Books and movies.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, I read the first two, still need to get around to the third. Definitely not YA. I was referring to the Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series. I ended up not liking them as much as Women of the Otherworld -- love the way she would adopt a different voice depending on who was the main character. I actually read books 3 & 4 first (Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic), the two written from Paige's perspective. It was just wonderful to go back and read what happened in Bitten and especially the events of Stolen to see that there were actually discrepancies between the stories because Paige had only heard about what happened in the compound second hand. And also how she perceives herself versus how she is perceived by, for example, Elena, Savannah, and Hope.

When Neal Stephenson wrote Cryptonomicon, he went on a speaking tour, and I went to hear him speak. He told a story about how the book blew up. As is normal, he submitted an interim manuscript to the publisher, and they actually told him to stop writing. "You're done." "What?" "You can't write any more, otherwise you'll break the binding." So he went off and did a bit of research and found out that paperback books had a hard limit. Which was too bad, because he wasn't done writing -- there were supposed to be four storylines in Cryptonomicon, not three (the fourth being in the future).

He actually went on a lengthy aside -- as he is wont to do -- while he was doing his research, he found this wonderful press that would bind his books with torn edges and everything. "I'm definitely using them for my next book." I have first editions of the Baroque Cycle in hardback -- he did indeed. Also, if you followed the transition of the Baroque Cycle to paperback, he actually rearranged things so that it wasn't three volumes like it was in hardback. For example, Confusion separates the interleaving storylines into two separate books, Bonanza and The Juncto. So he actually wrote to that limitation.

 

[garrett]

Lately I'm excited about the adaptation of 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Brought to you by Stephen himself and J.J. Abrams. It's an eight-part "event series" airing only on Hulu, so hopefully they will take some chances and dive deep into the events in the book. After the premiere episode, I already think it's cast well and they have established the right tone. So many of his books have been ruined on screen, but I have high hopes for this one.

Speaking of getting ruined on screen, the Wayward Pines trilogy was a fun read. I felt the show was cast horribly and they rushed through a lot of the good content from the first book. I think they were also guilty of making variations from the book that didn't make sense.

Speaking of variations from the book, The Man in the High Castle on Prime is a great series, based on the book by Philip K Dick. I think I like the TV adaptation better. They did vary the plot lines quite a bit from the book, but in a way that's intriguing and makes sense to me. Dick provided a great concept and I feel the series developed it well.

I know that was three TV series and zero movies, but I can't think of a movie that was really worth watching after reading the book. They always have to compromise to make it palatable for a wide range of viewers and then they either rush through or just don't capture the intricacies that make reading so interesting.

 

[mmarshburn]

I've read "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon." Bother were pretty awesome compared to the movies. I'm also working on "Darkly Dreaming Dexter," which was the original book that the TV Show Dexter was based on.

 

[alantig]

The Dexter books vary widely from the TV show - the first may have been the closest. I've only read a couple of the books. Don't know if you watched True Blood, but those books varied a lot as well, but not quite as much as the Dexter stuff, at least for the first few seasons - same basic framework of the story, but a lot of different details.

The Thomas Harris books about Hannibal Lecter were quite good up until the last one. The last one seemed a tad pretentious. Still, an awesome character.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I've both read the Sookie Stackhouse series (formerly the ...Gentleman Vampire series?) and watched True Blood, and noticed the same thing. Made a friend of mine watch it (someone who reads a lot), and explained that when you have a cast, and you need to put them in every episode, sometimes the contortions that they go through to do so make sense.

 

[alantig]

I think some of the changes were good - the show would have been far less enjoyable w/o Lafayette, for example. But the show lost the thread in the fourth or fifth season. I stuck with it until the end, but mostly because of Eric and Pam. By the end, I was skipping over anything that wasn't the "core" players. I haven't read any of the books in a couple years. I need to get back to them.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, I enjoyed the show. I've only gotten as far as Amazon provided me as part of my prime subscription (season 5?), but I really liked a lot of what they did. I especially like what they're doing with Jessica right now (I have a thing for redheads, so...yeah, there's that).

 

[alantig]

Oh...Jessica!!!!!

 

[mmarshburn]

Yeah, I get a bit nosey and read some plots ahead of time. I've noticed a LOT different aspects of Astor and Cody. I watched the whole show before deciding on the book. I have noticed quite a few detail changes so far.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

(I have a thing for redheads, so...yeah, there's that).

Not a genetic ginger.

 

[Kazz]

Yeah, I get a bit nosey and read some plots ahead of time. I've noticed a LOT different aspects of Astor and Cody. I watched the whole show before deciding on the book. I have noticed quite a few detail changes so far.

That's one series that I have pretty mixed feelings about. I've read a few of them, but I think I've enjoyed what I watched of the TV show more for the most part, because frankly I don't think the author is a great writer.

The original idea is good and interesting, but if I have to hear his sister say "God damn it, Dexter!" one more time...and that's not an objection to swearing, just to repetition, questionable quality of dialog, etc.

I might finish the series at some point, but it's probably not one I'd start knowing what I know now.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Not a genetic ginger.

Yeah...that's another thing I've noticed about me. Doesn't even matter if she's natural or bottled, gingers just turn my head.

Or maybe I just like the actress.

 

[rugerpc]

Mary Ann....

 

[mmarshburn]

That's one series that I have pretty mixed feelings about. I've read a few of them, but I think I've enjoyed what I watched of the TV show more for the most part, because frankly I don't think the author is a great writer.

The original idea is good and interesting, but if I have to hear his sister say "God damn it, Dexter!" one more time...and that's not an objection to swearing, just to repetition, questionable quality of dialog, etc.

I might finish the series at some point, but it's probably not one I'd start knowing what I know now.

I concur. It's VERY hard to finish this book. I think they did an amazing job in making the TV show something that more people would get than the books. I've been through all 8 seasons about five times now.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Yeah...that's another thing I've noticed about me. Doesn't even matter if she's natural or bottled, gingers just turn my head.

Or maybe I just like the actress.

Ha! See, I'm not really afflicted with gingervitis which is why I found it odd that the Jessica character had gotten such a hold on me. Her relationship with Bill and Hoyt was intriguing, as was the idea of her story of being such a young vampire living with a "helicopter" parent.

It was her, along with Lafayette, and of course Pam and Eric, that kept me going during some of the slow seasons (to completely agree with Alantig here). I should check out the books. I kinda forgot about them.

 

[mmarshburn]

Yeah...that's another thing I've noticed about me. Doesn't even matter if she's natural or bottled, gingers just turn my head.

Or maybe I just like the actress.

The only redhead that has really shines as gorgeous to me lately is the young redhead off of Season 1 of American Horror Story.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

The only redhead that has really shines as gorgeous to me lately is the young redhead off of Season 1 of American Horror Story.

Oh yeah... Moria.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

The only redhead that has really shines as gorgeous to me lately is the young redhead off of Season 1 of American Horror Story.

(makes a mental note to start watching American Horror Story rather than let it lag on the list of shows to be watched)

 

[sergiodeblanc]

(makes a mental note to start watching American Horror Story rather than let it lag on the list of shows to be watched)

I find it advantageous to binge watch that show. Loved the 1st season, got impatient during the 2nd, blew off the 3rd, got caught up in the fever of anticipation for the 4th, re-watched 'em all from the beginning, loved the 4th, and gave up halfway through the 5th.

I'd save them for late September and early October for the spooky part of the year while getting psyched for 6.


Side note: The actress that plays Moira, Alexandra Breckenridge is also a bottled redhead.