Published in 1990, Good Omens, written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, was a cult classic of the fantasy genre. Packed with dry British humour, this odd yet delightful read follows two unlikely long-time friends, the demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale as they attempt to stop the Apocalypse against the wishes of Heaven and Hell.

The massive success of the book, including over five million books sold worldwide, meant that expectations were very, very high for this screen adaptation. With Neil Gaiman on the creative team, it was clear that Amazon Studios, the studio behind the show, was serious about this adaptation and wanted to explore its full potential.

How Did It Change?

There were two major aspects of this adaptation that required change: elements that work well in book format but not on screen, and the dated feel of the book.

To address the former, something which ends up being the make-or-break of an adaptation, the showrunners did several things. The most notable of these was the voice-over commentary from God – much of the charm of the original novel came from the style of narration, something which is very hard to transfer over. The voice-over managed to preserve the tone of the book, while not overshadowing the actors, perhaps one of the best parts of the adaptation.

Because of when it was published, Good Omens shows its age through cultural references and general out-of-date technology. Your average teenager is likely to know what voicemail is, but the very specific Ansaphone references are likely to go over their heads. However, the age is again one of the things that add to the charm of this classic, so the show traps you in a little bubble where you’re so busy thinking about the Apocalypse that it really doesn’t matter how dated the technology is.

What plot deviation there is helps build the story up very well. This deviation occurs in two main parts of the plot: the introduction of Aziraphale and Crowley, and the ending. In the original novel, the story begins with the birth of the Anti-Christ, the signal that the Apocalypse was coming; the adaptation instead starts at the very beginning, with the meeting of Aziraphale and Crowley. We see a lot more of the development of their friendship, and their bond has a stronger foundation throughout the rest of the show. This lends itself well to the ending, which was satisfyingly different to the book, and leaves the show on a different yet very enjoyable note.

Was It Done Well?

Good Omens was undeniably a successful adaptation; it’s been nominated for several awards including a Hugo, and garnered many thousands of viewers. There’s even the potential for a second season, and Neil Gaiman revealed that he and co-author Terry Pratchett plotted a second novel that never got written. But does this shows success mean that it was a good adaptation?

Perhaps because one of the original authors was involved, it remain remarkably faithful in terms of plot to the source material towards the beginning, with deviation mainly towards the end of the six-episode series. This had both its pros and cons: seeing a good book brought to life by talented actors is always a fantastic thing, and David Tennant dancing on a pin is the scene we never knew we needed, but some fans have said that the show is a little too similar, so there’s not quite enough excitement.

Good Omens is undeniably one of the better book adaptations in terms of faithfulness, and can definitely be called successful due to the acclaim it has received. Original fans and newbies alike can watch the show and enjoy it for the comedic moments, the heartfelt scenes and the general lovable chaos. It’s got longevity too, with an influx of content-creating and consuming fans on platforms such as Tumblr and Twitter, so overall it can definitely be concluded to be a solid adaptation of a solid book.

What did you think of the adaptation? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Page To Screen: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The story is about two enemies turned reluctant acquaintances turned something like best friends. Aziraphale is an angel, Crowley is a demon. They have been on Earth and in each other’s orbits since the beginning, and have grown quite fond of the place and the people on it. As their superiors say, they’ve ‘gone native’. So when the Antichrist appears on earth and the distant threat of the apocalypse (the genuine one) becomes very real indeed, they team up to do everything they can to prevent it. The only problem is, somehow the Antichrist has been misplaced and nobody knows where the child is now…

If you haven’t read Good Omens yet or are looking for reasons to revisit it, here are five that might convince you to do so:

1. Everything About It Promises A Good Time!

A lot of us turn to light and funny reads to cope in dark times, and Good Omens is a book that might help. Despite the story being about the literal end of the world, the blend of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s writing styles give the narrative a quirky, sarcastic tone, full of dry and dark (and heavily British) humour. There’s a huge cast of mostly likeable characters, including witches, witch-finders, and kids who turn out to be the only sensible and sane people around. The plot will keep you engaged and you’ll keep snort-laughing as you read, so go ahead and give it a try!

2. Crowley and Aziraphale

Readers over the years have suspiciously googled ‘Are Aziraphale and Crowley in love?’ and have met with chaos and confusion in answer. The thing is, canonically it’s never stated (but if you ask me or any reader who has gone through the book obsessively and specialises in reading between the lines, it’s pretty obvious, really). However, what is canon and inarguably the best thing about the book is their lovely friendship, and the adoration they have for each other.

They are both incredible as individual characters: Aziraphale has a pleasant and somewhat awkward presence, but he isn’t exactly the definition of ‘good’; Crowley pretends to be obnoxious, wears sunglasses even in the absence of the sun and overall does his best to look the part of a demon, but deep down inside is a cinnamon roll who cares deeply. They get together frequently and are closer to each other than the sides they work for; as Crowley puts it, Aziraphale is ‘an enemy for six thousand years now, which made him a sort of friend.’  Their personalities play off each other really well, and it’s amazing seeing this unlikely duo scheming and plotting and doing everything in their capacity to stick together and protect the earth they’ve both come to love.

3. Adam Young and His Group of Friends

Adam is the Antichrist charged with heralding the Armageddon, but he’s not aware of it. So he grows up to be nothing like what you’d expect from Satan’s son. Him and his friends’ thoughts on everything ranging from authority and power to the banishment of witches to the hidden existence of Atlantis are both insightful and comical, and they’re some of the best parts of the book!

