4 ms·

Apple orders 10 episodes of a Neuromancer TV series

66 points by bmm6o 3y ago

hyggetrold 3y ago
"He never saw Molly again." I wonder if they'll be able to honor that one if the show is successful. :)
- EvanAnderson 3y ago
  As the series goes, though, we do see Molly again. We don't see Case again. I never thought about that until now.
boppo1 3y ago
After what they did to Foundation, I haven't got the least bit of interest.
- modeless 3y ago
  Silo is good though.
  - vidanay 3y ago
    City of Ember meets Ascension.
  - boppo1 3y ago
    Foundation hater here; I agree.
- enlightens 3y ago
  Foundation is different than the books but I appreciate a lot of the story they've been telling in the show. I'm looking forward to their Neuromancer treatment
  - SmellTheGlove 3y ago
    I agree. The Foundation books wouldn’t make great TV. There’s way too much time skipping and very little character development in the books. I have some gripes but they’re spoilers so I won’t say what they are. But generally I like the show, and I really loved the books and have read them multiple times.
  - cchance 3y ago
    Gotta say didn't read foundation, but i like the show, really sucks that people don't get that studios will always need to tweak books for appeal or other reasons to make it work for their audience, it doesn't make the shows bad. This is why we end up with studios not willing to make shows and keep them around the people that just get upset cause it didn't meet their expectations from books.
- FrustratedMonky 3y ago
  Yes. Here's hoping. I watched Foundation to the end, no matter how bad it got. Just can't stop watching the Live Action adaptations of the old favorites. 'Peripheral', also watched it all, no matter how bad. etc... So, I'll watch this one too. They must know they have built in audience that will accept anything. Why can't there be more like 'Expanse'?
  - lukifer 3y ago
    I enjoyed Peripheral, having not read the book. I'd be curious to hear (spoiler-free) criticisms. (The concept was compelling enough, I definitely intend to read the series, especially given its cancellation.)
    - johnchristopher 3y ago
      https://www.reddit.com/r/WilliamGibson/ https://www.reddit.com/r/WilliamGibson/ has certainly what you are looking for.
    - FrustratedMonky 3y ago
      Guess Peripheral wasn't 'bad'. Just falls prey to same problems of book-tv translation. The book was a pretty high concept idea, and just didn't think it translated well. So on a ranking of 'good->bad' ,'book->TV' translations, it actually wasn't at bottom. It was ok. Just middling. Book was better. I'm being too judgmental.
- dantyti 3y ago
  agree, the show betrays essential principles of the trilogy. Why even have psychohistory at all if you’re throwing away everything that stems from it? especially sad, considering that it has a solid cast and looks beautiful
  - lukifer 3y ago
    I think Apple just wanted their own Game of Thrones flagship, and on paper, Foundation seems like it should be that (epic scale, big ideas). But honestly, it needs a more subdued treatment: mostly talking heads in rooms, and an anthology that jumps forward decades with each episode, rotating characters as necessary. Blockbuster narratives need heroes, which works directly at cross-purposes to the long-term systemic thinking that defines the books. There was probably never a scenario where the high price of buying the rights could match up with the size of audience for a more faithful adaptation. (And rightly or wrongly, non-book-readers seem broadly positive on the series.)
    - chaostheory 3y ago
      > I think Apple just wanted their own Game of Thrones flagship Dune makes the most sense for TV and not the movies. A lot of the political subtlety is lost in the movies
      - nothercastle 3y ago
        Except that the other books are just wierd
    - hyperman1 3y ago
      Julian May's Galactic Milieu might be that kind of thing. Start at Jack's book, maybe add Rogation's book as flashbacks. Th Rebellion and fury's antics give a good framework to let a bunch of writers add more material in between.
- chaostheory 3y ago
  Neuromancer is way easier to translate to the screen. It’s not far from Bladerunner. The problem with Foundation is that it’s more of a historical account about empires rather than about individual characters which is made much worse when the screenwriters decided to add space magic to the mix
- Melmolo 3y ago
  To have a counter view of the few being unhappy as usual that a tv adaptation doesn't mean being the same as the book: foundation as a TV show is great. I love it, would love to see more of it but I will probably start reading the books later.
- polishdude20 3y ago
  If they cast Lee Pace is this new one I'm all for it.
- The_Colonel 3y ago
  Interestingly it's the opposite for me. The book (read only the first) was not enjoyable and I thought it's poorly written, bad characters and plotlines. So hearing the Foundation in TV is not like the book makes me want to see it.
  - idiotsecant 3y ago
    It was basically an entirely different (not very good) thing. I thought the genetic dynasty part of it was super awesome though, not a closely examined subject in the books and the guy who played empire day i thought was very good.
- sonicanatidae 3y ago
  110% with you. The series took all of the worst parts of foundation and then focused on them. :| Like all things, YMMV.
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nickthegreek 3y ago
dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281
- ortusdux 3y ago
  Keeps getting deleted
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ChrisArchitect 3y ago
[dupe] please! discussion over here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281
danielscrubs 3y ago
Can we agree that if you take a POPULAR book that it probably has better writing than what a screenwriter can come up with? It has stood the test of time for a reason in a way that most screenwriters can only dream about. Books are one of the few mediums left where meritocracy is still going strong as it has such heavy competition and no regulation. If you want it to have more mass appeal then choose one of those books that already have it.

