SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

A new TV series is available on amazon prime for Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. I started watching it last night with my family. I found it true to the story and exceptionally well done! Honestly, I’ve been looking forward to this series for months.

Candice 😈😇

I've just watched the first episode so far. Really enjoying it so far, and I am a HUGE fan of the book!

Not surprised.

Neil Gaiman, David Tennant, and Martin Sheen.

On my "watch" list.

It was so good.

I just recently read the book in preparation for the series and I am finding the series great so far. They seem to be following the book's plot so far. Fingers crossed that it ends well!

I didn’t do a reread so that I wasn’t disappointed about things they left out. I still remember the general story and bits and pieces but not enough to get annoyed at any differences. I absolutely loved the series. I finished it a few days ago and I really wish I could see it for the first time again. The casting was perfection in my opinion and the whole thing was magnificent.

I've been waiting for this one for a while, but of course am buried under work now that it's released. Glad to hear people think it's good. I never got around to reading the book, although it's on my shelf. Have to make some time to watch it

I've watched the first two episodes so far and am really, really having a fun time with it! It's rare that I think about TV shows after I've watched them, but my spouse and I are already referencing the episodes in our conversations. Very entertaining.

I just finished this last night! So, so good. Funny and sweet and action-packed. Best rom com I've seen in a long time.

FINALLY got to watch the whole series yesterday. My best friend lives far away from me, and we had a phone date for all six episodes! (I really am rather surprised my cordless phone battery lasted so long, maybe there was a Demon in the system lending me a little infernal power)

The series was EXCELLENT! I read the book just a month ago and had my Kindle with me while we watched the show. I spot checked a couple things for the differences. There were not many, and I was not at all disappointed with the changes.

Newt was adorable. Dog was EVERYTHING. Shadwell's accent was perfection. I could probably just shout a list of things I adored. I'll try to reign it in.

Tenant and Sheen were amazing. I could watch six thousand years of them playing off each other. (In fact a ton of people are begging Neil Gaiman for more. Poor man just wants to go back to writing books.)

I have only two tiny gripes. (And I mean tiny. Like Demons dancing on the head of a pin tiny.) I was not a huge fan of the casting for War. She wasn't as sleek as I was expecting. And the art style in the opening credits kind of freaked me out. (Though seeing all the different references to the story line was really cool.)

I will definintely be watching it again. And probably again. And then some more. Interspersed with some rereads of the book.

Yay!!! I'm so glad it lived up to the hype for you!

The nits I picked were in a few tenuous missteps in building a healthy, loving relationship, which I think make good sense for the characters but left me wanting one more bit of dialogue, which I've added into my head canon where Aziraphale realizes he can't manipulate Crowley with ultimatums all the time and Crowley realizes that if he wants someone to believe his big gestures and proclamations, he should use his words, too.

But other than that, I really enjoyed it! I've not yet read the book, but it does seem most agree that it's fairly close, so I'm looking forward to it!

Not having read the book or been keen on Pratchett at all, I hadn’t planned on watching. But I heard so much about Aziraphale and Crowley that I checked it out anyway and well now I’m in love. Oops. I can’t remember when last I’ve seen such good screen chemistry. The story itself it a bit too crazy for me, I didn’t really laugh at any point as it’a not my humor I guess, but eh... plot, what plot, right? XD

I agree, Allison, I felt there were moments when their arguing was physically painful to watch and I would have liked them to talk some issues out after, instead of just falling right back into friendship, but yeah I can substitude those missing scenes in my head just fine ;-)

So now I *am* actually reading it to get all the things that didn’t make it into the show.

And I bought a script book.

And a companion book with lot of BTS photos.

Yeah, I’m in deep.

XD

That cracked me up. I'm glad you liked it so much!!

My wife and I just started watching the series. I read the book about three, four years ago, and remembered how great a read it was. So far we LOVE the show!

Dawn wrote: "And I bought a script book.

And a companion book with lot of BTS photos.
..."

Yay! I love that new people are finding this story thanks to the series!

(PS. I also bought both of those books!)

(PPS. As the gigantic internet dork that I am, I am also REALLY excited that all these new fans means new FanFiction. Yeah. I'm that person. It's going to be amazing!)

Brick, if you like the beginning, you should like the whole thing! I hope my prediction is correct! I'm no Agnes Nutter, but I have been on a roll this month ;-)

Allison wrote: "Brick, if you like the beginning, you should like the whole thing! I hope my prediction is correct! I'm no Agnes Nutter, but I have been on a roll this month ;-)"

Awesome!

It has a plot....the end of the world is coming and they’ve got to stop it or there’ll be no wonderful little restaurants or bookshops for them to enjoy anymore.

I watched the first three episodes, and I have to admit, I struggled to get into it.

I'm coming off of just having read Neverwhere a few weeks ago, and I guess was expecting something different. Darker, maybe? More adventure driven? I'm not sure. I purposefully kept myself in the dark about the story's premise because I think sometimes blurbs/trailers can ruin a good tale.

But given how much everyone here is raving about it. I think I'll try giving it another go.

Kristin B. wrote: "(PPS. As the gigantic internet dork that I am, I am also REALLY excited that all these new fans means new FanFiction. Yeah. I'm that person. It's going to be amazing!)

