Director Frances Lawrence takes time off from directing the Hunger Games franchise to tackle one of the original battle royale stories with THE LONG WALK by Richard Bachman. In episode 362, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they discuss changing this Bachman story back into a King story, the changing metaphor behind the grueling contest, how adaptation decisions by the screenwriter and overseen by the author changes the entire message of the story. They end by casting their votes on which was ultimately the better version: the book or the movie!

• Pickup The Long Walk or any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
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• Home Base: inktofilm.com
• Familiar Faces video

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

Enigmatic author Richard Bachman drew comparisons to another famous author from the jump, but it would be years before the truth about him was finally exposed. In episode 361, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they strap on their best shoes and take a long walk into the past as they explore the noteworthy history behind this novel, consider toxic masculinity’s role in controlling young boys, unpack some surprisingly scandalous moments, and take some time to explain the novel’s surprising ending. Join them next week as they compare the 2025 adaptation directed by Francis Lawrence and produced by Stephen King!

• Pickup The Long Walk or any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com
• Familiar Faces video

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

Paul Verhoeven’s adaptation of Heinlein’s classic novel divided critics at the time as many found the satire to be indistinguishable from endorsement, but its antifascist subtext plays a bit different in 2025. In episode 360, join Luke Elliott and James Bailey as they compare the film to Helldivers II, try to find the line between satire and approval, recount some surprising behind-the-scenes stories, and finally cast their votes on which version is better: the book or the movie?

• Pickup any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com
• Familiar Faces video

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

Often called the "Dean of Science Fiction Writers,” Robert A. Heinlein is considered one of the “Big Three” of English-language classic science fiction, but why isn’t he read more today? In episode 359, join Luke Elliott & James Bailey as they explore Heinlein’s complex legacy of shifting political philosophy, grapple with an explicitly militaristic yet utopian vision of the future, trace the origins of power armor, and lay the groundwork for their comparison next week with the Paul Verhoeven’s memorable adaptation.

• Pickup any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com
• Familiar Faces video

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

Guest Shayna Hodge (they/them) joins the show once more to round out our coverage on the Marielle Heller adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s NIGHTBITCH. In episode 358, join Luke, James, and Shayna as they breakdown Amy Adam’s stark portrayal, unpack the changes made to the husband’s character, make a surprising “American Psycho” connection, hear about an out-of-pocket question asked to the film’s creators, and finally all cast their vote on which one’s better: the book or the movie!

NOTE: We occasionally refer to the main character as “The Mother,” which is the name used for the protagonist in the novel, without explaining that context. Potentially confusing during our discussion of “the mother” in the movie (meaning Amy Adam’s character’s mother as seen in the flashbacks).

• Pickup NIGHTBITCH or any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com
• Patreon Familiar Faces video

Shayna Hodge

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@batttykoda
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/batttykoda/

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

Special guest Shayna Hodge (they/them) joins the show to discuss Rachel Yoder’s splashy debut novel. In episode 357, Luke Elliott & James Bailey ask about Shayna’s immensely popular book club (run on behalf of the “Parallel Worlds” book store), what drew them to this novel, who writes body horror best, the hidden labor women often take on at home, what the boldest/most controversial choice the author made brings to the book, and how we all feel about the unimpressive husband. Join them all again next week when they tackle the 2024 film adaptation by Marielle Heller starring Amy Adams!

• Pickup NIGHTBITCH or any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com
• Patreon Familiar Faces video

Shayna Hodge

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@batttykoda
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/batttykoda/

References

• Essay: “Rachel Yoder on Navigating Chronic Pain Through Storytelling”
• Marina Abramović: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Abramovi%C4%87

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

Author Martha Wells joins LIVE at Seattle Worldcon 2025 to discuss “Murderbot” season 1, adapted by Paul and Chris Weitz for Apple TV+. In episode 356, Luke Elliott & James host their first live-recording in front of a packed room of Martha Wells fans, adding to their “Creative Conversations” series. They kick things off with a special video message from the show's cast for Martha Wells: Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tamara Podemski, Tattiawna Jones, David Dastmalchian, and Alexander Skarsgård! Topics include: the original idea that led to Murderbot’s creation, surprise insights into herself after reader reactions, her input and thoughts on the casting of the series’ biggest role, her visit to the set (and what she got to take home), and why she pushes back at fans surprised by the show’s more comedic tone.

• Pickup All Systems Red or any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com

Martha Wells

• Website: www.marthawells.com
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/marthawellswriter/
• Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/marthawells.com

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writing: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/

In a surprising twist, Amazon’s adaptation of the Fallout video-game franchise is good! Join Luke & James in this former Patreon-exclusive episode as they reminisce about a beloved series, give their spoiler-free reactions to the show, and reflect on what makes Fallout so iconic in the world of post-apocalyptic fiction.

• Pickup any of the novels they’ve covered at the Ink to Film Bookshop! https://bookshop.org/shop/inktofilm
• Support Ink to Film on Patreon for bonus content, merch, and the ability to vote on upcoming projects! https://www.patreon.com/inktofilm
• Ink to Film's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky (@inktofilm)
• Home Base: inktofilm.com

Luke Elliott

• Website: www.lukeelliottauthor.com
• Social Media: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/social
• Writings: https://www.lukeelliottauthor.com/publications

James Bailey

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamebail.bsky.social
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamebail/