Books & Nachos

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

It took almost twenty years for the author of The Hobbit to pen a sequel - time enough for the children who grew up on the story to mature into readers capable of tackling a darker, denser saga spanning three separate novels. Fellowship of the Ring begins the adventure with aged journeyman Bilbo Baggins giving nephew Frodo a magic ring he won from monstrous Gollum. Wizard Gandalf can see the treasure is a conduit for dark magic, and sends the new ringbearer and his three Hobbit friends Sam, Merry, and Pippin on a journey to Rivendell. There a council of elves, dwarfs, and humans must decide the best course of action to take against growing enemy Sauron.Join Jakob (who grew up on Tolkien) and Stuart (who previously only knew the story from Peter Jackson's work) as they dig deep into the original text in preparation for the Now Playing Silver and Platinum donation reviews of all Hobbit and Lord of the Rings film adaptations.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

It's hard to believe there was a time when the world didn't know of Hobbits, those hairy-toed homebodies who prefer a good pipe and cozy hole in the ground to the promise of fame and fortune. But their secret subterranean lifestyle was exposed in 1937 when author J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit. Intended for children, but serving as the basis for his more sophisticated later Lord of the Rings trilogy, this introductory Middle Earth novel offers a delightful account of how paternalistic wizard Gandalf prodded sheltered Bilbo Baggins to step outside his comfort zone and help a band of dwarfs reclaim their kingdom. The Hobbit is celebrated and castigated in equal measure for re-popularizing folklore in 20th Century literature - presenting a detailed alternate universe teaming with warmongering elves, hungry trolls, giant spiders, and a fire breathing dragon. Is it all just fodder for role-playing games and kiddie cartoons 77 years later, or are there timeless life lessons and enduring appeal to what's on the page? Join hosts Jakob (who grew up with Tolkien) and Stuart (a fantasy-challenged reader) as they revisit this milestone in preparation for a larger Hobbit/Lord of the Rings movie retrospective being created for Silver and Platinum donors to sister podcast Now Playing.

Children of the Corn (from the Night Shift collection) by Stephen King

Of all the stories in Stephen King's Night Shift none have the name recognition, or the notoriety, of "Children of the Corn." Originally published in a 1977 issue of Penthouse, this story has spawned one of the longest-running horror franchises in film history! Now hear Arnie's review of the short story, then join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob at nowplayingpodcast.com to hear their reviews of all nine Children of the Corn films, as well as the "Dollar Baby" adaptation Disciples of the Crow!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm by Greg Keyes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco where an uneasy truce is being negotiated between distrustful apes and paranoid human survivors. How did things get so bad between man and his closest genetic match to make war such an inevitable outcome? And what was life like in the initial days after apes broke free of their cages and stormed across the Golden Gate bridge to take refuge in the Redwoods? In the prequel novel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm author Greg Keyes returns to the year 2011, bringing together all new characters with the fan favorites of Rise of the Planet of the Apes to explore a turning point in both species' survival. Does he find a way to expand upon the movie universe, or are you better off skipping this 304 page preview and just reading the new film's numerous subtitles? Stuart in LA answers this and more in his final Planet of the Apes podcast of the summer. Listen now!Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear the movie retrospective! The movie podcasts are only available until July 31, 2014!

Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes by Andrew E. C. Gaska

Planet of the Apes might have begun in literature, but it reached mass popularity and commercial success with the 1968 Charlton Heston movie. That cinema classic, and its four sequels, presents a stark future Earth where Mankind has slipped back into savagery and become slaves to our evolutionary brethren. In 2011 - the same year Twentieth Century Fox released blockbuster reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Archaia Entertainment, author Andrew Gaska, and over a dozen celebrated illustrators launched a continuation of the original movie universe in print. Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes retells the story of the time-traveling Liberty 1 space mission using gorilla, chimp, orang, and human characters we never got to know in the movies.Join Stuart in LA to hear if this illustrated novel is a bold reinterpretation of a landmark film, or just aping the past for quick cash. Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear the movie retrospective! The movie podcasts are only available until July 31, 2014!

Planet of the Apes: The Fall and Planet of the Apes: Colony by William T. Quick

In Tim Burton's 2001 film Planet of the Apes Leo Davidson (played by Mark Wahlberg) is sent to the alien world Ashlar in the far future where humans and smart apes wage war upon each other. But how did humans get to Ashlar and what role did Davidson's space station Oberon play? The movie never answered those questions, but two novels by author William T. Quick did! Now Stuart in LA is here to bring you up to speed with his summaries and reviews of Planet of the Apes: The Fall and Planet of the Apes: Colony. Listen to find out if these books enhance the experience of watching the 2001 re-imagined Apes film. Then head to Now Playing Podcast's donation page to hear the movie retrospective! The movie podcasts are only available until July 31, 2014!

3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

The story of the monolith and man's exploration of space concludes in Arthur C. Clarke's ultimate Odyssey novel 3001: The Final Odyssey. Set a thousand years after Dave, Frank and HAL journeyed into space to investigate the strange lunar monolith, this concluding chapter reveals the true motivations of the mysterious alien race, with some familiar faces returning to guide readers. Now join Stuart as his voyage through the years concludes and he reviews this 31st Century adventure. Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob review the film version of 2001 and 2010!

2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke

The movies ended in 2010 but the story of humanity's Space Odyssey continued in novels by original 2001 co-creator Arthur C. Clarke. In this third installment of the series Heywood Floyd is on a mission to land on Haley's comet but unexpected events lead him to Europa--the one place in the galaxy the monolith forbade man to tread. Are there answers about the mysterious monolith at last? Join Stuart in this gala 100th episode of Books & Nachos to find out! Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob review the film version of 2001 and 2010!

2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke

Fourteen years after Arthur C. Clarke co-created the multimedia experience 2001, the author returns to Jupiter alone in the follow-up novel 2010: Odyssey Two. Now with the freedom to tell whatever story he wants, free of cinematic considerations or partnership with a film director, does Clarke's novel reach the same heights as the original? Listen to Stuart in LA's review to find out! Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob review the film version of 2001 and 2010!

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Many times movies are made based on popular novels. Other times marketing companies see easy money in releasing cheap novelizations of upcoming films. 200: A Space Odyssey is one case where neither is true. The classic film and novel resulted as a collaboration between Dr. Strangelove director Stanley Kubrick and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. Together they created a story that spans great distances in time and space. However, while the two men consulted each other they worked independently in their own mediums and the resulting film and book resemble each other but also have important differences with the novel providing lots of concrete explanation for what the film left ambiguous. Now join Stuart to hear about the creation of the novel of 2001: A Space Odyssey and find out if the axiom is true and the book is better than the movie! Then head to Now Playing Podcast to hear Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob review the film version of 2001 and 2010!