Death? Especially if we get a TV Series thats more a Alien Resurrection or Aliens... or like the Comics..

Its then a case of WHATS NEXT? 

And without exploring the Origins and the Space Jockey, then it really is Limited, and exploring them is just a MESS at the Moment due to the Mess Left by Alien Covenant.

I think FOX/Disney would be better off with a TV Series that is like a Spiritual Sister to the ALIEN Franchise, rather than having it SET in the ALIEN Universe.  

  Prometheus would have had that Spiritual Sister look/feel if say the Company was not Weyland, and the Engineers Suits and Ships looked different to the Derelict/Space Jockey..

Michelle Johnston 

I wish you receive praise for the hard work (yes, yes I know that you did this mainly for yourself, but still).

dk  Thank-you very much for what you said!! I really appreciate the sentiment and the info--it's always nice to know what people Like, as it helps me insofar as to make sure things stay on-track. :D

I'm glad you enjoyed the little peek into the Sequel, and that's the great thing about books--you can always go back re-read or just skim through to refresh one's memory. :)

It has been a long time since seeing Manticore. I don't recall all the names, but I like the over all style. What is remembered most is the way the writing makes me feel like I am there- the descriptive and gritty way of describing sights, smells and matter of fact ways characters speak and think.

Thanks for the peek and welcome back Blackwinter-witch !

As promised here's an excerpt, from Chapter 06.

I remind you to please keep in mind this is RAW ORE type 1st Draft, and a LONG ways--and several editing passes--from being Finished and polished up nice and neat.

*********BEGIN EXCERPT***

C H A P T E R
06

The memorial for Lenden the following day was conducted outside, a short ways from the base camp, in an area that had been thoroughly and repeatedly checked for anything even remotely dangerous. Declan had put his skills to work in crafting a headstone from a slab of stone retrieved by a drone.
Lenden’s body was cremated using thermite packs, thoroughly eliminating any chance of any possible contagion lingering in his remains, and when complete the ashes were interred in the drone-excavated grave which was filled in by five volunteers.
Smythe caught up with Selinaehra and Declan inside Panzer as clouds rolled in, promising torrential rains. Declan poured him a stiff drink, handed it to him which was gratefully accepted with a polite nod of thanks.
“I’ve checked everyone over, with no surprises. More than a few people were quite worried about secondary contagion and contamination so I have a dozen of the utility drones performing level-three decontam sweeps and clean-up. I don’t blame them, and a precautionary clean-up certainly cannot hurt.” He commented after taking a healthy tilt of the whisky poured for him.
Declan stared into the depths of his own whisky, then asked the question on his mind.
“How the hell did that happen? I checked his suit, there were no breaches at all, nothing.” He said.
“I suspect he opened his suit, for some reason. Possibly, and most likely, he removed his helmet for some perfectly mundane reason, for example to scratch his nose. That would be all it took. The spore-mites from those little pods could have been trapped in the seal, they’d have been shielded versus even level-five-plus decontamination, and when he was inside, removing his suit it’d have it’s opportunity. I’m guessing, of course, based strictly off time-indexing which we have from the Covenant’s lander’s mission recorder about their own encounters with such things. But, with the scanty evidence at-hand, that seems the most likely chain of events.” Smythe said with a sigh, sounding tired.
Selinaehra sat, listening and thinking. Poured a fresh round for her crewmates and herself before speaking.
“I think we’re just seeing the start of some much larger and more serious problems. That other crew out there in the city, there’s no telling what they might stir up and they don’t have the knowledge we do. They’re blundering around in the dark, and if they haven’t yet, they’ll be encountering who-knows-what and that could come back on us.” She took a long swallow of whisky before she brought up a chilling point.
“That city out there, it was a living city not so long ago. Now, here’s the problem: ‘What happens when the Engineers come and find this city having been killed’?” She said, pointing in the general direction of the city and getting the full attention of her crewmates who looked sharply at her in alarm.
“Damn, yeah. This is a problem. Whatever happened here, unless the Engineers did it to themselves…shit…” Declan said, trailing off as the enormity settled on him.
Smythe swirled his whisky in his metal cup, thinking in alarming ways.
“I’ll remind you both that if is was a hostile action, possibly on the part of Shaw, the Engineers brought it on themselves. They did fully intend to wipe Earth clean of all animal-based life two millenia ago, and the very first thing that Engineer on LV-223 did upon awakening was attempt to carry out that mission without question nor hesitation. We also have a small but formidable stockpile of modified weapons aboard which we can use as a checkmate versus any Engineers who might seek a reprisal strike, unless they want a few dozen more of their cities on other worlds decimated with their own weapon.” He said, slowly, deliberately, coldly.
“You’re thinking we can bluff them?” Declan asked, wondering what was going on inside the mind of the ship’s doctor.
Smythe met Declan’s eyes for a moment, and Declan pulled back slightly from what he saw in their depths.
“No. We would not be ‘bluffing’.” He said, simply, directly.
Declan looked at the older man with a new level of respect. Despite the fussy-seeming demeanour, the always-impeccable grooming and manner of dress there was something cold, dark, steel-hard and sharp inside Smythe.
Something that Declan thought that the Engineers wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of if they had any sense at all.

