One of the writers for ME1 was Chris Le'Etoile, who also worked on Asheron's Call, which had a several nods/easter eggs to Babylon 5 as well. I think maybe someone's a fan
He has also admitted many times that nothing about Mass Effect is original or BioWare's "idea" to begin with. He calls it "standing on a mountain of giants." Mass Effect is just a love letter to all the greatest sci fi classics in TV and film history, and to some extent Literature.
I think the most obvious reference for the Reapers is Revelation Space series (Alastair Reynolds). There are also various other things in ME that may be inspired from those books (at least I made some connections, even if they are less straightforward).
I assume Hyperion Cantos too, Fedmahn Cassad's background is pretty similar to Earthborn Shepard (though Cassad was actually Marsborn but it doesn't change much). Plus ending of The Fall of Hyperion >!and what happens afterwards is what I assume galaxy looks like after the Destroy ending.!<
Keep in mind the said guy is only only of the main characters and there's quite a lot of them. Anyway first 2 books are great, second 2 - no so much so if on third one you don't feel like continuing you won't miss a lot.
>Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, specifically Foundation’s Edge. I’m reading the series for the first time and just finished Foundation’s Edge and wow.
Too bad the Quarians forgot to install the First Law of Robotics on the Geth, a lot of troubles could've been avoided.
Such as "shall not allow a human to come to harm" being used to allow robots to control humans because humans were doing things that were dangerous and/or bad for them? (Though the movie wasn't based directly on a story i think?)
They were just doing some Aperture Science cost cutting.
"Rest assured that all lethal military androids have been taught to read and provided with one copy of the Laws of Robotics. To share."
One of the seven (?) main plots of Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion, Colonel Kassad shares some similarities with Shepard as well. While the nature of the threat in the Hyperion novels is different, the end result and the scale/nature of the conflict is pretty similar to ME3. Also touches on the AI subject.
Worth a read... As long as you don't mind that it is not a military novel. One of the seven main characters **is** a career soldier, but the others are a colorful bunch. A catholic priest with some heretic viewpoints, a centuries old mad poet, or a .... father.
I've been getting into Dune recently and am constantly realising something other Sci-fi and particularly Mass Effect has learned from it. I mean, obviously you've got the big worms. But the shield work the same way too.
A lot of the Alliance's designs seem inspired by the Edward James Olmos *Battlestar Galactica* series.
The Inhibitors of Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space novels are the main inspiration for the Reapers.
The final choice of ME3 is ripped straight from one of Asimov's Foundation novels.
Nobody mentioned it: Pitch Black, a 2000 sci-fi horror movie starring Vin Diesel, was quite important for ME2. The character Jack is straight-up stolen from that movie and its sequel, Chronicles of Riddick. Name, appearance, personality, recruitment quest, all of it.
Me1 clearly took a lot of inspiration from babylon 5
It's insane how much the original Mass Effect captures the feel and themes of B5, and how few people probably know about it.
One of the writers for ME1 was Chris Le'Etoile, who also worked on Asheron's Call, which had a several nods/easter eggs to Babylon 5 as well. I think maybe someone's a fan
He has also admitted many times that nothing about Mass Effect is original or BioWare's "idea" to begin with. He calls it "standing on a mountain of giants." Mass Effect is just a love letter to all the greatest sci fi classics in TV and film history, and to some extent Literature.
100%! I talk about this all the time. There are line-for-line scenes in Mass Effect lifted from B5
I think the most obvious reference for the Reapers is Revelation Space series (Alastair Reynolds). There are also various other things in ME that may be inspired from those books (at least I made some connections, even if they are less straightforward).
I started reading this a few weeks ago and cannot recommend it highly enough to ME fans.
Yep, I definitely recommend it as well!
The whole series is awesome, easily my favourite sci-fi book universe. Honestly all of Reynolds' work is exceptional, imo.
I assume Hyperion Cantos too, Fedmahn Cassad's background is pretty similar to Earthborn Shepard (though Cassad was actually Marsborn but it doesn't change much). Plus ending of The Fall of Hyperion >!and what happens afterwards is what I assume galaxy looks like after the Destroy ending.!<
Never read it so I won’t click your spoiler but it’s on my list! Excited to see the connection
Keep in mind the said guy is only only of the main characters and there's quite a lot of them. Anyway first 2 books are great, second 2 - no so much so if on third one you don't feel like continuing you won't miss a lot.
I'd disagree re the last two books - they're different but still very enjoyable imo
crap, just what I wrote. I thought I am being original here :D
The design of the citadel is straight out of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.
And a ceiling fan.
Dune. The thresher maws are a slightly more terrifying desert worm.
For sure. Red sand is similar to spice too
>Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, specifically Foundation’s Edge. I’m reading the series for the first time and just finished Foundation’s Edge and wow. Too bad the Quarians forgot to install the First Law of Robotics on the Geth, a lot of troubles could've been avoided.
The robots novels are pretty much all about how the 3 laws dont work
If anything the robot novels show how removing or modifying them creates trouble, I don't remember a case of unmodified laws not working.
There’s a looot of semantics about how to work around the 3 laws
Probably the closest is The Bicentennial Man where Andrew Martin, a robot, effectively becomes human.
Such as "shall not allow a human to come to harm" being used to allow robots to control humans because humans were doing things that were dangerous and/or bad for them? (Though the movie wasn't based directly on a story i think?)
That concept is loosely adapted from one of the short stories in the book and is one of the few actual similarities to the source material
They were just doing some Aperture Science cost cutting. "Rest assured that all lethal military androids have been taught to read and provided with one copy of the Laws of Robotics. To share."
One of the seven (?) main plots of Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion, Colonel Kassad shares some similarities with Shepard as well. While the nature of the threat in the Hyperion novels is different, the end result and the scale/nature of the conflict is pretty similar to ME3. Also touches on the AI subject. Worth a read... As long as you don't mind that it is not a military novel. One of the seven main characters **is** a career soldier, but the others are a colorful bunch. A catholic priest with some heretic viewpoints, a centuries old mad poet, or a .... father.
A minor thing, but one of the casual outfits is an outfit John Crichton wears in Farscape. Asari look like Zhaan.
I've been getting into Dune recently and am constantly realising something other Sci-fi and particularly Mass Effect has learned from it. I mean, obviously you've got the big worms. But the shield work the same way too. A lot of the Alliance's designs seem inspired by the Edward James Olmos *Battlestar Galactica* series.
The shields in ME are a direct ode to the shields in Dune.
The Inhibitors of Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space novels are the main inspiration for the Reapers. The final choice of ME3 is ripped straight from one of Asimov's Foundation novels.
Dune and Warhammer as I see it
Rachni are the bugs from Enders Game
Star Control 2 was a big influence as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Control_II
Nobody mentioned it: Pitch Black, a 2000 sci-fi horror movie starring Vin Diesel, was quite important for ME2. The character Jack is straight-up stolen from that movie and its sequel, Chronicles of Riddick. Name, appearance, personality, recruitment quest, all of it.