4. Discusses Quite A Few Difficult Topics

Despite being a comedy and relatively short in length, Good Omens is a deep and contemplative discussion of good and evil, of religion, morality, fate, and free will, and what being human actually means. Crowley is correct in his assessment when he says “Hell wasn’t a major reservoir of evil, any more than Heaven was a fountain of goodness; they were just sides in the great cosmic chess game. Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind.” So is Adam when confronted with his destiny, “I don’t see why it matters what is written. Not when it’s about people. It can always be crossed out.”

5. The Good Omens TV Mini-Series

As readers, we know soul-crushingly disappointing or downright bad screen adaptations to be occupational hazards. We live in constant fear of our favourite books being turned into steaming piles of hot mess. Very rarely comes an adaptation that utterly satisfies our nitpicky reader hearts, and thankfully, Good Omens is one of those. It stays faithful to the book throughout, the only difference is that in the book, Crowley and Aziraphale were parts of the ensemble cast, but in the show they take the center stage. Their love for each other is the driving force behind the plot, their absolute refusal to let each other go is what leads them to stop the Apocalypse.

The casting is spot-on, especially David Tennant and Michael Sheen as Crowley and Aziraphale respectively. Fans have always had great faith in Tennant (he can do no wrong) and he more than delivers, of course, and Sheen is an absolute delight as the fussy Aziraphale. The show also gets rid of quite a few problematic aspects in the original work, so yes, I’d urge you to read the book ASAP so that you can feast your eyes on this gem of a TV series!

To sum it all up, Good Omens is an ineffably fun ride, so hurry up and read it!

Have you read Good Omens? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Reasons To Read ‘Good Omens’ by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

As bookish people, there is one place we all feel at home: the bookshop. The outside world doesn’t even matter anymore as long as we are surrounded by our favourite books and stories yet to be discovered. Most of us use the bookshop as far more than just a place to meet our needs, which is to get new reading material. We see it as a place to meet our friends, a place of comfort full of like-minded people and yes, even a place to reward or console ourselves after an accomplishment or an especially hard day (on that subject, check out fellow Nerd Daily contributor Tracy’s article on impulse book buying here). 

Now, you’re probably wondering why I just told you all of that when these are facts you know perfectly well yourself. I simply want you to be reminded of how you feel when entering a bookshop; either on a planned trip on a spontaneous visit to your favourite store. I get the exact same feeling whenever I read a story set in a bookshop, don’t you?

Luckily for us, a lot of authors choose to set their stories in a bookshop. These stories exist in every genre and for every age group and are like the comfort of a bookshop you can carry around with you and take home.

Surely, you’ve already read some stories which involve our favourite place to shop and you might even have a favourite fictional bookshop (Flourish and Blotts, anyone?) but just in case you haven’t or you’re in need of new reading material, here are five of my favourite fictional bookshops:

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

For some reason, this romance novel has two titles. The American version, as it is listed here and the original British title, which is The Little Shop of Happy Ever After. This is a story about a young woman breaking free of (some) social conventions, relocating from the bustling city of Birmingham to the countryside of Scotland and falling in love. And she does all of this by impulsively buying a van and turning it into a bookshop on wheels.

If you are looking for a love story in which the protagonist not only falls in love with a man but with life, books, and most importantly herself, then this is the book for you.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

A. J. Fikry is a bookshop owner who has seen better days. In fact, both he and the bookshop have. He starts isolating himself from everyone he knows and even withdraws from what has been giving him pleasure throughout his life so far: his books. That is until a small package arrives at the shop and changes everything.

 This is a story for you if you like contemporary fiction full of emotion because this book is a whirlwind of feelings of every kind.

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

In this cute YA novel, Dash and Lily meet through dares which Lily has left in a notebook at her favourite bookshop in order to find the right guy for her. They keep talking via the cleverly hidden notebook before starting to wonder whether they would get on just as well in real life as they do on paper.

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan are a dream pairing when it comes to writing romances. Some of you might remember Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist – either the book or the film version starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is an absolute delight for everyone who loves bookshops, an identity reveal and YA.

You by Caroline Kepnes

In this thriller, a bookseller Googles a customer’s name and starts cyberstalking her, before taking his stalking to an ‘IRL’ level. He slowly sneaks into her life and tries to eliminate every obstacle between them and their happy ever after, even if he crosses some lines.

You is an exploration of manipulation and trust (or lack of it) in our digital age, especially considering the power of social media and the enticing promise of ‘likes’. Many of you will probably already know the Netflix adaption starring Penn Badgley, but even so, the book is definitely worth a read as the story is so intense, the pages practically turn themselves!

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

The world is about to end. However, the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley have been living on earth since the very beginning (separately of course, except for when they run into each other which is bound to turn into lunch). They are too comfortable enjoying everything they are offered on this planet to look forward to the apocalypse. And then somehow, they lose sight of the Anti-Christ, which is a whole new level of dilemma…

This heartfelt and funny fantasy adventure is a true masterpiece. As for the bookshop setting, Aziraphale lives in a bookshop which serves as a meeting point for the angel and the demon on multiple occasions.

Here we have yet another book that has been adapted for the screen. What can I say; there is a reason that people want more of these stories after reading them. The Amazon Prime adaption of Good Omens has many beloved British actors in it, including David Tennant starring as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale. If you love the show already, perfect, you will love the book just as much. If you haven’t consumed either, you’re in luck as both a perfect book and a perfect series await!

These are only five examples from a big pond of bookshop fiction and I hope that these examples can be an incentive for you to dive right in and to find as much comfort in fictional bookshops as I am assuming you do in your favourite real-life shop.

Now we would like to hear from you! What are your favourite fictional bookshops? Let us know in the comments below!

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