A semi-related rant and quite banal to be frank, but just in case for those who only saw the TV show and are considering whether consuming the original is worth it. In my opinion, very much so! As...
A semi-related rant and quite banal to be frank, but just in case for those who only saw the TV show and are considering whether consuming the original is worth it. In my opinion, very much so!
As someone who's read the whole series and was quite hyped for the Apple TV series, I was entirely disappointed in it from both the "as an adaptation" and "as a standalone work of art inspired by the original material" angles.
And I do honestly generally approach adaptations with an open mind! Of course there's going to be some shortcuts taken, things simplified, characters merged; there's only so much runtime to fit it all in. But my main two issues are:
The changes do not seem to... really solve any problems to make it easier to film? The first book is pretty straightforward already, it's not going to get thriller awards and it's not Foundation, but the story arch makes sense and it paces itself well. The adaptation screws up with that structure for seemingly no reason other than changes for changes' sake.
It's not nearly as funny. Line delivery (Murderbot's internal monologues) and editing (cut timings and the like) water and slow down the simple and snappy feel of the book. Again, I really wanted to like the show, but it didn't even get a "slightly exhale from the nose" reaction out of me even for those moments that I knew to be hilarious in the original.
All in all, books much recommended, an easy read and a nice distraction. And of course the narrator in the audiobook version did a top-tier job, but alas the current bundle only has the ePubs.
Just for a bit of contrast: I'm a big fan of the books who found the show enjoyable as an adaptation. So if you're a show fan who wants to read the books don't stress! You're probably going to...
Just for a bit of contrast:
I'm a big fan of the books who found the show enjoyable as an adaptation. So if you're a show fan who wants to read the books don't stress! You're probably going to love them still!
Personally I did not enjoy Witch King or City of Bones so if you're a murderbot fan don't assume that you definitely will vibe with the rest of her work. But a bundle can be the easiest way to try it.
Thank you, that was precisely the message I initially set out on as well, but admittedly it got lost a little behind the rest of negativity. It would also actually be quite fun to hear the...
So if you're a show fan who wants to read the books don't stress! You're probably going to love them still!
Thank you, that was precisely the message I initially set out on as well, but admittedly it got lost a little behind the rest of negativity.
It would also actually be quite fun to hear the impression of someone going from show to book rather than the other way around. I don't think I've personally happened to consume media in that order, apart from maybe Lord of the Rings..
I read the book then immediately watched the show. I think the show did a better job of fleshing out the characters around Murderbot. In the book, each character was just mouthpieces with...
I read the book then immediately watched the show. I think the show did a better job of fleshing out the characters around Murderbot. In the book, each character was just mouthpieces with different names (Mensah excepted). In the show, they have easily-distinguishable personalities and relationships.
I missed the nuances of Murderbot's inner dialogue in the show, but that's just a limitation of the medium. I liked both of them a lot, and look forward to reading the rest!
I agree they did a good job, but the show has the benefit of having future characterizations from future books (and the author) to work with. As of the first book Murderbot pretty much thinks of...
I agree they did a good job, but the show has the benefit of having future characterizations from future books (and the author) to work with. As of the first book Murderbot pretty much thinks of the humans as semi-replaceable meat bags, just that they're its meat bags.
Hooray! I read the first one and enjoyed it tons, but the books being full-book price for 100 page novella length was a mental block I couldn't get past for the sequels. But now the price is right...
Hooray! I read the first one and enjoyed it tons, but the books being full-book price for 100 page novella length was a mental block I couldn't get past for the sequels. But now the price is right and I can enjoy the rest of em :D
For when you want to ignore your crew and immerse yourself in media instead. As always with Humble Bundle, click Adjust Donation to run a diagnostic and ensure your working parameters are within...
For when you want to ignore your crew and immerse yourself in media instead.
As always with Humble Bundle, click Adjust Donation to run a diagnostic and ensure your working parameters are within optimal ranges before embarking on your mission.
Thank you for posting this! A friend that has been listening to the audiobooks recently recommended the series but they are all tied up at my local library. This is a good deal I'm willing to take...