Oh I'm totally that person as well XD

@Marian I must say the style of the show is not usually me, and I still find it more odd or silly, than funny. The pace is a lot slower than I had thought, compared to, say, Sherlock or Doctor Who, and the humor is very different. To me it all seems very random, like a kid's dream with no real logic behind what goes on. I find many scenes overly long and boring. But the scenes with Aziraphale and Crowley make up for that completely, so I don't even care anymore. They really carry the show and I think I've gotten used to the show's tone by now upon a rewatch. I hope you watch till the end :)

I love that I could feel both Pratchett and Gaiman in the show, which I think is a great homage to Pratchett from his friend, as only one of them was around to turn the book into a screenplay. But Pratchett is definitely sillier than Gaiman, and this show has its tongue firmly in cheek.

Yes, that's probably it.

Two episodes in, and it's everything you all said it was. I'm so glad this thread prodded me to start it. I'm having so much fun and looking forward to watching it more than I have any show in awhile.

Hm … should I try it, too? (I'm so hopeless with watching TV, but I liked the book and I love Pratchett)

Gabi wrote: "Hm … should I try it, too? (I'm so hopeless with watching TV, but I liked the book and I love Pratchett)"

Emphatically yes! Plus, it's a mini series. Just under a six hour commitment with a full resolution and no waiting. You can't go wrong!

I'm hopeless at watching TV shows--my spouse and I usually give up after an episode or two because we can't stay focused. But we both wanted to stay up late and finish this one. It's so fun--I think you'd really like it, Gabi.

My wife and I are only on the second episode, (definitely loving it!) because we're also watching other shows, such as the first season of Supernatural and NOS4A2; but I plan on rereading Good Omens. I remember enjoying it very much. And since I discovered Terry Pratchett about 10 years ago, I can't get enough of Discworld, as well as his other works.

Then you have no reason not to watch it, Gabi!

Reading this thread is making me want to pay for Prime Video.

Anna wrote: "Reading this thread is making me want to pay for Prime Video."

I started watching, and one of the first three thoughts I had was "how do I get this to Anna to watch?"

What do we say to the gods of Prime Video?
Not today. But probably next week.

I’m rewatching them. Up to episode three. Seeing new things and probably will again when I watch it for the third and fourth times.

My wife and I finished Good Omens last night. We loved the series. It's well-worth watching it. Probably even a second time at a later date. :)

Finished it with daughter and youngest son (24, 12). Everyone really loved it. (It was daughter's second viewing.)
Daughter says to rewatch the final episode -- there are a zillion subtle clues to The Big Reveal if you are watching carefully.

i'm so glad to hear that this is becoming a family event! and less altruistically, that it's getting more people in the genre!

I convinced my husband to watch the first episode because David Tennant was in it. We wound up binge watching the whole six episodes in one day -- three in early afternoon, three after dinner at night -- and the following weekend did the same thing. The show benefits from having Neil Gaiman, who co-wrote the novel, as show runner. And, I agree with the comments above, the Aziraphale - Crowley relationship *makes* the series the success that it is.

Allison wrote: "i'm so glad to hear that this is becoming a family event! and less altruistically, that it's getting more people in the genre!"

And .... again, because David Tennant was in the show, both my daughters and their husbands are watching the series, although neither have finished all six episodes as of today.

On our second viewing of Good Omens, and I'm wondering if I found an Easter Egg in the opening credits sequence:

Oo!! How great if Amazon picked up Sandman??

Allison wrote: "Oo!! How great if Amazon picked up Sandman??"


That would be awesome, and Gaiman said recently on Twitter it would be better as a show than a movie, which I agree with.

Honestly, I'd like them to keep it animated, though.

A Christian group started a petition demanding that Good Omens be canceled by Netflix for being ungodly.

To which Neil Gaiman replied:

Neil Gaiman
@neilhimself
·
Jun 19
This is so beautiful... Promise me you won't tell them?

😂

You really can't make things like this up.

Netflix UK also RT'ed the article and replied:

"ok we promise not to make any more"

Then Amazon Prime replied:

"Hey @netflix, we'll cancel Stranger Things if you cancel Good Omens."

I fucking love the internet.

I've been cackling about this for two days now. It's just too perfect.

Also, I would like this moment to declare my love for the Good Omens adaptation and especially Martin Sheen and David Tennant.

I had hope to be able to re-read the book before the show came out, but didn't get around to it. So now I'll have to find time to re-read it some time this summer, I guess.

I had a question about whether a certain line is also in the book:

(view spoiler)[In the very first scene of Episode 2, when Gabriel and Sandalphon show up at Aziraphale's bookstore, Sandalphon says, "Something smells evil."

Aziraphale says, "Oh, that will be the Jeffrey Archer books I'm afraid."

I'd forgotten who Jeffrey Archer was, so I had to look him up. Is that in the book? (hide spoiler)]

@Mareike God Michael Sheen is my new unicorn hero. Someone on Twitter described his portrayal of Aziraphale as soft and strong and feminine and brave and I agree, he is able to projects all of those things effortlessly and genuinely. Tennant is of course amazing, he always is, and they have fantastic chemistry.

@Tom I searched in the ebook and no, it doesn't seem like that specific line is in the book!

Dawn wrote: "@Mareike God Michael Sheen is my new unicorn hero. Someone on Twitter described his portrayal of Aziraphale as soft and strong and feminine and brave and I agree, he is able to projects all of thos..."

I saw Michael Sheen referred to as the "Internet's New Boyfriend" the other day, and I think it fit. He has been so sweet to the fan base since the show came out.

Dawn wrote: "@Mareike God Michael Sheen is my new unicorn hero. Someone on Twitter described his portrayal of Aziraphale as soft and strong and feminine and brave and I agree, he is able to projects all of thos..."

Oh, agreed on that description of Aziraphale!
Though I will also say: My David Tennant thing is back. He's so good in that role!