News Daredevil: Born Again Daniel’s Story in Daredevil: Born Again Episode 7 Was Changed in Post-Production It turns out that big Daniel scene wasn’t in the episode’s original script By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 29, 2026 Photo: Disney+ Comment 0 Share New Share Photo: Disney+ Warning: This post contains spoilers for season two, episode seven of Daredevil: Born Again, “The Hateful Darkness.” The latest episode of Daredevil saw the shocking death of Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini), who is shot to death by Buck (Arty Froushan) after the two get in a fight about Daniel letting BB (Genneya Walton) go after he found out she had incriminating evidence against Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). It turns out, however, that Daniel’s death wasn’t what the actors thought they were filming that day. In fact, Gandolfini also filmed scenes that were originally meant to air in episode eight. After production, however, showrunner Dario Scardapane decided that Daniel’s arc was done and that he would be shot by Buck at the end of their episode seven fight. “It just felt so right,” Gandolfini told TVInsider about his character’s death. “It felt so freeing, and I remember saying, ‘Hey, if I didn’t think it was right, I’d fight it.’ I love Daniel, but it’s so right. Where else is he gonna go? And he gets this little hero’s moment, and it just felt so great, I just felt so lucky.” The actors didn’t have to come in for pick-ups to capture Daniel’s demise. The creative team was able to create the death with a bit of CGI, adding in a gun flare to the gun Buck points at Daniel and some extra blood on Gandolfini (and cutting the part where he puts the gun down). “The fact that, as actors, we didn’t know that was gonna happen makes the scene maybe even more compelling,” Froushan told Variety. “I love Michael Gandolfini like a brother. This season, the whole journey we have together is a movie. So I was gutted. I was really upset. But I think it raises the stakes of the story in a really exciting way that was maybe necessary for that storyline.” [end-mark] The post Daniel’s Story in <i>Daredevil: Born Again</i> Episode 7 Was Changed in Post-Production appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV The Terror: Devil in Silver The Terror: Devil in Silver Co-Showrunners & Director Talk About Filming in a Former Prison Victor La Valle, Christpoher Cantwell and Karyn Kusama talked to Reactor about their upcoming AMC+/Shudder series By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 3, 2026 Photo Credit: Emily V. Aragones/AMC Comment 0 Share New Share Photo Credit: Emily V. Aragones/AMC If you’ve seen the trailer or the opening scene for The Terror: Devil in Silver, you’re familiar with New Hyde mental institution—the foreboding place where most of the show takes place. On the series and in Victor LaValle’s eponymous book the show is based on, New Hyde is in New York. In both, it is also a major part of the story; a representation of there being something wrong with the system and situation the characters face. I could almost smell the corrupted dankness of New Hyde when watching it on screen, and for good reason: the show was shot on location at an abandoned correctional facility (and former VA hospital) in Staten Island. “The sense of claustrophobia and the sense of neglect in the space was the building block for us,” director Karyn Kusama told me in an interview. “There was definitely a spiritual and olfactory energy in the place that was very real.” LaValle, who I talked to in a separate interview with co-showrunner Christopher Cantwell, agreed that when he, Cantwell, and Kusama first walked in, they all said, “This place is horrible. It’s perfect.” It was so perfect, in fact, that they had to spruce it up, or else, as Cantwell joked, “If we just went in and shot it as is, people will be like, ‘I do not want to spend thirty seconds in this place.’” In the end, the production team had to repaint and restructure some of the building and then rough it up a bit. The crew, Cantwell explained, had to “bring it back to life and then bring it down just enough, and the added bonus was there’s seventy years of history in the walls of that place… and the psychic residue of that is present.” “It’s not meant to be sensible…” Photo Credit: Emily V. Aragones/AMC The building’s convoluted hallways also amplified the tone and themes of Devil in Silver. “If anyone from the crew got left behind or wandered down a different direction, [they] got lost,” Kusma said. “You can actually feel it in the design of it, that it’s not meant to be sensible—it’s not meant to lead you to an obvious exit… we didn’t have to work very hard to create that, that was just real. And so a lot of the times it was like we were having the uncanny experience that probably mirrored in some psychological way, Pepper’s experience, which is, ‘Wait, I was just in this hallway. But wait, is this the same hallway or a different hallway?’ It just looks exactly the same.” She added, “If there is a such thing as a space holding hopelessness, that was part of this space itself, and so we were really able to work with that and hopefully give the audience a little bit of a window into what Pepper and his fellow patients in that facility are feeling.” The location and the characters, in fact, are the two major elements LaValle wanted to make sure carried over from his novel. He also wanted to make sure the characters weren’t portrayed as evil, but victims of a larger system, which is represented by New Hyde on the show. “My feeling is that much of the time [in stories set in mental institutions], either the patients or the staff are treated as monstrous or inhuman or something like that. I definitely did not want was for us to fall into that trap… I felt like I had to make that declarative statement somehow. And everybody was like, ‘Yeah, we get that. Of course, we’re not going to do that.’ And I was like, ‘All right, great. Then let’s make a show.’” You can watch the show they made when The Terror: Devil in Silver premieres on May 7, 2026, on AMC+ and Shudder.[end-mark] The post <i>The Terror: Devil in Silver</i> Co-Showrunners & Director Talk About Filming in a Former Prison appeared first on Reactor.

Excerpts Science Fiction Read an Excerpt From The Franchise by Thomas Elrod This epic tale of a Hollywood-owned fantasy world where nothing is quite as it seems to the people who live and die at the studio’s whim. By Thomas Elrod | Published on April 29, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Franchise by Thomas Elrod, a science fiction novel out from Tor Books on May 12th. A land filled with magic and dragons and wizards and warriors.Thousands of people live and work within its borders, fearful of their enemies and loyal to their king.The classic fantasy world of The Malicarn has been brought to life on the big screen in a series of phenomenally successful blockbuster movies, almost entirely populated by characters in total belief that their sham fantasy lives are real.A fan-favorite actor finds himself doubting the studio’s work, but this franchise has an almost unstoppable momentum, and bringing freedom to a population that already believes itself to be free won’t be as easy as he thinks. New York City October 23 , 1962 Nobody remembers this, but the weather had been so nice the day before. A cool fall breeze, a few clouds in the sky, golden leaves still on the trees, and a darkening evening anticipating, not yet permitting, the coming of winter. It was an autumn day that suggested the possibilities of a world still becoming. So as men and women in Manhattan crossed on their daily errands—and one marveled at the looming canyons of steel, their promise of American ingenuity and greatness, the rest of the century still to come and what would it be?—the fact that the whole time men in dark suits smoked cigarettes and placed telephone calls and made plans for the end of the world, any small pleasures afforded by the weather were rendered not just insignificant but possibly dangerous. Better to forget it entirely. The world was not anticipating winter. It was anticipating death. The publishing offices of World Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine sat above the park, so when Wendell Highsman looked out his window and saw children playing that Tuesday morning, despite the now-overcast skies, he wondered why they were so damned foolish. Had they not watched the president’s speech the night before? Their parents had, at least. Here was a thought that made Wendell even more upset: that the children’s parents knew the truth—Khrushchev had planted nuclear warheads in Cuba, Kennedy was setting up a blockade, and the final, inevitable clash was now imminent—and the children themselves hadn’t been told. That the parents didn’t want to worry their little ones too much on the final day of their lives. That it was the only way to keep them safe. Wendell was not safe, either, he knew that. But at least his office building was stone, built by some titan of industry the previous century. If the blast was from downtown—and it would be, if the Soviets were smart and accurate—then in these walls Wendell might actually live, at least until the radiation took hold. But in the park you were exposed, and vulnerable, and Wendell did not want to think about children dying. He turned away from the window. Mrs. Olson sat in the next room, behind her typewriter filling out rejection notices for the afternoon mail. Wendell didn’t tell her to stop. She hadn’t said anything all morning, hadn’t men-tioned her son, even though he was in the navy and Wendell knew she had seen the speech because she watched Brinkley every night before Bridge. Preparing the mail was probably the best thing