novels as I do about astrophysics, which means I know even less about their author, Stephanie Meyer. So it comes as a surprise to me to learn that she wrote something that didn't involve sparkly vampires and the pale chicks who love them. Apparently she wrote an "adult" sci-fi novel titled The Host
, which is about parasitic aliens who take over and turn the world into a paradise. Sounds a little bit like 'V
'. Variety reports that a film adaptation has been in the works with Andrew Niccol(Gattaca
) having penned the script. Now a director has been named as well, and it's not one that exactly fills me with confidence. Susanna White(Nanny Mcphee Returns
) will be in the director's chair, with hopes that the film could turn into a franchise. Isn't that always the wish? The original Nanny McPhee was a smash hit, but White's sequel crashed and burned both financially and critically. She also directed episodes of the HBO series, Generation Kill
, which unfortunately I never got to check out. Despite The Host being labeled as a darker and more mature than The Twilight Saga
, there's no guarantee that the studio will want to produce it in that manner. I wouldn't be surprised if it's toned down a bit to capitalize on the PG-13 audience that Meyer has cultivated. Here's a brief review taken from Amazon.com...Stephenie Meyer, creator of the phenomenal teen-vamp Twilight series, takes paranormal romance into alien territory in her first adult novel. Those wary of sci-fi or teen angst will be pleasantly surprised by this mature and imaginative thriller, propelled by equal parts action and emotion. A species of altruistic parasites has peacefully assumed control of the minds and bodies of most humans, but feisty Melanie Stryder won't surrender her mind to the alien soul called Wanderer. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories of fellow resistor Jared, Wanderer yields to her body's longing and sets off into the desert to find him. Likely the first love triangle involving just two bodies, it's unabashedly romantic, and the characters (human and alien) genuinely endearing. Readers intrigued by this familiar-yet-alien world will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel--or another series.
