Producers Ilene Kahn Power and Elizabeth Stanley have secured the rights to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s renowned “Darkover novels and are currently developing a multi-platform television series around the saga, the pair announced today.
A gifted and prolific science-fiction and fantasy writer, Bradley, who garnered the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2000, was the author of over 66 books and 105 short stories.
“The Mists of Avalon,” Bradleys monumental re-imagining of the Arthurian legend, won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 1984 and in 2002 was developed into an award-winning miniseries. Bradley’s critically acclaimed works have sold millions of copies world-wide and have been translated into more than 10 languages.
“Set in a unique world and full of great adventure, the ‘Darkover’ series truly has the potential to be must-see television for seasons to come,” says Kahn Power. “The novels have a huge fan following throughout the science fiction and fantasy communities internationally, and Marion Zimmer Bradley was an inspiration to and a nurturer of many notable fantasy writers including C.J. Cherryh, Charles de Lint, Mercedes Lackey, Diana L. Paxson, and many others.”
According to Stanley, “Bradley’s Darkover novels and short stories chronicle the development of a remarkable civilization technology poor but rich in its ability to harness the psi powers of the human brain (such as telepathy and telekinesis).”
Stanley adds, “One of the hallmarks of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s work is her rethinking and reinvention of gender roles. She was among the first speculative fiction writers to take on gender stereotypes and bend them or turn them topsy-turvy, thereby creating complex and unforgettable characters whose struggles with their own identities, as well as what society expects of them, feel completely modern.”
Kahn Power continues, “With the ability to create the Darkover world through state-of-the-art effects and the opportunity to utilize multiple platforms to unfold our narrative, now is the ideal time to create a lasting and far-reaching series that features compelling characters and gripping stories that will appeal not only to existing fans but also to the broader audience which has embraced series such as Game of Thrones and Battlestar Galactica.’
