I've tried to imagine how they'd make a visual murderbot and while I didn't come close to the direction they have taken, you're describing the difficulties in translating these books to a television format and how impossible it is to do well. It's very unfortunate that in addition to what is likely impossible it sounds like they've also made some really unfortunate changes that exacerbate the difficulty and destroy the spirit of the books. Murderbot is not a person. I'm sure if you asked 100 readers to tell you what murderbot looks like you'd get 100 different answers but zero of them would be like what they've chosen for the series. Why can't we just accept not all media can be visual? The exact type of imagination involved in reading is a diminishing skill for so many people and books as enjoyable to read should be celebrated for that precise reason, not altered beyond recognition for screens. Ugh.
"we’ve gone from a novel in which the autistic lead’s comfort is treated as the primary thing to a television show where it’s expected to mask by de-masking—".
This is not the first time a SF book project has gotten eviserated for TV ("Foundation", for example, bears little resemblance to Asimov's work), and that is because of Hollywood's condescending attitude towards complex subject matter. This is not necessarily the fault of the people making the work itself, but the organizations financing the work; the people running those organizations have thinking that operates on narrow stereotypes (be it of SF or autism) that are at odds with anything expressed by a book author. And it takes more time that the thought process of a money-mad executive allows to create the circumstances for a work to be portrayed entirely effectively, if any such filmmaker emerges who wishes to do it in such a fashion.
Thank you for so clearly writing the reasons why I enjoyed the show as a separate, completely different, story but hated it as a huge fan of the novels. I really did try to be more generous than I usually am with adaptations, especially knowing that Wells had a finger in the pie. And I don't hate watching AS, and I think he does a pretty good job of emoting the feelings of something that isn't supposed to have feelings. But even though I am a huge book evangelist, I shrink from recommending the show to anyone.
I love Murderbot. I have been looking forward to the series, sort of. I am always little worried that watching will ruin books for me. I really hated the GoT series after loving the books, and I don’t love tv in general. I still like the GoT books though, so I’m probably safe. I have to admit, I’m far more excited for the new book in May!
I've tried to imagine how they'd make a visual murderbot and while I didn't come close to the direction they have taken, you're describing the difficulties in translating these books to a television format and how impossible it is to do well. It's very unfortunate that in addition to what is likely impossible it sounds like they've also made some really unfortunate changes that exacerbate the difficulty and destroy the spirit of the books. Murderbot is not a person. I'm sure if you asked 100 readers to tell you what murderbot looks like you'd get 100 different answers but zero of them would be like what they've chosen for the series. Why can't we just accept not all media can be visual? The exact type of imagination involved in reading is a diminishing skill for so many people and books as enjoyable to read should be celebrated for that precise reason, not altered beyond recognition for screens. Ugh.
I loved Mensah especially in both renditions
I had no idea you’d read the series!
"we’ve gone from a novel in which the autistic lead’s comfort is treated as the primary thing to a television show where it’s expected to mask by de-masking—".
This is not the first time a SF book project has gotten eviserated for TV ("Foundation", for example, bears little resemblance to Asimov's work), and that is because of Hollywood's condescending attitude towards complex subject matter. This is not necessarily the fault of the people making the work itself, but the organizations financing the work; the people running those organizations have thinking that operates on narrow stereotypes (be it of SF or autism) that are at odds with anything expressed by a book author. And it takes more time that the thought process of a money-mad executive allows to create the circumstances for a work to be portrayed entirely effectively, if any such filmmaker emerges who wishes to do it in such a fashion.
Oh man, thank you for writing this.
Thank you for so clearly writing the reasons why I enjoyed the show as a separate, completely different, story but hated it as a huge fan of the novels. I really did try to be more generous than I usually am with adaptations, especially knowing that Wells had a finger in the pie. And I don't hate watching AS, and I think he does a pretty good job of emoting the feelings of something that isn't supposed to have feelings. But even though I am a huge book evangelist, I shrink from recommending the show to anyone.
I love Murderbot. I have been looking forward to the series, sort of. I am always little worried that watching will ruin books for me. I really hated the GoT series after loving the books, and I don’t love tv in general. I still like the GoT books though, so I’m probably safe. I have to admit, I’m far more excited for the new book in May!