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Alien 3: The Unproduced First-Draft Screenplay, also known as Alien 3: The Unproduced Screenplay, stylized as Alien3, is a 2021 novelization of William Gibson's unproduced script for Alien3. It was written by Pat Cadigan and published by Titan Books, with cover art by Alien3 concept artist Mike Worrall. It was released on September 7, 2021.
Unlike the previous audio drama and comic book adaptations that were based on the second draft of Gibson's screenplay, Pat Cadigan's novel is based on Gibson's more widely known first draft.
As well as standard print editions, the novel was released simultaneously in audiobook format for a very limited time before becoming completely unavailable for unknown reasons. At the time of its limited release, the audiobook was read by Bradford Hastings and published by Blackstone Audio.
Publisher's Summary[]
William Gibson's never-before-adapted screenplay for the direct sequel to Aliens, revealing the fates of Ripley, Newt, the synthetic Bishop and Corporal Hicks. When the Colonial Marines vessel Sulaco docks with space station and military installation Anchorpoint, a new form of Xenomorph appears. Written by Hugo Award-winning novelist and "Queen of Cyberpunk" Pat Cadigan, based on Gibson's never-produced first draft.
The Sulaco — on its return journey from LV-426 — enters a sector controlled by the "Union of Progressive Peoples", a nation-state engaged in an ongoing cold war and arms race. U.P.P. personnel board the Sulaco and find hypersleep tubes with Ripley, Newt and an injured Hicks. A Facehugger attacks the lead commando, and the others narrowly escape, taking what remains of Bishop with them.
The Sulaco continues to Anchorpoint, a space station and military installation the size of a small moon, where it falls under control of the military's Weapons Division. Boarding the Sulaco, a team of Colonial Marines and scientists is assaulted by a pair of Xenomorph drones. In the fight Ripley's cryotube is badly damaged. It's taken aboard Anchorpoint, where Ripley is kept comatose. Newt and an injured Corporal Hicks are awakened, and Newt is sent to Gateway Station on the way to Earth. The U.P.P. sends Bishop to Anchorpoint, where Hicks begins to hear rumors of experimentation — the cloning and genetic modification of Xenomorphs.
The kind of experimentation that could yield a monstrous hybrid, and perhaps even a Queen.
Plot[]
2183. Only four years into its return journey from LV-426, the malfunctioning Sulaco drifted into an area of space controlled by the Union of Progressive Peoples who were engaged in an ongoing cold war and arms race with an unnamed faction of capitalists. Before the ship drifted out of their territory, three U.P.P. Commandos were sent aboard the Sulaco to investigate. Soon after, Boris, the Leader, was attacked by a Facehugger that had apparently grown from Xenomorph genetic material deposited inside Bishop's severed synthetic torso. Both Boris and the Facehugger were killed by a female commando named Luc "Lucky" Hai, before she released them into space. Upon leaving, Ashok, the third commando, absconded with Bishop's damaged torso.
Ultimately, the Sulaco continued on to Anchorpoint where it was met by a cadre of Marines and and a young science technician named Tully. During their investigation the team was attacked by two Drones in the hypersleep bay that killed two of the Marines before the creatures were incinerated with a flamethrower. While Ripley's cryotube was badly damaged in the process, she survived, but was plunged into a coma. Both Newt and Corporal Hicks survive unscathed. Bishop's legs were also recovered while Tully was pulled to safety by the only surviving Marine.
Differences from the script[]
Compared to the less-available second-draft, Gibson's first draft screenplay is arguably the most well-known of the unmade scripts for the film as it has been available to read on the internet for many years. The story bears no relation to Alien3 as it was ultimately made, and instead revolves around Corporal Hicks and Bishop battling genetically-altered Xenomorphs aboard an enormous space station named Anchorpoint. While Pat Cadigan didn't alter much of William Gibson's script, she did add a number of details in order to adapt the screenplay into a full length novel. A full transcript of Gibson's first draft can be read here.
- The novel features a lengthy opening recounting the events of both Alien and Aliens, as well as a brief history of human space travel and colonization.
- When introducing Hadley's Hope, then novel mentions the installation was named after Curtis Hadley, the colony's first administrator; this character was first introduced in the 2016 reference book Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report.
- Many of the unidentified supporting characters are named and fleshed out with additional dialogue.
- The three U.P.P. Commandos who initially board the Sulaco are given the names Luc "Lucky" Hai, Boris Lenko, and Ashok.
- The vessel Fox and Welles arrive in is given the name Mona Lisa.
- The three Marines from Anchorpoint who accompany Tully aboard the Sulaco are given the names Skyre, Ocampo, and Corporal Uzoma Nenge.
Goofs[]
- While introducing Ripley's backstory, she is said to have been asleep in space for forty-seven years prior to her second encounter on LV-426. In Aliens, it is stated she was adrift for fifty-seven years.
- Throughout the novel, Newt's surname, Jorden, is misspelled as Jordan.
Audiobook[]
Alien 3: The Unproduced First-Draft Screenplay audiobook narrated by Bradford Hastings.
While Alien 3: The Unproduced First-Draft Screenplay initially received an unabridged audiobook treatment, with narration by Bradford Hastings, the final product was only ever available to purchase and download for a very limited time before being removed from all vendors indefinitely, making it the first Alien franchise novel in fourteen years to not have a widely available audiobook version since the 2008 release of Aliens: No Exit.
See Also[]
- Alien III (William Gibson) — The unused script by William Gibson.
- William Gibson's Alien 3 (comic) — The comic book adaptation of Gibson's script by Dark Horse Comics.
- Alien III (audio drama) — The audio drama adaptation of Gibson's script.
