I am a fan of quality science fiction-action TV shows. However, I’m not exactly thrilled with Fox because the network has a long history of hyping genre shows and then unceremoniously canceling them.
Nevertheless, Reamde – a relatively recent book authored by Neal Stephenson of Snow Crash fame – is reportedly on track to be made into a weekly television show for Fox TV.
For the uninitiated, Reamde was published in 2011 and is described as a techno-thriller focusing on an attempt by family, friends, and suspicious acquaintances to rescue a kidnapped hostage.
The official synopsis?
“In 1972, Richard Forthrast, the black sheep of an Iowa farming clan, fled to the mountains of British Columbia to avoid the draft. A skilled hunting guide, he eventually amassed a fortune by smuggling marijuana across the border between Canada and Idaho.
“As the years passed, Richard went straight and returned to the States after the U.S. government granted amnesty to draft dodgers. He parlayed his wealth into an empire and developed a remote resort in which he lives.
“He also created T’Rain, a multibillion-dollar, massively multiplayer online roleplaying game with millions of fans around the world. But T’Rain’s success has also made it a target. Hackers have struck gold by unleashing Reamde, a virus that encrypts all of a player’s electronic files and holds them for ransom. They have also unwittingly triggered a deadly war beyond the boundaries of the game’s virtual universe—and Richard is at ground zero. “
Of course, this won’t be the first time a popular book has attempted to come to the small screen. For example, many of Stephen King’s novels have been adapted for television, with varying degrees of success.
The TV adaption for Reamde is being helmed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz. Chris is said to be both writing and directing the show with both brothers acting as executive producers. As the GiantFreakinRobot crew notes, the book lends itself well to a show with a format similar to Fox’s 24 because quite a lot of action happens in a compressed amount of time.
