Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great Stories That Have Inspired Great Films
*Starred Review*  Avid readers and movie buffs alike will relish Harrison's thought-provoking opus about the process of adapting short stories into screenplays. From science fiction to social satire, this captivating collection of 35 tales embraces literary greats like Chekhov and Cheever and memorable writings long out of print (such as Frank Rooney's "Cyclists' Raid," which became the 1953 Brando classicThe Wild One). Harrison evotes a chapter to every imaginable genre, prefacing each with quotes and anecdotes from writers, directors, and actors associated with the creative endeavors selected. Native American author Sherman Alexie, whose short stories inspired the 1998 cult hit,Smoke Signals, speaks of wrestling with the old stereotypes of "the noble and the ignoble savage." Stanley Kubrick's cohorts compare collaborations with the director to "being swallowed up by a cold and intelligent creature with many tentacles." Actor Vincent Price's daughter recalls how her father and Herbert Marshall "laughed until they cried" while filming the "Help me!" scene in 1958'sThe Fly. Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra,  Alfred Hitchcock, and John Ford are among the cast of cinematic personalities in this tribute to the inspiration and perspiration required to turn fiction into film.Allison BlockCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved