Torchwood: Adam and James...

[fajrdrako]

I wanted to make a comparison here that I'm sure has been made before, though I haven't come across it. I'll make a cut because there are spoilers here for the novel Torchwood: Border Princes and the episode "Adam".

In the Torchwood episode Adam by Catherine Tregenna, there is an alien from beyond the Rift who takes human form, adopts the name Adam, and infiltrates Torchwood by pretending to be one of the team working for Jack. He alters everyone's memories so they will think he has been there for some time, and he becomes Toshiko's lover. His presence (and his identity) forms a large part of the plot. At the end of the story, none of the Torchwood team will remember Adam.

In the Torchwood novel Border Princes by Dan Abnett, there is an alien from beyond the Rift who takes human form, adopts the name James and infiltrates Torchwood by pretending to be one of the team working for Jack. He alters everyone's memories so they will think he has been there for some time, and he becomes Gwen's lover. His presence (and his identity) forms a large part of the plot. At the end of the story, none of the Torchwood team will remember James.

There are big differences: Adam is a villain, while James is a hero. Adam is forced to leave while James leaves peacefully when he recovers his own memory. The actual plots of the two stories don't resemble each other much at all.

But I found it interesting that the set-up is almost identical, even when the stories are not.

I wonder which came first, and whether Abnett and Tregenna knew of each other's stories when writing them.

Cross-posted to my lj and torch_wood.

Comments

[catslash.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I've seen any actual confirmation, but my assumption is that the show borrowed elements from the novel. You'll notice some parallels to "Sleeper," too, with both James and Beth having no idea of what they really are until activations that go a bit haywire.

I love Border Princes - I've listened to several of the TW audiobooks, and when I can't find one, I go without (acquiring the TW novels in the States is a bit more complicated), but I went out of my way to buy Border Princes after I'd listened to it. It's one of the best tie-in novels I've ever read, and in my brain it is canon and "Adam" can go hang. (I really dislike that episode. Which, of course, is why I've got it ready to go in my Creative Zen tomorrow for bus entertainment. I haven't seen it since it aired. Uh, since a few hours after it aired. You know what I mean.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

my assumption is that the show borrowed elements from the novel.

That could be. Maybe Catherine Tregenna thought, "That's a good idea - things could happen this way," and went her own direction with it.

acquiring the TW novels in the States is a bit more complicated

It isn't too easy in Canada, either, but it's possible. Usually by throwing large amounts of money at Amazon.

I loved both Border Princes and "Adam", which is not to say I thought it unflawed, but it's one of my favourite episodes of series 2. I really love Tregenna's writing.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

When watching "Adam," when I realized what was going on with Adam, I immediately wondered if they had borrowed the plot from Border Princes. Before the episode was over, of course I saw that it was a different story, but I found the identical setups interesting, too.

James was more like Beth, in some ways, I think - he didn't know he wasn't human, and he wanted to help people.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, very good - spotting the James/Beth similarity. Luckily, James wasn't so destructive.

[ceindreadh.livejournal.com]

Timing wise, I'm guessing that Border Princes was written before any of the S2 episodes, and since the novels are authorized, more than likely CT would have known about the plot. Besides, even if she hadn't, somebody would have surely pointed out the similarities to her.

I...didn't like Border Princes. I found James to be a complete Mary Sue, and it just felt like the real members of Torchwood were being sidelined to make room for him. (don't get me started on the lack of Ianto in all the S1 books). Also, (as you may know ;-) I'm not a Gwen fan, and her behaviour in this book certainly wouldn't have turned me into one.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing that Border Princes was written before any of the S2 episodes

Seems likely.

more than likely CT would have known about the plot

I think so. I don't think the similarities are accidental and I suspect they were discussed ahead of time. I don't know, though. I'm speculating.

I...didn't like Border Princes.

I did, though it had its flaws.

I found James to be a complete Mary Sue

I wouldn't say that, but I thought he was undercharacterized and sadly boring. He didn't get interesting until the end, when we found out who he was. That, I liked. I loved the idea of him and his armour and his heroic role as guardian of the Rift. It had that flair of medieval glamour and romance for me.

it just felt like the real members of Torchwood were being sidelined to make room for him.

Well, so they were. Pity.

I am a Gwen fan, and had no problem with her role. But I did wish we'd had more of Jack, Ianto and Tosh in the story. And I'd wished it were Jack that James fell for, not Gwen.