The Chronicles of Riddick is a novelization of the film, The Chronicles of Riddick. It was written by Alan Dean Foster, a science fiction/horror/fantasy/mystery writer.
Book description[]
No matter how long or how hard they strive, no matter how extensive their education as a species, no matter what they experience of the small heavens and larger hells they create for themselves, it seems that humans are destined to see their technological accomplishments always exceed their ability to understand themselves.
Differences from the film[]
There are many minor scene extensions, and some narrative focus on design elements that are only implied in the film (such as the reliance on older, sturdier mechanization in the Crematoria Slam Facility).
Differences of note include:
- Extended Necromonger Empire introduction & explanation of beliefs at the beginning.
- Extended Crematoria intro - guards disposing of the body of a colleague by dumping it outside; the guard's death is the reason for a mysterious prisoner's confinement.
- Extended scene on ice planet U.V.6 - the mercenaries are on foot, tracking Riddick through a system of ice caves. Native fauna in described.
- Riddick's touchdown on Helion Prime is extended - the stolen ship buries itself in a sand dune to escape detection.
- Before Imam Abu al-Walid walks home, he is present at a congressional meeting where representatives debate whether or not to close defenses based on rumors of an invasion fleet roaming the system.
- When the Helion police search his home, Riddick does not taunt them by putting out the candles but simply kills them in the already-dark room.
- During the Necromonger invasion, Abu al-Walid and his family are stated to be fleeing towards an evacuation point for VIPs.
- The scene in the Necromonger command ship is extended, identifying the Purifier as something of a Necro Pope, in charge of all conversion and lower ranking "priests" (which also wear ribcage hats).
- Vaako takes pride in being the commander to capture the capitol building (which was shown, but not identified, in the film).
- When Riddick is interrogated by the Quasi-Dead, they see a different vision of the past; he is also able to scan them back to gain information about his captors.
- Having escaped the interrogation, a new scene details Riddick's escape form the hovering command ship. He explores the ruins of the city, and draws the attention of a patrol ship by rescuing a girl he thinks he recognizes from it's path.
- The campaign being discussed by the Zhylaw and his commanders before Vaako's stealth test is different, and the scene between the Lord Marshal and Aereon is slightly longer.
- On Crematoria, Riddick is simply released form his chains instead of wrapping himself up and breaking them.
- The Guv is described as older, having been incarcerated for a much longer period; his briefing about the rules of the slam is longer.
- Riddick eats a meal of native shellfish steamed in the thermal vents before his confrontation with Kyra.
- On Vaako's ship, the Purifier's questioning of Vaako about doubts is extended.
- The Guv invites Riddick to share Slam Tea; knowing nothing is free, Riddick waits until the fellow convicts ask him for news. He tells them about the Necro invasion force in the Helion system.
- Hellhound origins are described.
- Dame Vaako's scene with Aereon takes place after the guards on Crematoria "pop the cork;" she then places the call to Vaako's ship, which the Purifier overhears. This is streamlined in the film by taking place before the "doubts" conversation and leading directly into it.
- In the shootout with the guards on Crematoria, all the mercs die (including the co-pilot) before Riddick reaches the command center.
- For the run across Crematoria, the guards and convicts all wear respirators.
- As they are about to depart across the surface, the convicts are confronted by Toombs; he is killed by (and kills) hell hound #5, Riddick's friend "Thrash."
- On the run, the convicts pass several veins of valuable minerals and gems; at the mountain, Riddick takes the Guv's coat as well as his rope and water to rescue Kyra.
- When the Guv confesses he never forgot Ellen's name, he also laments that she was living on Helion Prime.
- In his conversation with Riddick, the Purifier reveals that "most" Furyans converted to Necroism, bolstering the ranks and providing fierce fighters.
- Once aboard the Basilica, the circumstances of the lensor and his handler's deaths are revealed.
- The final battle between the Lord Marshall and Riddick is a bit shorter, with Kyra being revealed sooner; upon her impalement she dies, whispering no last words.
- In a new epilogue scene, Riddick orders the Necro armada "to the Threshold."
Appendix[]
The "Historian's Note on Pre-Necroism" recounts the accomplishments of the Lord Marshals.
- Covu "The Transcended", the first Lord Marshal. Covu discovered the Underverse, began the order "Necroism" and ordered the Necropolis built.
- Oltovm, the 2nd Lord Marshal and builder of the Necropolis created the great Necromonger armada.
- Naphemil "The Navigator", the third Lord Marshal, father of the Necro Philosophy, ordered the Necropolis unearthed and entombed in a large Basilica ship.
- Baylock "The Brutal", the fourth Lord Marshal and last to be born to Necroism would not live to see his visage eventually grace the Conquest Icons left in the Necromonger's wake on so many murdered worlds.
- Kryll, the fifth Lord Marshal brought about the Quasi-Dead, fragile yet powerful beings whose use to the Necros evolves even today.
- Zhylaw "The Last", The sixth Lord Marshal and the most powerful, adopted the Necromongers darkest philosophy, for those races unwilling to convert, their penance shall be infanticide.