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TITLE:The Ownerless Planet 1,

THE SLEIGHS WITH JINGLING BELLS

AUTHOR:
Akin Tekin

LOCATIONS(s): USA, Turkey, Germany

PERIOD: 5021 in the future and 1954-1974 contemporary

GENRE: Environmental novel, fiction

The Current Logline of the Work (approximately 3 sentences):

In the year 5021 our Planet which had once been a cornucopia of fruit, vegetables
and flowers, had turned into a planet full of high technology, but also full of
radiation, nuclear waste, and rubbish heaps. An American family who wants to
survive in this chaos seeks sanctuary in the pages of a book which had been written
in Turkey in ancient times. The book which analyses the battle of a young man `s
thoughts between idealism and realism is the life story of a young boxer , a
legendary environmentalist who fought to protect the weak people, animals, nature
and he loved and died for his idealism..

The Current Synopsis of the Work (MUST BE approximately 8-10 pages):

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without a comprehensive synopsis – it is crucial. Include character development and
themes as well as plot. We have samples available if you would find that helpful.
Synopsis - The Ownerless Planet Novels
The first novel begins with a prediction of the future. In the year 5021 the Blue Planet is
in great trouble because of the deadly rays of the sun, terrible flooding, hurricanes and

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tornadoes. The daily life of an American family who is suffering under these bad
conditions is described. The Father, Robert, brings home a book named "The Ownerless
Planet" that had been written in ancient times. The family read this book which is
composed of mostly true events and sought sanctuary in it.
The author of the novel who has been to Communist Germany in person while living in
West Berlin describes precisely the atmosphere which existed in the past. The story
begins with the view of a very badly wounded young man, Erol, the hero of this book,
who lies with his leg chained to the bed in a hospital in communist "German Democratic
Republic" in 1975. Erol had been brought to the hospital after being shot at Checkpoint
Charlie by the border guards while attempting to rescue a German girl from Communist
Berlin (overwhelming scenes). He decides to write his life story while confined to his
prison cell.
The story proper begins on page 46 with the delightful scene of young children
playing on their sledges in the snow, and spinning tops on the ice. The first three chapters
are spent frosty and snowbound in the olden day city of Sivas, where the men sit behind
windows bathed in yellow light, deep in chatting, while kneading and stretching Tel-
Helva, a traditional New Year’s Eve dessert, while the women giggle in the kitchens,
preparing delicious feasts served on huge, galvanised copper plates and carved wooden
stands. Window panes are magically decorated with fine ice crystals, the stoves in the
kitchens glow with heat, and outside, the horse drawn carriages have been replaced over
night by sleighs with jingling bells. It becomes apparent to the reader early on that the
narrator, Erol Atila, is reminiscing from his prison cell in Germany, where he is carrying
out a life sentence for some as yet undisclosed crime.
Spring duly arrives, bringing with it melted snow and slush everywhere, while a tragic
accident devastates the young Erol, as he witnesses the cruel death of his favourite
carriage horses when they are struck by exposed electricity cables, which have been
severed in the storms. So his young body experiences its first real taste of pain in the
rose tinted days of his childhood.
A little later, he goes with his parents in the Pascha Gardens, a picnic place which
they hear the birds chirping and enjoy the sweet scent of the pine trees. But the whole
family has a violent encounter with two ruffians trying to deface an ancient tree by
hacking at its trunk to get kindling wood. A skirmish ensues in which Erol receives a
hatchet blow to his arm, and even his mother joins in the fray. While the hostile louts are
being dragged off by the crowd, they call out insults after his father, cursing and swearing
wildly, threatening to get him on his own one day and take their revenge. But at least
they save the trunk of the poor tree. Breathless from his ordeal, his father smears mud
onto the tree’s wound once more. So his young body experiences its second real taste of
pain in the rose tinted days of his childhood.
Erol is taken by his parents up to the high mountain range of Yayla in Zara to
convalesce and recover from the traumatic experience. He awakes to the sound of
creaking ox carts being driven to the river’s edge, where farmers are cooking grits in cast

