Corona | Coming Attractions

A couple of months back I was killing some time in the local bookstore and came across a remarkable piece of creative fiction presented as if the events documented really happened. Boilerplate was the name of the book and it told the story of a robot created in the late 19th century that went on to travel the globe, interact with many historical figures and even fight in the First World War. Throughout the book there were photos that looked like authentic snapshots of that era showing the Boilerplate robot standing alongside people. As a kid I loved stuff like this, and for years there didn't seem to be any more alternate history books made like this.

Seeing the creativity displayed in Boilerplate, it doesn't come as any surprise that the movie rights got snapped up for it. Ironically, it's J.J. Abrams company Bad Robot that did the snapping, giving the Star Trek director producing privledges for the forthcoming film.

The Hollywood Reporter has more about the history of the book and how it took its creators more than a decade to get it published. That's a terribly sad fact of being a creator in this day and age; innovative ideas slightly outside the norm don't seem to get the support they need to happen. That's all the more reason to appreciate Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett persevering to get Boilerplate made and out there for us to enjoy.

See what I'm gushing about when you watch this trailer for the book. Abrams made a smart buy by grabbing this one.