for her. It kept her focused, distracted, not thinking about her son sitting on a carrier in the Gulf watching the end begin. Let her stay busy. Wendell knew the mail would never arrive at its destination, of course, but maybe that was a good thing. It meant that H. W. Ferry or Jonathan R. Kellerman or Susanne Popovorich (she needed a pen name for sure) would never find out that their stories about sex-crazed astronauts and delusional dragonslayers and genius scientist-politicians had been rejected. They would die believing that publishing glory was just around the corner. That their ticket had come up and the October skies were harbingers of a big, bright American tomorrow. The typesetters hadn’t even shown up for work today. “That man is here,” Mrs. Olson said, not bothering to stop typing, when Wendell wandered out of his office. He thought he might head down to Kelvin’s for lunch. Kelvin’s was safe enough from the bombs. Safer, probably, if they had to hide in that basement. But Wendell had forgotten that there was an appointment, one Mrs. Olson had scheduled some days ago, before the end of the world. Well, before they knew about it. “He still came?” Wendell asked. “Why wouldn’t he have come?” Mrs. Olson typed a letter informing Mary Jackson of Tupelo, Mississippi, that her work showed “much promise” and that Wendell Highsman wished her the best of luck on her future endeavors. “Well, send him in, I suppose.” Wendell walked back into his office and sat down, facing away from the window. The man who walked in, dressed in a shaggy brown coat and sporting a thick, black mustache, carried a cardboard box with him. Wendell was annoyed already. Mrs. Olson’s job included not letting prospective authors in to see him. If you let one man in, they’ll all want to come, pleading their case for why your rejection was so cruel, so unjust, so callous and unappreciative of their work. In the past, Wendell considered allowing only solicited submissions. Maybe he would again, if they all lived. The man was very forward. “Excuse me, sir. I am from Bos-ton, and I must speak with you.” “You’re not from Boston.” Wendell meant it as a question, but it came out as an accusation. “Oh, yes, I am. I live there with my wife and infant son. I just rode down on the train this morning.” “No, your accent. French?” “Yes, that is where I grew up. My name is Jean-Danton Souard.” Buy the Book The Franchise Thomas Elrod Buy Book The Franchise Thomas Elrod Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget “Never been to France, sadly. During the war I was stateside. Stars and Stripes. You know it?” “No.” “Fine outfit. When did you come to the United States?” “1946.” “Hmm. Not Vichy, were you? Oh, never mind. How can I help you, Mr. Souard?” Jean-Danton fumbled with the box in his arms. He placed it on Wendell’s desk, then sat in a wingback chair in the corner. Wendell looked at the box and sighed. “I can’t just read manuscripts off the street,” Wendell said. “We have a system, a way of doing things here. You understand, it’s only fair.” Jean-Danton nodded. “Yes, I have read the magazine. I understand your policies, but this is my only copy. I spent all our savings to get it typed.” “We have policies about returning manuscripts, too, you know. It’s all in our submission guidelines.” “It is just too important to send through the mail. I cannot just leave it with anybody.” Every manuscript was always the most important thing in the world. “So you expect me to read this now, while you sit there?” “I must take this manuscript home if you reject me, yes.” Wendell sighed and looked out the window. “Mr. Souard, I really do not have time for this today. We are very busy. I am waiting on proofs for the new issue, we have plenty of other manuscripts to review, plus I need to provide some editorial feedback on—” Someone laughed outside his window. They were all going to die and people were laughing. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Souard. It is a bad day. You should go back to your family in Boston. If something should happen, you should be with them.” “If something should happen? Do you mean the bomb?” “Yes. Is there even anything else right now?” “No, I suppose not. But, it seems to me, if it is all so hopeless, why not read my novel?” Wendell thought he should call his sister in San Francisco. When something happened, she would be far enough away. Maybe he would call his lawyer, his accountant. Make sure his affairs were in order. His sister would close the magazine, most likely. She had always hated it. When they were children she complained how it took up their father’s time. Just as well. What would be left of it anyway, once Wendell was dead? Old issues in an A&P somewhere in Minnesota. There’s a fun discovery for future archaeologists: Look at these primitive stories full of horny astronauts! What a bizarre culture! “You know,” Jean-Danton