There are a multitude of reasons I wanted to read this book about Screenwriting. I personally love the craft of screenwriting, and movies like most people. I respect the films and productions of Dan O’Bannon, who started at the USC film school and made his mark on cinema in less than a decade with Alien.  I was interested in DOB’s book for PKD reasons; he is credited with two films based on the short fiction of the master SF writer. Total Recall, co-written by DOB, was my entry point to PKD.

DOB was also PKD’s introduction to Hollywood. His interest in Second Variety, which would become an unfaithful film, Screamers. I have read DOB's very faithful screenplay based on PKD's masterpiece, Second Variety, called Claws. It is amazing. While it is true that Blade Runner was the movie that opened Hollywood to the possibility of PKD films, DOB was the first serious writer to consider really adapting him, and sparked interest around the industry. I am not sure Blade Runner would exist without that CLAWS script.

There is plenty of practical writing advice, mostly taken from breaking down classic films are looking at their structure. He also spends some time looking at the origins of narrative story to the origins of Plato.  This is all good stuff. The chapter on Crouching Tiger is great, also a great chapter on SEVEN. 

The various chapters have exercises, and different worksheets built into them. It is a very practical book for beginners. It was however, not exactly what I was looking for. I wanted more personal experiences and examples taken from DOB’s long career behind the camera. The end result is a screenwriting textbook but anyone could’ve written it, I was looking for something more personal.  Examples drawn from his own writing experience, from scripts produced and unproduced in his personal career. 

Still, it is pretty Great.