**********END EXCERPT****

I Raptus

 To your question about music and I can only answer for me. 

Its three elements head heart and hips. 

Head

As a chorister I have an intellectual interest in a piece of music.  I now hear harmony counter point et etc and admire it. If I hear a piece of music I do not like I can explain very clearly at an intellectual level why I do not like it. In fandom that goes down like a lead balloon.   

Heart 

All of the art I connect to whether cinema or book or whatever is about fulfilling the emotional junkie in me. Its not about being sentimental its about experience and learning something. So story telling is vital. Action sequences have to have a story telling value and move the characters and story on. In music I want a narrative I can relate to but most of the music I listen to is on average 250 years old with no lyrics and I love Jazz a lot of which is instrumental and the latter feed a mood. Excitement, journeying, discovery, serenity, joy  etc etc. So thats quite similar to reading a book or watching a movie. 

Hips. 

This is where music is different its entirely participatory. 

Thanks by the way for responding in kind I was taken by your perceptive comment. 

I have completed a further revision of both elements always seeking to make the story come off the page better, better descriptions, crisper dialogue. 

The mayhem elements in the extension were deliberately flat in terms of detail, probably sub consciously as a reaction to what I believe is now so formulaic. The revision allows for both David and Elizabeth to react in a more physically intimate way with whats getting out of hand and it also occurred to me there was a chance to define the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist in a new way.

Its no secret that the big theme of Prometheus is about transmission through sacrifice but there is another element which is crucial to a hierarchy who are aggressive ...... hosting and its many forms.

I have made the site public.        

https://prometheuscontinuationstory.com

To restate as starkly and simply as possible this is about "who made us and if they made us who made them." to quote Ridley. That things go wrong and a craft ends up on the Moon with a weird cargo is to quote Michael Fassbender "a small tributary of a much larger canvas."

So this is for those intrigued by Prometheus and where a separate story might go. Its avowedly not for ALIEN centric fans.  

Thank-you I Raptus !!!! :D

Yeah I tend to have an 'eccentric orbit', kinda like a planet orbiting a star that have an extreme outer-range time...but I always come back around. ;)

ALIEN, it's never far from my thoughts, my 'Home' universe and I am working on something 'Experimental' that folks may or may not like but it's something MANY of us have been WANTING to see since we first toured the Los Angeles of 2019. ;)

That's all I am saying for now, as well as that the initial testing has gone SO smoothly I spent a week worried I was doing something wrong--but simply, the two Realities were MEANT to align. :D

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Hey there Blackwinter-witch! Nice to see you back.

Excited to hear you are working on a sequel. Manticore was deadset fantastic.  

Been busy with assorted things myself since I was here last.

The planned sequel is still in-the-works, but getting it 'right' is the real trick with it, because it has to have the proper 'Feel' for it to be properly part of the ALIEN universe.

Capturing the 'Feel' was pretty easy--relatively speaking--with ALIEN: Manticore as they were on LV-223 and LV-426, so those locales did the heavy-lifting.

'Paradise' well, there's a huge city to deal with, ground combat, space combat and assorted other 'Interesting Problems' that come up in the course of events, so this time around, the 'Feel' is taking a more elusive temperament towards my efforts.

But, I will get it, little by little, I will get it.

I will also post another Excerpt in the very near future. :D

dk ah the old Choose-Your-Own-Adventures!

I agree, they could be a mixed bag. Some executed the idea better than others. I remember some enjoyable ones that incorporated some basic RPG / Dungeon & Dragons tabletop-type gameplay to them too. More participation of art. 

Damned if I could remember what they were called though!

I have started seeing interactive kids shows on Netflix where viewers can choose actions that affect the story in some way. Typically it is an illusion of choice, and the plot is still entirely linear....but you can see they are developing the capacity to push that concept further 

Michelle Johnston that is a great insight and articulated perfectly about participation to art. 

Its an interesting topic in the multi-media world we now exist. We are always connected, always participating nowadays.

Usually if we're spectating, its to cast judgement on others  à la "Reality TV" lol.

Im sitting at home right now in my leisure time, and yet Im still connected to my work networks - I half-absently filter emails, and coordinate and respond where needed. And Im of borderline GenX-GenY age! This is an adapted behavior, from the necessity of the environment we now live in. I feel for the managers & leaders of tomorrow, they may well just live at work. 

You hear of children suffering from Fear-Of-Missing-Out social anxiety if they are not connected for 5 minutes!! Its intense.