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iron cauldrons over open wood fires. The smell of smoke, river and fish mingles in the air
with the smell of fresh bread baked in stone ovens, while the smell of burning cow dung
mingles with the pleasant aroma of heated milk. At Yayla, Erol is given a shepherd’s
crook and a small rucksack, and dispatched by his great grandmother to guard over the
wounded and lame animals up in the pasture during his stay.
After the summer spent in Yayla, the family returns to Zara for the autumn harvest,
where Erol works alongside Kurdish youths overseeing the oxen in the threshing rooms.
Erol has vivid dreams about the oxen, in which he imagines he overhears their
conversations in the cattle stall. He also has a vivid nightmare in which hellish demons
from the planet “Barbaria” from the far galaxy “Torturia” come raging and screaming to
earth and take over the planet. By this dream Erol tries to explain how the animals are
tortured by human beings.
Erol’s exploring nature leads him into endless scrapes as he gets trapped, headfirst,
down a deep, dark hole in rocky terrain while out hunting for a crock of gold. In chapter
12, he decides to go exploring on the back of a donkey which eventually runs away from
him, just as dusk is falling, over the mountain top down into the next valley, with
hilarious consequences.
The school holidays come to an end, and autumn arrives with wasps flocking around
the crates of grapes at the weekly market. Scavengers are everywhere. In the schools,
new deliveries of books still carry the smell of the printing press, and the newly
sharpened pencils smell of wood. Erol muses on why so many of his school friends suffer
from childhood illnesses, and who is ultimately responsible for their deaths. He berates
the blatant consumerism and materialism of the West, which has created a Europe
dominated by stinking rubbish tips. One day, a young peasant woman who has led a
tragic life, is hanged at the gallows in the town hall square for killing her five young
children in their sleep with the fumes from a coal brazier. Erol looks at her life and what
had led her to carry out such a desperate act.
After saving a young girl from a group of bullies, Erol finds himself their next target,
and is beaten up himself every day after school.. Erol is so badly bullied by children in
his neighbourhood as a child that he had to seek protection from the Turkish Kabadayis
(Knights). Unable to face the continuous beatings, he goes to coppersmith alley to enlist
the help of a famous Kabadayi (Turkish knight), Barut Rifki.. The famous Knight of the
town Sivas, Barut Rifki, teaches him to be a Knight. His enormous hatred for these
children results in him having a huge desire one day to become an unbeatable boxer and a
Turkish Knight. Erol’s fame and reputation as a boxer grows, and he is eventually
accepted into the Kabadayi group himself. There is much rejoicing when Barut Rifki gets
married, and we are reminded of the endless turning of the seasons :
When Erol was 17 years old he defeats all of his opponents and he strongly feel
himself as a young Knight. But the world of the Turkish Knights is dangerous because
there are also phony Knights. He is stabbed by a phony Knight, Leech Nuri the
womaniser, while he was defending an innocent woman, the wife of an old man who was

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the master baker of their district. Although Erol was wounded he beats Leech Nuri badly
and Nuri promised that he would not abuse the poor woman any more.
The contrasts between his childhood reminiscences and his gruelling existence in a
filthy jail cell are starkly etched throughout the book. One minute he is standing in the
pastures of his youth with the wind caressing his hair, the next moment, the creaking of
his cell door drags him back to reality and the stomach churning stench of the prison
stew.
Erol and his family vacation at a thermal health spa in Kangal, where Erol falls in love
for the first time in his life. Erol loses the girl, to whom he has not spoken so much as one
word, when she disappears home suddenly, but wins a fight in the thermal baths when he
overpowers a much larger and older man who is intent on taking a soap-filled wash with
his low life friends in one of the baths where the famous Kangal fishes are swimming.. So
he saves the life of fishes.
Shortly afterwards, together with his friend Necmi, he tackles a creepy schoolmaster,
“Ugly Moustache”, who is molesting a young school girl. While his parents are away,
Erol gets drunk and wakes up to discover he has himself been seduced by an older,
married neighbour, Zekiye. Shortly after this, Zekiye’s husband is murdered, and Erol
and Barut Rifki interrupt the killers while they are beating up and blackmailing Zekiye at
her home. Local hoodlums Konoz and his son are involved, but it is Nuri the Leech who
is behind the plot to kill Zekiye’s husband, marry her and secure her inheritance. Before
the criminals can be brought to justice, a contract is taken out on Erol’s life, and vain
attempts are made to murder him. Eventually Suluk Nuri is arrested, tried and sentenced
to death by hanging. His body is left hanging in public as a warning.
Erol the young man spends endless happy days drinking lime blossom tea in the coffee
house with Barut Rifki and his chums. They have a run-in with a cart driver who is
whipping his horse mercilessly because the poor animal is stuck in the mud due to the
stupidity of the cart driver. Barut Rifki gives the man a lashing. Erol’s boxing career
takes off while he is still at school. One of his best friends dies of diabetes and Erol
becomes even closer to Barut Rifki and his circle.
Erol’s father is suddenly and inexplicably murdered out of the blue in front of his
pupils while on an outing to the Pascha Gardens. When he saw his Father in his coffin he
vows to wage a lifelong battle against the destroyers of nature.
Barut Rifki knows the identity of the killer (Recep the Viper) and where he is staked
out. Together with Erol and his own best friend Kara Remzi, they hunt down the killer
and bring him to justice, although their horses are shot and killed during the fight. After
standing trial, Recep the Viper is sentenced to death, but is shot during an escape attempt
before execution can be carried out. A few months later, while trying to save some
children who were being terrorised, Barut Rifki is bitten by a rabid dog, and despite all
Erol’s efforts, finishes up chained to a hospital bed, where he dies a terrible death. Erol is
inconsolable and loses all desire to box, until in one tournament fight, a black boxer spits
in his face and calls him a coward saying his mother is a whore, which makes him seethe

