My eleven year old daughter got to page 600-odd of The Host (by Stephanie Meyer of Twilight fame) and read a scene that she found so sad and moving she couldn't read anymore. So, of course, I realised belatedly that I should have pre-read the book.
I've just finished it and I'm surprised it hasn't garnered more interest. It analyses a number of interesting propositions. What makes us human? What is the sociological benefit of our race's capacity for violence? What makes us love more than hate?
And now I have a personal plea, for Mr Edward James Olmos. QUICK! SIR! Step in now and get involved in the movie production of The Host before the essential sci-fi heart of this book is pulped into some mass-market fodder!
Just as Battlestar composed human drama around a futuristic theme, The Host manages to press all the right buttons for us SF geeks. Alien races - galore. Life and death struggle for survival. Love stories, jealous rivalry, impossible dilemmas resolved. And from an actor/director's point of view some unique challenges. How will they bring multiple personalities inside one host effectively to the screen?
I sincerely hope that whoever has been engaged to direct avoids Buffy-ising this.
