The story goes something like this: Amberle Elessedil is an elven princess who becomes one of the Chosen, a group of elves who protect an ancient tree called the Ellcrys. Brooks wasn't sure the cable channel was the best spot for the series but was convinced by the network's commitment to the project and by Favreau and the writing team, who assured him MTV was a smart play. MTV picked up the show only after it had been pitched to a dozen networks. There was talk of movies or TV shows back in the '70s and '80s, Brooks said, but special effects were too primitive and expensive, and TV was disinclined to tell long stories, preferring episodic series in which each entry had a clear beginning, middle and end. The televised version took a long time to come to fruition. The first season will be available Tuesday on DVD. The program, which counts Hollywood heavyweight Jon Favreau among its producers, has been renewed for a second season. The show, called “The Shannara Chronicles,” doesn't hold exactly true to Brooks' novel, but it has a relatively large budget and did OK with MTV's key demographics, although it received middle-of-the-road ratings from Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. A television series based on “Elfstones” debuted on MTV in January. I'm under contract,” Brooks said wryly in a recent telephone interview, “so that gives me a certain impetus to keep going.” He has written 26 books since the late 1970s, developing his world and characters, writing prequels and sequels and other novels. Meanwhile, Brooks kept writing, even as I wandered away from fantasy and into the classics. I must've read and reread those novels at least eight times each. “The Elfstones of Shannara” came out four or five years later, followed by “The Wishsong of Shannara,” which completed the initial trilogy. Tolkien's books, magic, a mysterious and powerful wizard and a changing landscape that unfolded in my mind like a treasure map. The fantasy novel had everything I wanted: a thrilling adventure involving two brothers, elves and other creatures that reminded me of J.R.R. I was 8 when his first novel, “The Sword of Shannara,” hit bookstores, and I snapped it up right away. Terry Brooks helped shape my imagination.
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