Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover Series Being Developed For TV

The sci-fi series from the author most famous for Mists Of Avalon could be heading for the small screen

Bradley is most famous for her Arthurian novels, including the seminal Mist Of Avalon . The Darkover series, rather than being an ongoing saga, is s series of books set over millennia, concentrating on a planet colonised by humans after their ship crashlands there, and they are forced to build a civilisation from scratch. The books were nor written chronologially, with Bradley dipping in out of the planet’s history. She wrote over 40 Darkover novels and short story collections, some in conjunction with other writers, kicking off with The Planet Savers in 1958.

It is unclear as yet which era or books of the Darkover saga producers Kahn Power and Stanley aim to adapt.

“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 CJ Cherryh, Charles de Lint, Mercedes Lackey, Diana L Paxson, and many others.”

Stanley adds, “Bradley’s Darkover novels and short stories chronicle the development of a remarkable civilisation – technology poor but rich in its ability to harness the psi powers of the human brain (such as telepathy and telekinesis)… 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."

“With the ability to create the Darkover world through state-of-the-art effects,” says Kahn Power, “and the opportunity to utilise 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 .”