interrupted, breaking Wendell’s reverie (he was looking out the window again), “during the war I was a prisoner in a German camp. Me and many other French soldiers. We knew we were going to die. Knew it, even if we hoped otherwise. But until you are dead you still need to live.” Read my book because we’re going to die anyway. It was a novel approach, Wendell gave him that. He considered that Jean-Danton was a man comfortable with the current state of the world, who wasn’t distracted by the certainty of death. Or at least, he could spin a little yarn and convince you of that. For the first time, the manuscript intrigued Wendell. “You can’t sell stories in an American magazine with a foreign name. We can only sell issues if people have good strong American names.” “Will you read my work?” “Perhaps. What is it about?” “The end of the world.” “Well, now, that is very topical.” “It takes place in a medieval, magical kingdom.” “I don’t do that sort of thing right now. Sputnik, you know. Kids want to go to the moon.” “But this land is unique. There used to be magic, but it’s been outlawed. And some of the inhabitants want to see it return. So there is an internal rebellion, and the story becomes an exploration of politics and society and—” “Wait, wait,” Wendell said. “This is all too much. You said it was about the end of the world?” “Well, metaphorically, perhaps.” Wendell laughed. “The French.” “It’s the end of their world, the world they know. You see, at the end of this whole rebellion, magic does come back, but it isn’t what anybody expected. It changes the entire realm, everyone’s relationship to one another, to themselves. They end up in a world they didn’t expect, and couldn’t foresee.” “How long is it?” Wendell pried open the top of the box. It was entirely filled with paper. “It’s, well, typed it is over two thousand pages. Two thousand, one hundred and sixty-three to be precise.” “Christ, I got Proust over here.” “I know it is quite long, but every word is perfectly chosen, I assure you.” “You speak English very well.” “I had an English tutor. Before the war. She lived with us.” “You were wealthy then?” “She was a communist. We all were.” An ambulance drove past, sirens roaring. Somebody in the city was going to die and they wouldn’t even get to see the bomb. “Well, Mr. Souard, I am not going to lie to you. We don’t serialize novels very often, certainly not ones as long as this. But I’ll take a look at it. Politics and the end of the world are on my mind, too, after all.” “I appreciate that, Mr. Highsman. I really do. Is there any chance for a decision right now, and an advance? I spent my last dollar on my train ticket.” “I didn’t say I would buy it, Mr. Souard, just that I would read it. And anyway, what good is money going to be soon? I’ll tell you what, though. I can pay you fifty dollars today. If I don’t buy your novel, take it as a commission for a new story. I’m feeling generous.” He was, too. The sounds of people chatting on city streets on the last day of their lives had inspired in him a charitable spirit. “Thank you, Mr. Highsman. Very much. Is it all right if I smoke?” “Yes, yes, go ahead.” Jean-Danton lit a cigarette and Wendell found himself, like a magnet, pulled to look out the window again, back down to the children in the park. He should give Souard more, what did it matter? He would give him a hundred dollars, maybe a thousand. He would bet the whole future of the magazine on this sprawling, ridiculous novel. He would need it to be a major hit, an unexpected sensation, for such a decision to make sense. Perhaps it would be, there was no way of knowing. Nothing about the future can be known at the end of time, only imagined. Wendell could certainly imagine the novel a success. Imagine a future where they serialize the whole thing and sell out issue after issue, readers demanding to find out what happens next, what twists and turns of fate await their favorite characters. Wendell could imagine the eventual publication of the book, in a handsome hardcover, then a cheaper but bestselling mass-market paperback. Then the sequels, each one another hit. Poor Mr. Souard’s children become wealthy inheritors of this massive, popular series. Hollywood makes movies, they make television shows, people read the books to their kids and tell them, “My parents used to read this to me.” Everyone knows the names of the characters and the author and, of course, the place where it all began. On the pages of World Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, Wendell J. Highsman III, Publisher and Editor in Chief. It was a nice thing to imagine, on the day you were going to die. “Hell, how about two thousand dollars? And I buy it right now. If it stinks, you’ll just have to rewrite it, right? Ha.” “Two thousand? My good sir, I say, I mean I do say…” “Never mind that. Oh, Mrs. Olson? Can you come in here? Now, Mr. Souard, there will just be