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with rage, retriggering his inner fire. Still half crazy with grief, Erol starts questioning the
meaning of life as all those closest to him are taken away.
Meanwhile, millions of locusts descend upon the city of Sivas, devouring every last
green blade of grass. The local children and the cats have a field day, playing with and
eating the insects. Erol tries to explain with this sample that the overpopulation of the
human beings is similar of locusts overpopulation. Erol and his brother visit their
relatives in Zara and are accorded a warm welcome on account of their father’s death.
While there, they notice with much sadness that the ancient trees along the banks of the
river Kizilirmak have been cut down, ostensibly to be used in the winter months for
heating fuel. In their place, huge walls have been erected to protect the town from
possible flooding. Zara is now full of construction sites. When the two brothers set off for
the old farm, they find that all the young Kurdish boys they played with in their youth
have moved away with their families. The ox carts have been replaced by modern tractors
and all the willow trees planted by their grandparents have been cut down.
At the end of harvest time, when they return to Zara, a horrific sight meets their eyes :
Zara’s streets are strewn with the dead carcases of dogs, including a lot of puppies, as the
municipal authorities had decided, in their wisdom, to poison the population of semi-wild
street dogs by putting down lumps of poisoned meat at every street corner. Erol’s great
uncle’s dog Karabas is found writing and squirming in agony, but is saved by the quick
thinking actions of his aunt, who distributes bowls of yoghurt to the domesticated pets.
Rebel Erol ruminates about the injustice in the world from his prison cell, and challenges
young people to start re-examining everything their parents have told them, and to start
thinking of practical solutions to save Mother Nature. He describes the untouched nature
and the natural way of life in olden days in picturesque Turkey which now no longer
exist.
On their final return journey to Sivas, Erol and his brothers’ paths cross with a
family with nine children on the back of a truck heading for Istanbul. Rebel Erol tries to
press home his point about the foolishness of bringing so many children into the world
using an allegorical tale of chickens, sheep and wolves. The irony is completely lost on
the two parents, but Erol feels and hopes that the children did in fact have an inkling of
recognition, and would not make the same mistake as their parents.
At the end of the book, back in the year 5021, Robert Daly and his family have finished
reading the book and switch off the projector. They discuss amongst themselves whether
the events described in the book could actually have been true or not. Robert describes
for Tim’s benefit just how much horrendous damage was inflicted on nature in the years
between the industrial revolution and 2500 by the tremendous increase in population. He
explains to Tim how the peoples’ natural way of life was gradually eroded, and how from
the year 3000 the earth’s population decreased dramatically, because the natural
environment had all but disappeared. All the world’s natural resources had run out, and
the planet was little more than a massive rubbish tip. All sorts of grandiose schemes were
made to escape to other planets. But how would it be possible for a race of people who

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had already destroyed the rhythm of life on their own planet, to create an artificial
biosphere on another planet?
This is the first book in the series “The Ownerless Planet”. In the second book,
“The Trains with Black Smoke”, Erol continues his journey. In this book he wanders
through the industrial countries, revealing the secret sides of these countries. He will
make you laugh and think at the same time, as he recounts the antics of so-called modern
human beings. He will describe the situations which brought about the demise of the
human race. Sometimes you will be able to join in the excitement as he fights in
European boxing rings, sometimes you will be saddened at his description of the plight of
immigrant workers.
In the third book, “Checkpoint Charlie”, he visits the communist countries, first
East Berlin hoping to find a country where nature and natural life were protected. and
find out how human beings changed the utopia of Karl Marx. There Erol meets Angelica
and they fall in love with one another. But misfortune awaits him there and he finds
himself spit-roasted like a chicken. After some years when they attempted to escape to
West Berlin he is shot at the border of Communist Germany “Checkpoint Charlie “and
sentenced to life imprisonment. There he writes these books in which you will find not
only his exciting boxing scenes but also his dramatic life story and loves., What happens
to him there and in the rest of the world is described in Book 4, “The Lanterns” ”.
Communist Germany crashes and Erol escapes from prison. He finds his son and his
darling in West Berlin. But Angelika is married with a rich man happily. He decides to
travel to Turkey. In Turkey a surprise is waiting for him. During a forest fire he finds the
burned corpse of his brother who was a forest engineer and lost his life while he was
fighting with his crew to put a forest fire out. Turkey had been totally changed by
overpopulation. Everywhere he goes he meets concretes of cities. The beautiful Turkey of
his childhood had vanished.. Hopeless he searches his first love” The Wildflower“ from
Kangal Thermal Bath .And eventually he finds her clues. She had also a bad life story
and spent her youth in jails. When she releases from prison she sees her first love, Erol
waiting for her in front of jail. She had been ill-threatened and become disable. Erol
married her and return Germany. He tries to box to support her family. But the long
prison years had taken his power. After rehabilitation period and hard training he reaches
his power and fights again. But he and his wife involves Greenpeace activities. In 1999
the legendary Erol Atila, is killed by the blow of a ship‘s crane during a Green Peace exercise
against killer Japanese whalers in the Pacific Ocean, and as he had envisioned in his youth, sinks
in deep water in the ocean.
In “The Ownerless Planet 5”,My Grandson Tim is about the story of Rebel
Erol’s great grandson, Tim. In this book, the ghost of Rebel Erol worries about his great
grandson Tim., visits him in the future and gets involved in his life.

Here is the opinion of a TV producer of Turkey who found to make this novel a film in
the Turkey not technical possible because it contains also some science fiction parts.

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"I was very impressed when I read this book. It is an
environmental novel - a masterpiece which everyone
should read. I am sure one day it will be made into
a great film as well. Congratulations."
Metin Devrim T.V. producer and director,
Ankara, Turkey.

The Current Length of the Work (# of words):

Appr. 120.000 words

Target/Genre/Market/Demographic Focus:
Young and old audience
Describe The Main Characters:
Robert Daly Robert is a man in his thirties. Although he had tried every therapy going, he still
had not managed to save one hair on his head. When all else failed, he finally solved his hair
problem by wearing a cute wig. All the doctors had diagnosed the cosmic rays of the sun as
responsible for his goggle eyes, but none of the healing remedies seemed to work. The worst
thing about him was his mentally depressive nature which he didn’t seem able to break free from.
Mary Hofman : She is Robert`s wife, in her thirties.
Tim Hofdaly: The only son of the family, a very intellectual school boy
Erol Atila :The hero of this book, Erol is a brave, good looking very young boxer with
brown hair and muscular body.
He was so badly bullied by the children in his
neighbourhood as a child that he had to seek
protection from the Turkish Kabadayis (knights). His
enormous hatred for these children resulted in him
becoming an unbeatable boxer. When his father was
killed by an enemy of nature, he decided, as a nature
lover, to wage a lifelong battle against the destruction
of nature. He wandered from country to country,
trying to find some country which protected its nature
and wildlife. He climbed into the boxing rings in
Europe. Afterwards he was shot at the border in the
DDR{Ex communist Germany} and sentenced to life
imprisonment. There he wrote these books, in which
he describes not just his battle against the destruction of nature, but also his dramatic
loves.

