Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

I had a look at the TV series of The Vampire Diaries last night, unfortunately on the 5th episode, but I didn't really like it.
I'd been intending to start reading the series, so I'm just wondering if the series is true to the books?
If I hadn't read the Sookie Stackhouse books before I saw True Blood, I'm sure I would have been put off in the first series and probably never have read the books, so I'm just wondering.

It's not true to the books, but if you didn't like the show, I don't think you would care for the books. They're not better, LOL. Maybe you would like it better if you started from the beginning though. That's kind of an awkward place to start the series, LOL.

I agree with new_user, the books aren't that great....okay but not great. I tried watching the show but I couldn't get past my problems with the main characters. Book Elena has blonde hair and blue eyes but the show has her with brown hair and brown eyes. I know that's petty of me but it really irks me when you can't even make the character's appereance look even a little like the person its based from. Stefan doesn't look how I imagined. Plus, they combined two of Elena's best friends from the book into one character on the show. Damon is the only thing I can't complain about...he is a hottie!

Thanks for the input about the books. I may read them eventually, but so many other books I know i'll enjoy keep being recommended on this list, I cant see the need to read something I may not like as much.

As to the characters being so different in the series, didn't you have the same problem with the Sookie Stackhouse books and the characters in them? Tara is the one I have the most problems with. So very not like Tara in the books. Also, on the tv, Sam is so weak, and in the books such a strong, if gentle, character. I just dont understand why they cant at least make the character in the tv series look like the description in the book. Pam, Erik's offsider is so heavy vampiress in the series yet in the book she is 'preppy'. I know Charlaine Harris says she likes the series, but maybe she's just putting a good face on it. What does everyone else think?

I read the Vampire Diaries series a couple of years after they were published- so being in middle school at the time- I LOVED them. I felt I had a personal connection to each of the characters. I still re-read them to this day and get the warm fuzzy feeling of the character development that spans the original four books.

As to the TV VD show... it is nothing like the books, it is pretty loosely based- just like TrueBlood (in my opinion). I do continue to watch the show because- it is about vampires and I just try to keep it separated in my head that it's really not like the books.

I also read all of Charlaine Harris- and enjoy them- even if some are better than others. TrueBlood is okay too. I did enjoy the first season MUCH more than the second.

Basically I'm a vampire romance fanatic- I've been reading them since 1996- so I'm always thrilled when there is a movie/tv show about them. I was very sad when Moonlight was canceled.

The series I am sorry to see go is Blood Ties. I am now reading the books and enjoying them. In spite of the characters in the show not completely matching the ones in the books, I did really enjoy the tv series and was terribly disappointed that there will be no more.
Moonlight is on our HD tv stations at the moment so I'll get a look tomorrow night, but the best news is that Fringe is about to start again. Yay!

I definitely don't think its like the books. Alot of things are altered and you know they always say the movies are never as good as the books.

Sally wrote: "Thanks for the input about the books. I may read them eventually, but so many other books I know i'll enjoy keep being recommended on this list, I cant see the need to read something I may not lik..."

I like the show, True Blood, better than the book. I only read Dead Until Dark and I really didn't like it. I had no interest to read any of the other books. The show takes liberties with many characters, but I feel they do it for the better. True Blood gives more story, more action more life to the sookie stackhouse books.

I think True Blood spruced up the books and this once in, the show is better than the books. When I read the book, the characters were like cardboard. When I watched the series, they came to life.

I have a BS (big statement) to make! I have read Succubus Blues and although I dont fancy The Vampire Diaries, I loved this and now I cant wait to read Succubus Night. Didn't fancy the thought of a succubus at first, but wow! Loved the story and the characters.

I think that the Vampire Diaries books get progressively better. The first one is pretty lame, your usual teeny romance angst, but once the author starts focusing more on the horror part and less on the teeny angst, it starts to get really good.

I decided not to watch TVD as it airs because it's rather heavily serialized. I will buy it on DVD next year and watch it in one go, without long hiatuses in between the episodes.

Sally wrote: "The series I am sorry to see go is Blood Ties. I am now reading the books and enjoying them. In spite of the characters in the show not completely matching the ones in the books, I did really enj..."
I didn't even know blood ties had a series!!! what station, day and time. spill

It was shown on Goodlife here. And they aren't broadcasting it anymore. BUT you can get the DVD's. A good series, even if they didn't stick too close to the books. But I STILL loved it. Christina Cox did a great job as Vickie. While Kyle Schmid wasn't my idea of what Henry looked like, he still did a great job, and was sexy as anything. I just wish they hadn't changed his "night time" job to graphic artist. I thought the idea of a vamp romance writer was too funny--and the graphic artist thing was just a little to cliched, ya know?

And they left out Tony. I know that Huff did that on purpose (she was hoping that Tony would get his own series too, based on his Smoke and Shadows series) But still, I didn't think that Coreen was given enough to do to actually fill his shoes.

No the TV series is nothing like the book, But i love the series anyway I actually record them when im not home and watch them later:) i love them

mee 2 i wuz wondering if there was going 2 b a season 2 cuz it just stopped wen she gets in an acident and i want to know wat happens and if i read the book it wont b the same so idk wat 2 do

Ann wrote: "It was shown on Goodlife here. And they aren't broadcasting it anymore. BUT you can get the DVD's. A good series, even if they didn't stick too close to the books. But I STILL loved it. Christ..."

Did you read the other blood ties series, its pretty good too.

I think I've read everything that Huff has written Tiffany. I really LOVE the Smoke series (that's when Tony gets to shine.) I also like her Keeper's series (Summon the Keeper is #1 in that series. Then she's just started a new series (at least, I think its going to be a series) The Enchantment Emporium.