some paperwork for you to sign. Say, what is the name of this mythical realm of yours? We need a good name. For you, too. Maybe just abbreviate your Christian name. J. D. Souard, doesn’t sound too bad? Even a little American. But your world, what do you call it?” “It is the same as the title of the novel. It is called The Malicarn.” Excerpted from The Franchise, copyright © 2026 by Thomas Elrod. The post Read an Excerpt From <i>The Franchise</i> by Thomas Elrod appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV Watchlist Here Are All the Genre Movies Premiering in May! We’ve got more Star Wars, more Punisher, and a very bad hotel on the docket this May… By Petrana Radulovic | Published on April 29, 2026 Image credits: Neon; Lucasfilm; New Line Cinema Comment 0 Share New Share Image credits: Neon; Lucasfilm; New Line Cinema There is a lot of entertainment out there these days, and a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror titles to parse through. So we’re rounding up the genre television coming out each month.  This month brings some quirky animated films about animals, including a family-friendly reimagining of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. There is also a smattering of supernatural horror flicks, which span from Adam Scott in a creepy hotel in Ireland to an adaptation of a megapopular creepypasta. But even with a new Star Wars movie and a Marvel TV special, by far the most exciting film on the docket is The Sheep Detectives, where a flock of sheep bands together to solve the murder of their shepherd. Animal Farm — in theaters May 1 Filmmaker Andy Serkis takes on this animated adaptation of George Orwell’s novella. This version introduces a young piglet named Lucky, who is torn between the two co-leaders of the animal rebellion. Will the celebrity voices and cutesy character designs augment the novel’s political allegory? Only time will tell, but hey! Those animals sure are adorable.  Hokum — in theaters May 1 Adam Scott stars as horror author Ohm Bauman, who visits a remote hotel in Ireland to spread his parents’ ashes. But he soon realizes that the hotel isn’t just a creepy old building… it’s haunted by a mysterious entity. Staff members begin to disappear and something in the perpetually locked honeymoon suite might be responsible.  Swapped — on Netflix May 1 In a magical forest, the Pookoos (small mammalian creatures) and the Javans (large, colorful avians) are sworn enemies. But after some magical shenanigans, a small Pookoo (voiced by Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic Javan (Juno Temple) switch bodies. The two embark on an adventure to swap back to their original selves and learn a thing or two about each other along the way.  Mortal Kombat II — in theaters May 8 The sequel to 2021’s Moral Kombat, itself based on the best-selling fantasy martial arts video game series of the same name, follows a group of elite martial artists forced into battle against one another. While battling, the champions also must thwart the evil world domination plans of Emperor Shao Kahn. The Sheep Detectives — in theaters May 8 What’s better than a cozy murder mystery? Why, one where a flock of intelligent sheep solve the murder! After their beloved shepherd (played by Hugh Jackman) is found dead, a group of sheep decide to use their wits to find the culprit. They’re armed with their genre-savvy, after listening to their shepherd read murder mysteries out loud to them. Go, sheep, go! Labyrinth — in select theaters May 10 In this anime movie, a high school girl accidentally breaks her smartphone—and finds herself trapped in a parallel dimension inside the phone, with an unstable and chaotic version of herself. She must find a way to escape this strange realm and make sure that her alter ego doesn’t spiral too much. The Punisher: One Last Kill — on Disney+ May 12 The MCU’s Frank Castle is back. After trying to live a peaceful life (well, as peaceful a life as a vigilante in the Marvel Cinematic Universe can lead), the Punisher finds himself pulled back into a violent conflict. Jon Bernthal reprises his role and does a lot of punching and shooting and glowering. Obsession — in theaters May 15 Bear, a young man with a huge crush, breaks a mysterious tchotchke and wishes for his crush Nikki to love him back. The good news? It works! The bad news? It works too well. She becomes intensely and violently obsessed with him… as long as he’s living, at least.  Passenger — in theaters May 22 A young couple sets off on an exciting van road trip! But things take a turn when they witness a terrible accident that leaves a driver dead. Mysterious scratches start showing up on their van. They realize that some mysterious entity is following them and no matter how fast they drive, they can’t outrun it.  