I read the books long ago as a teenager and honestly was bored to death at the time in a way I probably would not be now. But given what I remember, this production doesn't reflect the books the way I pictured them. That said, in this case, based on what I've seen so far, it can stand on its own. The production values are great, thankfully with new, creatively managed effects. The story comes off no different that any other comic book space empire, and is just plain silly. Nevertheless it is so visually stunning it is worth watching.