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 Barut Rifki Barut Rifki was one of Siva’s most
famous Kabadayi, {Turkish knight} who lived in Erol`s
part of town. He is 25 years old .Here is a description
of him selected from novel.
“We always used to bump into him in the evenings
as he walked home, full of self confidence, stepping
along with sweeping, purposeful strides. He was not
only young and good looking, but he was also a
genuine “Kabadayi” - a knight like his father before
him, and all the louts were afraid of him. The curtains
of the houses he walked past were always twitching :
every girl of marriageable age in our district would wait longingly everyday just to catch
a glimpse of him.
He was a craftsman, a coppersmith like his father, and spent each day beating out
copper plates with a hammer into any shape and style which might be required at any
given time. In the evening he would wipe the sweat from his body and go to the mosque,
to perform the evening prayer. He would put on his famous “Kabadayi clothes,” and go
home for his evening meal. And of course, after supper he would visit a Turkish coffee
house.
Suluk Nuri: Here is a description of him selected from novel.
Suluk Nuri, whose nickname Suluk literally translated meant “leech”, had to be sorted out by
Barut, and from then on walked around with a permanent reminder as a warning, namely a scar
on his cheek. To all outward appearances, Suluk”Leech” was a large, good looking young man,
and yet from birth he had been violent, amoral, the last dregs of the earth. He hit people for no
reason, indulged his sadistic tendencies, was constantly swearing and uttered the most evil
curses while spitting. He looked on all females as fair game, and was constantly touching people
up for money, without the slightest intention of ever paying back one penny. His laughter grated
like an old rusty water pump. If he had a fit of laughter here, for instance, even the prison walls
would shudder.
Erdem Atila: He is the father of Erol, an idealist primary school teacher,40 years old.
Leyla Atila: She is the mother of Erol, a beautiful brave woman,38 years old,house
Wife
Savas Atila: He is the brother of Atila,20, a university student of forest engineering
Schoolboy Necmi: A warrior boy,17 years old, he is the best friend of Erol.

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 Wildflower: She is the darling of Erol, 17 years old,very
beautiful but shy. : Here is a description of him selected from
novel:

She had fair skin and fine, delicate hands. When she shyly smiled,
her ample lips parted to reveal a gleaming set of white teeth. I noticed
too late that I had returned her smile, and tried to close my lips. I had to
compose myself, although it wasn’t easy, because of all the other people
around. The women whispered with their hands over their mouths.
Whisper! Whisper! The girl’s face turned first bright red, and then
resumed its normal colour.

Sabri: A cruel schoolboy,17 who bulled Erol with his low life friends
Describe any Supporting Characters:
Guard Hans: The German guard in prison of communist Germany,35 years old
University Professor: A environmentalist German University professor in prison of
communist Germany,55 years old.

What actors or actresses (if any) are visualized for these parts?

Erol - young , Tom Welling

Erol - older, in prison cell and during capture, George Clooney
Wildflower - Natalie Portland or Keri Knightley
Mother - Susan Surandon
Barut Rifki - Orlando Bloom
Father - Sam Neil or William Hurt

Do you have any comments or questions that we can specifically answer?

We have been running non stop so damned fast without considering where we are
going to finish up. Isn't it about time we stopped running for once, and actually asked
each other where we are heading? I do it now and ask you in this book: Where are we
heading?
My great aim is to see this novel one day as a first great environmental film which the
audience might ask each other this question. I would very appreciate you if you assist
me. This 5 books are very suitable to make serial films. Akin Tekin

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If you are requesting a PITCH SHEET, give us the following information as to your
intentions: Are you intending to sell the film rights to your novel plan and would
like the pitch sheet to primarily be a sales tool, something which could accompany
your manuscript on a submission? OR, do you plan to write your screenplay
adaptation yourself before attempting to sell the film rights and hope the pitch sheet
will give you a template/guide to help you with the adaptation process?
I will decide it after reading your critique report!
Then, If you have time to read my entire novel to get its message spiritually, I
would be interested in a pitch sheet I have to pay extra.

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Critique Section – This information will be provided by the Editor:

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PREPARED BY:

The Book’s Title – How catchy is it? How well does it convey the content?

The Book’s Current Logline – Does it intrigue the reader? Is it written correctly?

The Book’s Current Synopsis – How well does it intrigue the reader?

The Book’s Narrative -- How easily could the story be adapted to Film? Discuss
adjustments which might be necessary. Discuss how well the narrative would (or
wouldn’t) work within the 3 Act structure common to all screenplays.

How are the Book’s Current Characters? Would they translate cinematically? How
about their dialogue? What adjustments must be made?

Discuss Book-to-Script Adaptation Dynamics as applicable:

Settings/Locations/Time Period -- in regard to Budget and Production ease or

difficulty:

Potential Budget Level – is it in line with expectations for the Target Demographic/
Audience:

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Themes – Would they translate well cinematically? Are they of “feature film”
import?

Discuss/describe Additional Elements from a Cinematic standpoint – e.g. visual

effects, e.g. action sequences -- as applicable to the genre of the novel

(Other Book vs. Script Dynamics to mention to the author?)

Conclusion and Recommendation in Regards to Film Viability and Commercial

Potential:

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 Excellent Very Good Good So-So Not Good

Title

Loglines &
Synopsis

Theme

Plot
Structure

Main
Characters

Supporting
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Visual
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