The Mandalorian and Grogu — in theaters May 22 The Mandalorian and his little green alien pal are back—this time in a feature-length theatrical release! Following the fall of the Galactic Empire, Din Djarin receives an assignment to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s son (yeah, apparently that’s a thing). Officially a good guy and working for the New Republic, Din has a chance to do what’s right—and takes off his Mandalorian mask. So don’t worry Pedro Pascal fans: his beautiful face will be present throughout the film. Corporate Retreat — in theaters May 22  A young woman accompanies her boyfriend on what’s supposed to be a romantic vacation… only to find out he’s brought her along to his company’s corporate retreat. But the worst part is that this corporate retreat starts to take a deadly turn. The employees are all locked in the retreat by their CEO as he forces them to maim, injure, and kill one another. My Best Friend’s Dead — on demand May 26 Olivia lives in an isolated farmhouse with her best friend Aurora. Except, Aurora died a few years ago and the two made a pact that they would resurrect whoever died first. So Aurora is undead… which hasn’t been a problem till now. People in the area begin to go missing and Aurora starts to exhibit increasingly demonic traits. Backrooms — in theaters May 29 Based on the viral eerie web series of the same name, itself based on creepypasta horror stories, Backrooms follows a therapist who slips into a strange liminal dimension on the search for a missing patient. The Backrooms themselves are a network of extra-dimensional nearly empty rooms, haunted by strange entities. The original creepypasta posts have not only spawned the web series and this upcoming movie, but also several video games and an episode of American Horror Stories.[end-mark] The post Here Are All the Genre Movies Premiering in May! appeared first on Reactor.

Books book reviews Tuck in the Catskills: The Fountain by Casey Scieszka  “The real question The Fountain asks is: What makes a life meaningful when you have infinite time and health?” By Mahvesh Murad | Published on April 29, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share In The Fountain, 27-years-young Vera returns to her home town in the Catskills, 180-odd years after she was forced to leave it with her brother and mother, before any one caught on that the three never aged. The family does not know what has made them immortal, just as they do not know why they can heal so rapidly from any injury. But Vera is certain that something in the Catskills made them what they are: A fountain of youth must be in the area, and Vera is determined to find it. She’s done with living, done with running from place to place so no one finds out she is immortal, and done with being alone. She has tried to die repeatedly, and after centuries of failed attempts, she is now certain that if she can find the source of her immortality, she can reverse her condition. How she plans to do this, or why she is so certain that this idea will work, is a mystery—much like the source of her immortality. But Vera has a plan, “to recreate whatever phenomena did this to her and, in doing so, reverse her condition. To hunt for the fountain and drink from it again. A flimsy theory perhaps. But it’s one of the least ridiculous she’s entertained over the years, and it has taken ahold of her with a conviction of its own. She needs to start somewhere. This needs to end.” At least Casey Scieszka acknowledges that this, indeed, is a flimsy theory.  Still, it is enough of a theory to get Vera back to her hometown, where we see her trying to keep to herself while using her job as a park ranger to collect water from every stream she comes across in the Catskills and drink it, hoping it will do the trick. She attempts to stay away from the locals and not form any close bonds, but the cozy-cute appeal of this particular Catskills town wears down her guard, and she finds herself becoming the godmother of her work partner’s unborn child, the personal contractor and best friend of her landlady, the hero who jumps astride a spooked horse bareback and shoots a coyote, and the romantic interest of the rugged fly fishing expert EMT Paul, who wonders how Vera got just so darned good at fishing herself. She, of course, cannot tell him she’s had literal centuries of experience. Vera is immortal, but she is still human. And so she falls in love with the town, its people, this new life.  Vera’s quest for the fountain of youth takes a bit of a back seat (in that, apparently it’s ongoing, but we aren’t paying much attention to it) as she starts to ease into the delightful little Catskills life. Until she is suddenly faced with her brother and his partner (who also happens to be an immortal from the same town and time as Vera), who have rocked up as representatives of a multimillion dollar company that is buying out real estate in the area. The Fountain of Eternal Youth LLC is hoping to identify a natural source to make a miracle drug against all sorts of disease. Of course, that natural source is the same fountain Vera is searching for.  