Thank you for posting this! A friend that has been listening to the audiobooks recently recommended the series but they are all tied up at my local library. This is a good deal I'm willing to take a risk on.
FYI for library audiobooks, if your library has hoopla, they're currently showing as all available there for me. And hoopla doesn't do the waitlists like Libby, just caps the borrows per month
FYI for library audiobooks, if your library has hoopla, they're currently showing as all available there for me. And hoopla doesn't do the waitlists like Libby, just caps the borrows per month
Oh you complete stud! I read the first book a couple weeks ago, finished the show a few days ago, and was planning to read the rest of these whenever the library made them available (weeks to...
Oh you complete stud! I read the first book a couple weeks ago, finished the show a few days ago, and was planning to read the rest of these whenever the library made them available (weeks to months per book). You just made my week! Thank you!!
Thanks for posting! I don't keep up much with humble bundles anymore. I mainly heard about the series from the asexual community on Tumblr but was disappointed to learn that it was on Apple +....
Thanks for posting! I don't keep up much with humble bundles anymore. I mainly heard about the series from the asexual community on Tumblr but was disappointed to learn that it was on Apple +. Looking forward to some good reading!
A semi-related rant and quite banal to be frank, but just in case for those who only saw the TV show and are considering whether consuming the original is worth it. In my opinion, very much so!
As someone who's read the whole series and was quite hyped for the Apple TV series, I was entirely disappointed in it from both the "as an adaptation" and "as a standalone work of art inspired by the original material" angles.
And I do honestly generally approach adaptations with an open mind! Of course there's going to be some shortcuts taken, things simplified, characters merged; there's only so much runtime to fit it all in. But my main two issues are:
All in all, books much recommended, an easy read and a nice distraction. And of course the narrator in the audiobook version did a top-tier job, but alas the current bundle only has the ePubs.
Just for a bit of contrast:
I'm a big fan of the books who found the show enjoyable as an adaptation. So if you're a show fan who wants to read the books don't stress! You're probably going to love them still!
Personally I did not enjoy Witch King or City of Bones so if you're a murderbot fan don't assume that you definitely will vibe with the rest of her work. But a bundle can be the easiest way to try it.
Thank you, that was precisely the message I initially set out on as well, but admittedly it got lost a little behind the rest of negativity.
It would also actually be quite fun to hear the impression of someone going from show to book rather than the other way around. I don't think I've personally happened to consume media in that order, apart from maybe Lord of the Rings..
I read the book then immediately watched the show. I think the show did a better job of fleshing out the characters around Murderbot. In the book, each character was just mouthpieces with different names (Mensah excepted). In the show, they have easily-distinguishable personalities and relationships.
I missed the nuances of Murderbot's inner dialogue in the show, but that's just a limitation of the medium. I liked both of them a lot, and look forward to reading the rest!
I agree they did a good job, but the show has the benefit of having future characterizations from future books (and the author) to work with. As of the first book Murderbot pretty much thinks of the humans as semi-replaceable meat bags, just that they're its meat bags.
Hooray! I read the first one and enjoyed it tons, but the books being full-book price for 100 page novella length was a mental block I couldn't get past for the sequels. But now the price is right and I can enjoy the rest of em :D
For when you want to ignore your crew and immerse yourself in media instead.
As always with Humble Bundle, click
Adjust Donationto run a diagnostic and ensure your working parameters are within optimal ranges before embarking on your mission.Thank you for posting this! A friend that has been listening to the audiobooks recently recommended the series but they are all tied up at my local library. This is a good deal I'm willing to take a risk on.
FYI for library audiobooks, if your library has hoopla, they're currently showing as all available there for me. And hoopla doesn't do the waitlists like Libby, just caps the borrows per month
Oh you complete stud! I read the first book a couple weeks ago, finished the show a few days ago, and was planning to read the rest of these whenever the library made them available (weeks to months per book). You just made my week! Thank you!!
Thanks for posting! I don't keep up much with humble bundles anymore. I mainly heard about the series from the asexual community on Tumblr but was disappointed to learn that it was on Apple +. Looking forward to some good reading!
Surprised the bundle includes a lot of her other works but doesn't include the fantastic Raksura series!