WHEN world-class ski champion and hollywood film producer frank beddor approached me about his book project a couple years back, i wasnt sure what to think. the fact that, he told me, he had taken lewis carroll’s “alice” stories and turned them into a rather violent YA novel, as well as a graphic novel and video game, made me wonder if this was just a case of corporate-style “synergy” gone mad.
‘What’s most impressive about them is that the novels seems to be recounting a universe fully imagined ahead of time. Beddor admires what he calls “the epic world creators” such as J.R.R. Tolkien, “Dune’s” Frank Herbert and Philip Pullman of “His Dark Materials.” Beddor’s books seem tailor-made for kids who’ve completed the “Harry Potter” series and are looking up, a bit dazed from the experience, eager for somewhere else to go.’