Of the participation in art, would you agree that music is at the other end of the spectrum - 100% participation? As A songwriter I know personally that I want to totally participate in the emotional journey of any song I listen to. 

Whereas for a film, visual art etc. Im happy to spectate. 

Personally my preferred art medium is writing though. Third Person perspective.

Michelle Johnston  there is talk of multiple ending choices so you can have the scenario which you want.

This is not a new concept and can be a mixed bag. I remember books doing it before video games. The most recent example I saw was Black Mirror Bandersnatch that had the viewers choose what the main character did throughout an episode. It required using a smart phone and linking up with the TV etc... I got through some of it and really didn't care for it. As a gamer, it felt like watching cut scenes and clicking on a choice but not really having any skin in the game like playing Isolation. As a viewer, it felt gimmicky. It seems like this style is like 3D movies in that it comes and goes as a novelty. It is hard to imagine this style catching on for a series for the long haul even with a younger audience. 

If Isolation would continue, it should start where the game left off with Amanda adrift in space and a light shining on her at the last second. No need to re hash the game.

For those who didn't play the game or know the story, the first episode could maybe dedicate 30 minutes at the front to fly through the game's story with an Amanda narrative and call it good.

I Raptus

"Or perhaps it was the disconnect from being the player, to being the reader that made it feel so empty."

I am not sure whether your realise it but you have hit on a fundamentally important point about participation in art. To explain. 

When we went to the cinema 40 years ago (A L I E N) we had a visceral experience and either did or did not connect with the characters and the story. That was it. 

There is I understand a whole generation, maybe two, of what I believe are called "Gamers." The crucial issue is they are watching related material as participants.

As result when they watch a film now there principle reaction, after years of interacting, is quasi participative. Rather than working out that a character is flawed and enjoying the observation, when the character does something that they would not in a game they say he is stupid.

I believe Isolation is a tropped game that you play. If you then read the novelisation the principle connection, participation, is removed. If the novel is going to work it will be through generating character atmosphere etc etc it is not the same medium. 

I think audiences are going through a very confusing time where they do not understand what each medium means and how to approach. I wonder how many gamers realise they are watching movies in a quasi participation mode?

This is not about the ALIEN horror movie franchise its clear from all of the franchises that started off before just as movies that the new generation of audiences are analysing action as participants rather than seeking to understand the actions of those involved. You can make the distinction but I wonder given the way people offer feedback if they do. 

This point is now well understood by those providing the entertainment and there is talk of multiple ending choices so you can have the scenario which you want. For me this fundamentally undermines storytelling but if people buy it then the companies will provide it.  

I will just finish this by broadening the argument. We are now reaching a point where many of the last two generations and even some of mine are no longer making connection directly with the real world but living through media.

I was on an Island off Lombok this summer and after snorkelling and a wonderful lunch I did a circuit of this idyllic  Island. 80% of the people I walked past were staring at their phones. When I post here I use a MacBook Air spend say 20 minutes and then close it off. I never consider my phone when I am connecting with the real world other than to respond to calls in an emergency.      

As for a TV series I think as people binge watch episodic television, they have the opportunity to develop a completely new set of characters and develop them slow burn and then let them hear "the noise in the antic." The challenge is to make the horror truly frightening for those who want that emotion. If they keep the story internalised with no attempt at referenced world building they can simply show the things fans want without explanation. If they are on a space station somewhere or a planet somewhere (even some of them we know) provided they keep to the edge and do not try and offer a grand explanation which will lead to a million and one armchair interventions it could work.    

Please count me in as very excited to hear this news.

Hope it's true.

MCU, Star Wars, DC all have TV-series...Fans seem to accept them..even if they aren't directly related to the big screen stuff.

Really liking a frozen take on Alien..tough to film...but worth it.

Walter(David) reports a couple of colonists are missing …(it’s winter on the one habitable continent) Their signals originate in an iced over cave on the side of a mountain...Walter suggests a rescue party……...be careful of avalanches, he warns.

Ha ha. That would be Giger on Bling. Can't see Disney going for it, somehow!

Amazing cakes!

Sounds like a great plan MonsterZero....will do the same.

Fingers Crossed...

Hopefully it wont be about a RIPLEY ;) 

No Need Really...

The Engineers Plot had opened up a lot of Avenues.

1) Is LV-223 the only Place they Conducted and Stored Horrific Experiments?

2) What was the Origin to those Experiments.

3) Had the Engineers Successfully Unleashed such Horrors (Black Goo or Eggs) on other Worlds?

4) What becomes of LV-223 in the Alien Time-Line post Prometheus?

5) What becomes of Planet 4 and Origae-6 after the Prequel Time-Line?

All are Avenues to give us Xenomorphs or Similar, rather than the LETS GO BACK TO THE DERELICT Plot.

A TV series would be a great way to expand the Alien universe, heck maybe even introduce some more offshoots to the xenomorphs or add completely new alien threats alongside the beloved xenomorphs