66 points by bmm6o 3y ago

hyggetrold 3y ago

"He never saw Molly again." I wonder if they'll be able to honor that one if the show is successful. :)

EvanAnderson 3y ago
As the series goes, though, we do see Molly again. We don't see Case again. I never thought about that until now.

boppo1 3y ago

After what they did to Foundation, I haven't got the least bit of interest.

modeless 3y ago
Silo is good though.
- vidanay 3y ago
  City of Ember meets Ascension.
- boppo1 3y ago
  Foundation hater here; I agree.
enlightens 3y ago
Foundation is different than the books but I appreciate a lot of the story they've been telling in the show. I'm looking forward to their Neuromancer treatment
- SmellTheGlove 3y ago
  I agree. The Foundation books wouldn’t make great TV. There’s way too much time skipping and very little character development in the books. I have some gripes but they’re spoilers so I won’t say what they are. But generally I like the show, and I really loved the books and have read them multiple times.
- cchance 3y ago
  Gotta say didn't read foundation, but i like the show, really sucks that people don't get that studios will always need to tweak books for appeal or other reasons to make it work for their audience, it doesn't make the shows bad. This is why we end up with studios not willing to make shows and keep them around the people that just get upset cause it didn't meet their expectations from books.
FrustratedMonky 3y ago
Yes. Here's hoping. I watched Foundation to the end, no matter how bad it got. Just can't stop watching the Live Action adaptations of the old favorites. 'Peripheral', also watched it all, no matter how bad. etc... So, I'll watch this one too. They must know they have built in audience that will accept anything. Why can't there be more like 'Expanse'?
- lukifer 3y ago
  I enjoyed Peripheral, having not read the book. I'd be curious to hear (spoiler-free) criticisms. (The concept was compelling enough, I definitely intend to read the series, especially given its cancellation.)
  - johnchristopher 3y ago
    https://www.reddit.com/r/WilliamGibson/ https://www.reddit.com/r/WilliamGibson/ has certainly what you are looking for.
  - FrustratedMonky 3y ago
    Guess Peripheral wasn't 'bad'. Just falls prey to same problems of book-tv translation. The book was a pretty high concept idea, and just didn't think it translated well. So on a ranking of 'good->bad' ,'book->TV' translations, it actually wasn't at bottom. It was ok. Just middling. Book was better. I'm being too judgmental.
dantyti 3y ago
agree, the show betrays essential principles of the trilogy. Why even have psychohistory at all if you’re throwing away everything that stems from it? especially sad, considering that it has a solid cast and looks beautiful
- lukifer 3y ago
  I think Apple just wanted their own Game of Thrones flagship, and on paper, Foundation seems like it should be that (epic scale, big ideas). But honestly, it needs a more subdued treatment: mostly talking heads in rooms, and an anthology that jumps forward decades with each episode, rotating characters as necessary. Blockbuster narratives need heroes, which works directly at cross-purposes to the long-term systemic thinking that defines the books. There was probably never a scenario where the high price of buying the rights could match up with the size of audience for a more faithful adaptation. (And rightly or wrongly, non-book-readers seem broadly positive on the series.)
  - chaostheory 3y ago
    > I think Apple just wanted their own Game of Thrones flagship Dune makes the most sense for TV and not the movies. A lot of the political subtlety is lost in the movies
    - nothercastle 3y ago
      Except that the other books are just wierd
  - hyperman1 3y ago
    Julian May's Galactic Milieu might be that kind of thing. Start at Jack's book, maybe add Rogation's book as flashbacks. Th Rebellion and fury's antics give a good framework to let a bunch of writers add more material in between.
chaostheory 3y ago
Neuromancer is way easier to translate to the screen. It’s not far from Bladerunner. The problem with Foundation is that it’s more of a historical account about empires rather than about individual characters which is made much worse when the screenwriters decided to add space magic to the mix
Melmolo 3y ago
To have a counter view of the few being unhappy as usual that a tv adaptation doesn't mean being the same as the book: foundation as a TV show is great. I love it, would love to see more of it but I will probably start reading the books later.
polishdude20 3y ago
If they cast Lee Pace is this new one I'm all for it.
The_Colonel 3y ago
Interestingly it's the opposite for me. The book (read only the first) was not enjoyable and I thought it's poorly written, bad characters and plotlines. So hearing the Foundation in TV is not like the book makes me want to see it.
- idiotsecant 3y ago
  It was basically an entirely different (not very good) thing. I thought the genetic dynasty part of it was super awesome though, not a closely examined subject in the books and the guy who played empire day i thought was very good.
sonicanatidae 3y ago
110% with you. The series took all of the worst parts of foundation and then focused on them. :| Like all things, YMMV.

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nickthegreek 3y ago

dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281

ortusdux 3y ago
Keeps getting deleted

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

ChrisArchitect 3y ago

[dupe] please! discussion over here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39543281

danielscrubs 3y ago

Can we agree that if you take a POPULAR book that it probably has better writing than what a screenwriter can come up with? It has stood the test of time for a reason in a way that most screenwriters can only dream about. Books are one of the few mediums left where meritocracy is still going strong as it has such heavy competition and no regulation. If you want it to have more mass appeal then choose one of those books that already have it.