Pages2Screen: Mickey 7 vs Mickey 17
- Dan
- 1 hour ago
- 1 min read
Today on the blog is another entry in my occasional series Pages2Screen. In this edition, I answer the question of whether Mickey 7 is better than the film adaptation.
Mickey 7 vs Mickey 17
Mickey 7
Mickey 7 is a darkly humorous science-fiction adventure by Edward Ashton. It's comparable to The Martian with the addition of a twisted, black jocularity.
The plot follows the eponymous protagonist, who is employed as an expendable on an expedition to establish a colony on a distant planet. Basically, Mickey gets all the crap jobs, as in the jobs that are most likely to get you killed, because, well, when he dies, a new body is reprinted for him. The last backup of his memories is installed in the new body's brain. It's not a fun process by any means.
The colonists encounter aliens on the planet, and Mickey ends up as the liaison. The likable down-on-his-luck protagonist, dark comedy, satirical social commentary, and interesting aliens make for a fun and thought-provoking read. The sequel, Antimatter Blues, is also excellent.
Mickey 17 or Mickey 7
Mickey 17 is a decent movie, but it falls far short of the novel. The biggest shortcoming is the depiction of the aliens. The critters are not as interesting in the movie by a long shot. I had other minor issues, but I would have overlooked those had the aliens lived up to Ashton's version of them. Bottom line, skip the movie and read the book.