While Vera has no science to back her flimsy theory, Lydia (the partner) has spent her life studying the science of longevity, and is certain she can isolate whatever special element the fountain has that creates immortals. She wants to use that to cure all disease—a noble cause, though complicated for obvious reasons. So while their intentions are not the same, Vera, her brother Eli, and Lydia agree to team up to locate the fountain they all need. The person who owns the LLC, Mathew, is interested in profiting off Lydia’s miracle drug, of course, which is not what any of the immortals are interested in.  Buy the Book The Fountain Casey Scieszka Buy Book The Fountain Casey Scieszka Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Vera wants to die. Lydia wants to achieve something amazing. Mathew wants to be a gazillionaire forever. Eli just wants to have a good time. We can see how they may not get along. Meanwhile they are all becoming more enmeshed with the townspeople, and when Mathew shows up, things take a turn for the worse. But that isn’t until much, much later. We’ve got a lot of small town cozy scenes to experience first.  The speculative element in the novel is that of Vera and her family’s immortality. We don’t really get any understanding of the science behind it (for all we know, it’s magic), and there is no other speculative element in the novel. The rest is small town mise en scène. There is some character development visible for Vera, as she returns to the place of her birth and finds a groove for herself. We see her letting down her guard, lean into her vulnerability and humanity, and make friends and take risks because she starts to care about the people around her. She begins to doubt her desire to die, and that’s pretty much the only real conflict there is, other than whether Lydia should even use this potential fountain of youth to cure disease and make Mathew’s corporation a gazillion dollars. The assumption that the source of immortality is a body of water is itself a little odd. Is it because of the classic mythical cliché? Because there are many water bodies in the area? Is there ancient lore in the area that we are not told about on the page? Or is it because Casey Scieszka has said in interviews that The Fountain is a “grown up version of Tuck Everlasting,” a 1975 children’s novel by Natalie Babbitt, in which a small spring of water in a forest is the source of eternal youth. The Fountain is very much like Tuck Everlasting, but told via a very romantic lens of Catskills small-town community. The writer is an urban transplant and runs an inn in the Catskills herself, and her husband has written an illustrated book about fly fishing, so it’s no surprise that both of these elements play a large part in the novel’s landscape. It’s unfortunate that many of the characters who play smaller roles in the story have voices that blend together, but since they don’t have an impact on the main thrust of the plot, it doesn’t matter. They get a little distracting, but ultimately they are just scenery.  The story is told entirely from Vera’s perspective, and while that aligns us well with her, she isn’t the most exciting of characters. She pities herself a lot, hasn’t done anything much with her immorality, and though she’s had some heartbreak and one very traumatic event that has led her back home, it is hard to tell if she has evolved at all over the last two centuries. Is this why, then, that she is the one who wants to die, and not the others? In over 200 years, Vera has not found her purpose—that is, until she decided it was time to die. The real question The Fountain asks is: What makes a life meaningful when you have infinite time and health? Of course there isn’t a correct answer to this question at all—not when each human being’s experience of everything is so incredibly unique.   Immortality can mean that you do incredible world changing things, or at least help propel them along. It can mean you constantly do small acts that help people even if you aren’t noticed. It can mean you just drift about, living many lives that leave no impact so your immortality can go unnoticed. Vera has done the latter. But once she allows herself to get comfortable, starts caring about the locals, makes friends and gets caught up in real mortal lives around her, she becomes part of a community in her home again, centuries after running away. It is complicated, but then as she thinks, “who could ever be prepared for anything as stupefying as infinity?” The Fountain is a very readable novel, with some interesting things to say, albeit without enough interesting characters to say them.  The Fountain is published by Harper. The post Tuck in the Catskills: <i>The Fountain</i> by Casey Scieszka  appeared first on Reactor.