Terminator Salvation

With a little over a month to go until Terminator Salvation hits theatres, I’ve decided to put together a list of essential readings. Whether you’re a diehard fan or a newcomer to the franchise, these books will get you in the mood for some robot-hunting fun. 

1. Karel Čapek’s R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)

R.U.R. is often considered to be the first story about machines rebelling against their creators with apocalyptic consequences (that is if you ignore Shelley’s Frankenstein, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and just about every creation myth ever). What’s for sure is that R.U.R. marks the very first appearance of the word “robot” (your sci-fi history lesson for the day). While Čapek’s play is fairly entertaining, it’s really one of those books you read for the sole purpose of impressing people at dinner parties. Whenever you hear someone with a graduate degree discussing Terminator, this is the play they’ll inevitably compare it to. Basically, R.U.R. is the thinking man’s robot tale because it’s actually about communism… or something. It might be a little difficult to find in your average bookstore, but you can grab it off indigo.ca for under $3.

2. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road

I’ll be talking about this one in greater detail when I look at the landscape of Terminator Salvation, but what you need to know for now is that McG had his cast and crew read this book to get inspired before filming started. A lot of authors have tried their hand at post-apocalyptic tales, but few have done it better that McCarthy does in The Road, and I’m pretty excited that McG is using it as a guidebook for his own wasteland adventure. What’s more, The Road is rife with father/son angst, which will be good prep for the odd relationship we’ll be seeing between John Connor and Kyle Reese. Plus, The Road has its own movie adaptation coming out later this year, so read it now and kill two birds with one stone.

3. IDW’s Terminator Salvation Movie Adaptation #0

If fancy plays and award-winning novels don’t do it for you, pick up the first issue of IDW’s Terminator Salvation comic book which hit stands yesterday. Not only do you get a sneak peek at what’s going on with John Connor in 2018, but it also answers some of the questions surrounding the mysterious Marcus Wright. If you just can’t wait for Salvation, start reading this series to tide you over.

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