Erin, you were not the only one who saw those commercials and wondered if it was just a "post-apocalypse stuff is awesome right now!" or if it had some relation. Can't decide if I'm glad or not that it doesn't. I'm sure it'll have it's own fun.

I've been following some of the news about it, because Eric Kripke created it (he's the creator of SPN), and I never heard him or anyone say it was based on a series of books. And I guess I assume if it was, they would say?

Sad that Gore Vidal died even if he was ancient. Between my first and second year of college I devoured his books and essays.

Gore Vidal totally invented slash: [link]

From what I can tell it's not the Emberverse because it's only electricity. Apparently it's been vetted by a physicist, so I'll give it a look--all the promo material makes it seem impossible, since biological electricity still works, but if a pro had a look at it, maybe it could work.

At first I thought it must just be another no electricity/post apocalyptic spin...but the characters are using swords and crossbows. Why would people move away from firearms unless they *had* to? Not that the Emberverse explanation for gunpowder no longer working makes any sense...but at least there is an attempt at a reason behind everyone wielding medieval weaponry. It's not like 15 years would be so long that Americans could run out of firearms or ammunition, ammunition doesn't expire, and an EMP wouldn't affect ballistics at all.

SA confirms that it is based on the Emberverse books, but it still is a mystery to me why the relationship is buried so deep and not being openly referenced. Does Kripke not want people reading the books and being turned off by them or reading about the supernatural aspects? I don't know much of anything about Stirling, but it seems like most any writer would want the publicity associated with a major network show. eta: I'm also a little sad at losing the local focus on the Willamette Valley. I gotta admit that one of the reasons I kept reading was the setting of the first few books in and around MAH LAND. Which is remarkably temperate and fertile, IJS.

I'm not saying the show is in any way good, but the pilot does address most of these questions.

I was also pretty sure that the photos had guns in them. I'm really surprised by the Emberverse link, since IO9 readers brought it up and discarded it explicitly.

If there's real interest, I could take this to Spoilers.

Yeah, there are definitely guns in it--the issues would seem to be manufacture, not whether gunpowder works or not.

I'm not interested in anything beyond the promo stuff. I don't want to be spoiled, so I'm bowing out here.