The books are really good. I started reading them though after i'd watched a couple of episodes of the tv show so i always picture Elena as a brunette. But L.J. Smith is a great author, I've enjoyed all of her books that i've read. But if you have watched the show it takes a while to get into the books 'cause you're used to the characters of the show, most of whom are completly different to the books, but I find both enjoyable

I will honestly admit that I liked both the books and the show. While, like in True Blood and Blood Ties, I found the change in character annoying (especially Bonnie in Vampire Diaries and Tara in True Blood!), I still think that Vampire Diaries the show is better than the books (they were good, just a little more youth than I was hoping they would be)...also, did anyone else see a very similar comparison to the Vampire Diaries first book and Twilight?

Stacie, I noticed the similarities between Twilight and VD. At ohe point, while reading VD, I checked the year it was published and compare it to Twilight cause I almost thought I was reading the same book! I did like them both didn't like how the first two stories of VD ended; and I don't know if I will read the 3rd and 4th story in the series.

Heather, while the VD books get a little weird as they progress, they are still worth checking out....at least through the 3rd one...after that it seemed like LJ Smith was really reaching to keep the series going.

Yeah, I've been told that Stacie, so I haven't totally given up. I'll check out my library and see if they have the second set of the 3rd/4th books. I do like the show but at times, some of the characters get the dreaded disease of TSTL.

NOOOOOO its no,not a all

Not really, the books are better and different things happen in the show trust me!!!!!

I liked the first 4 VD books okay. I read them late last summer before the show started. They were definitely geared toward a teenage audience, but for passing long layovers in airports they were fine. The 5th and 6th books are nothing short of awful. Now the show, OTOH, is KILLER!!! Even my husband likes it. I know Elena doesn't look like book Elena, but the TV character is a much stronger person. Book Elena is too clingy & needy. I would have liked to have had Meredith as part of the show, but oh well. Ian Somerhalder is SO good as Damon that I'd watch the show just for him.

I'm also a True Blood fan, and have no trouble separating the show from the books. I love them both. Am hoping season 3 is better than season 2. Marianne really wore thin for me pretty fast.

And you don't want to get me started on Blood Ties! I LOVED that show! And the way they ended it was just so wrong! IMHO, Kyle Schmid as Henry was just about the hottest vamp ever. I read the books, but didn't like them nearly as much as the show.

I agree on the books, Melodie. On the show too! I'd watch it for Damon alone, but the writing is great and I love Stefan/Paul Wesley too. So much that I just bought the DVD of Fallen and like him even better in it (I have seen him now as a werewolf in Wolf Lake, a fallen angel in Fallen and now as a vampire...not to mention as Jack Bauer's son in law on 24 and a soldier on Army Wives!). I also loved Blood Ties although I didn't see it until it came out on DVD. Favorite though was Moonlight and I still watch my DVD's over and over.

Now I liked the Blood Ties books better than the show. But I DID like the actors they got for Vickie and for Henry. Wasn't too sure about the one that they got to play Celluci. I thought he looked a little bit too "pretty" for the role. Yes, Celluci was georgous, but he was also described as BIG--like about 6'4" or something if I'm remembering right.

This coming weekend Tanya Huff (author of the Blood Ties books) will be appearing at Balticon ( http://www.balticon.org/ ). Also appearing at it will be Gail Carriger and Jeri Smith-Ready . Well there will be others too, but I know that we here on this group have at least a passing knowledge of these 2. Most of the other authors are pretty strongly Sci-fi and/or "real" science (they have a very strong science program at this con--plus lots of people who work at NASA come.)

Ann aka Iftcan wrote: "Now I liked the Blood Ties books better than the show. But I DID like the actors they got for Vickie and for Henry. Wasn't too sure about the one that they got to play Celluci. I thought he look..."

Are you going to Balticon? I've been to several Bouchercons. They're mystery-fan-writer-etc conventions and are alwasy loads of fun. I really like Jeri Smith-Ready. I read her most recent book, , which is a YA and ended up being disappointed with it. Oh well, the next in her WVMP series comes out in August!

I prefer the tv show. Elena in the books is too snobby/entitled for my tastes. (Unfortunately that's a common character type in LJ Smith's stuff.)

I've noticed that the people who've read the books and saw the TV series make very shallow complaints: like the fact that the Elena in the book has blond hair and blue eyes and Nina Dobrev, the girl that plays Elena in the TV series has brown hair and brown eyes. They simply can't get past that. I attribute that to the fact that they have to be just as shallow as the Elena in the book version.

The TV show was brilliant. The writers are great. If you're into supernatural/vampire shows, it's one of the best ones out there. The books are not very good unless you want to read about an entitled brat that only other brats would feel comfortable reading about. L.J. Smith writes well, but her characters aren't good. I've read that it's a common character portrayal in which she uses snobby rich girls as her protagonists.

Go on Amazon, a lot of the reviews say it all. Sometimes out of 200+ people her books will only have a 2 1/2 star rating; read their comments and you'll see why, and also the first chapters of her books. Her latest ones where she's just trying to cash in on TVDs being a TV show are really awful.

Bottom line: Read the books at your own risk; the show, however, is awesome and will have you hooked unless you can't see past the main character being a blond *rolls eyes* (btw, Nina Dobrev is a great actress. She portrays 2 people on the show and she does a flawless job of it. You'd really think it's 2 different people you're watching).

Mariel wrote: "I prefer the tv show. Elena in the books is too snobby/entitled for my tastes. (Unfortunately that's a common character type in LJ Smith's stuff.)"

I agree with you. I also prefer the show over the books. Elena and Stefan were extremely unlikeable in the books.