An Epic Series Adaptation of the Antarctica-Set Sci-Fi Novel AUSTRAL Is in Development
Paul McAuley’s acclaimed sci-fi novel Austral is set to be adapted into an epic series thanks to Circle of Confusion Television Studios and ITV Studios’ Big Talk Productions.
The story is an expansive drama set in Antarctica during the year 2098, “decades after the melting glaciers have given way to a new frontier of resource-rich land, and a generation of settlers from all around the dying world have converged there. But for Austral Ferrado, one of a number of ‘huskies,’ or people who have been gene-edited to better withstand the still-unforgiving climate of the far south, this new Antarctica is no paradise. Trapped in a society that has imprisoned her and treated her kind more as animals than humans, Austral will stop at nothing to gain her freedom.”
This sounds like it has the makings of a great series. That’s certainly an interesting story, and I may just end up reading the book before the series comes out. The book has won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the John W. Campbell award, the Sidewise Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the British Fantasy Award for best short story.
The novel is being adapted by screenwriter Elise McCredie, who previously worked on the Cate Blanchett-produced series Stateless. Erik Skjoldbjaerg (Occupied) is attached to direct, and both will also serve as executive producers.
Luke Alkin, executive producer, Big Talk Productions said in a statement:
“‘Austral’ truly is a story for our times. It tackles climate change, prejudice and the abuse of power in a boldly compelling vision of the future. We’re incredibly excited to be working with two world-class talents, Elise McCredie and Erik Skjoldbjaerg, to bring Paul McAuley’s thrilling book to the screen.”
Russ Buchholz, executive VP and head of creative affairs, Circle of Confusion Television Studios added:
“Under ITV Studios’ global umbrella, we’ve been able to assemble a truly international team of storytellers to bring Paul McAuley’s brilliant novel to television. ‘Austral’ will captivate audiences worldwide as we follow her adrenaline-fueled journey and uncover this powerful story of survival, family legacy and the cost of freedom.”
The series will shoot in Norway, with locations in the far north of the country providing the dramatic landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Have you read the book and do you think it will make for a good series? Here’s a description of the story from the book:
The great geoengineering projects have failed. The world is still warming, sea levels are still rising, and the Antarctic Peninsula is home to Earth's newest nation, with life quickened by ecopoets spreading across valleys and fjords exposed by the retreat of the ice.
Austral Morales Ferrado, a child of the last generation of ecopoets, is a husky: an edited person adapted to the unforgiving climate of the far south, feared and despised by most of its population. She's been a convict, a corrections officer in a labour camp, and consort to a criminal, and now, out of desperation, she has committed the kidnapping of the century. But before she can collect the ransom and make a new life elsewhere, she must find a place of safety amongst the peninsula's forests and icy plateaus, and evade a criminal gang that has its own plans for the teenage girl she's taken hostage.
Blending the story of Austral's flight with the fractured history of her family and its role in the colonisation of Antarctica, Austral is a vivid portrayal of a treacherous new world created by climate change, and shaped by the betrayals and mistakes of the past.
Source: Variety