Not to come off as snarky but that’s what I’ve always thought of the book. I’ve described it to friends as “The best book ever written where nothing much actually happens.”
Trying to avoid spoiler territory, but apparently the plots of the book and show are completely different. I’ve only seen a couple episodes and never read the book, but it seems the show just uses Dick’s staging for a completely different plot.
I’m 5 eps in. The atmosphere and world-realization is incredible. I buy that a 1962 America would look like that if occupied by Japan and Nazi Germany for 15 years. Not just a 1962 (our history) America with fewer non-whites and fewer Jewish people, but a different development of technology. All tv’s are color, but no typewriters are IBM selectric or any other electric type. It’s of course very bleak - I keep wanting to see some sign that eventually “our” history asserts itself. It’s hard to care about people trying to avoid a world war between Japan and Nazi Germany
I heard a review of it on NPR calling it the best new show of the season. I decided to give it a try last week and my wife and I binged through all ten episodes in matter of about 3 nights. It’s good. Slow, but good.
Yeah, that’s Dick all over. He never created a character I cared whether they lived or died. I keep trying, though.
And there’s this. I’ve been reading and viewing SF since I was a wee sprat. My disbelief is suspended by the same cables as the Golden Gate bridge, but that strains them.
Although most of the characters on the show were not Dick’s creation; they were created by the show’s writers.
That’s probably true. It would have been more likely that the US succumbed to Fascism internally and joined the Nazis willingly but then you lose the concept of a North America split in two and a German/Japanese Cold war which is the core of the show (at least so far as I am only halfway through).
They should take the out I gave them. It’s better to blame a bad writer who is dead than admit you are a bad writer. And the lousy actors can blame the script!
I just bought a Fire Stick today. I’m now watching episode 1.
I give a solid meh so far.
I’ll try the next episode to see if it clicks.
I’ve read the book several times; Philip Dick does not offer zippy plotting & warmly drawn characters. I found it impressionistic–he’s no Harry Turtledove. So, I just finished the series–and enjoyed it. What did it* mean*? Don’t know. But I’ll watch it again for the art direction–if no other reason…
(I joined Amazon Prime long ago–for the shipping. Prime Video is a good extra–not quite as good as Netflix, which I also have. Still cheaper than cable.)
ETA: So, the leading lady was Electric Gwen on Angel. The Yakuza Boss was the emcee of Nutcracker–from a memorable episode of* Supernaural*.)
The female lead should have been called Calamity Jane, not Juliana. None of the other characters should have cooperated with her and supported her the way they did. That was some poor writing is what that was.