Wednesday, April 17, 2013

A-Z Geek (O): The Magic of Once Upon…

During the April A-Z Challenge, I’m posting six days a week, following the letters of the alphabet. I will share all the movies, books and games I watched, read and played--all the influences that turned me into the geeky person and writer I am today.

BOOKS
Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody (1987): Although I bought this book close to when it first came out, I didn’t get around to reading it until recently. A great tale from a popular Australian author, it’s about a girl who is born with mysterious mental abilities that she must keep hidden under threat of death.

TV
Once Upon a Time (2011): This took ages to come onto Australian television. It was worth the wait. The way they wove the fairytale world in with the modern world was particularly clever and engaging.

The Outer Limits (1995): I’ve always loved short stories with twists and this show, like The Twilight Zone, had some wonderfully unexpected stories.

Who are your favourite fairytale characters? Which stories with a twist stand out for you?

#AtoZChallenge

31 comments:

Unknown said...

My O post on my wordpress blog starts with a Once upon a time...

Damyanti @Daily(w)rite
Co-host, A to Z Challenge 2013

Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
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DWei said...

I don't know any characters that start with O... Though the twist at the end of Portal 1 was a good one for me.

Anonymous said...

Once upon a time I used that title too! tee hee.. we should have a once upon a time group! Like the tv programme, Can't think of any Other O's of books..

Nana Prah said...

I have one rule about watching television shows. If I can't watch it alone without getting freaked out, I don't watch it. Twilight Zone was off of my watching list. I never knew about The Outer Limits, but I'm pretty sure that would have been off of my list too.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

The Outer Limits will be forever awesome. I love that show so much. Once Upon a time is great, can't wait for the new one this Sunday. Obernewtyn sounds really good.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Outer Limis (like Twilight Zone) was a great show with a lot of twisted and bizarre stories.

Old Kitty said...

I totally missed out on Once upon a time cos it was on paid for tv over here! Booo! LOL! Take care
x

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Lynda,

Once upon a time is a great show. I always loved fairytales and these dark tales are awesome.

Actually I have two favs. I hope you had or have the chance to watch them... Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella... it was played yearly on American TV back in the late sixties. Leslie Ann Warren played Cinderella. Such a wonderful adaptation!

The other, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS with Carol Burnett and Tracy Ullman... HYSTERICAL.

Unknown said...

My favourite character? Hansel and Gretel. They managed to deceive a witch that wanted them for dinner.

mooderino said...

Shame there isn't an Outer Limits type show on at the moment. I'd watch it.

mood
Moody Writing
#atozchallenge

DEZMOND said...

you keep books for twenty years before reading them? :PPP
ONCE UPON was lovely in the first season, but they've lost me with the second one. I did enjoy some of the OUTER LIMITS episodes!

Meradeth Houston said...

I've never seen Once Upon a Time--sounds like something I need to add to my netflix list :)

Emily R. King said...

I don't watch much TV, but everyone keeps telling me to tune into Once Upon a Time. Perhaps I finally should.

Suze said...

I remember reading Rod Serling's stories out loud to my 7th and 8th grade students in English class. I loove a good twist and they did, too. The looks on their faces when comprehension dawned. Good stuff.

cleemckenzie said...

I use Netflix and never see the current TV programs. Have to check to see if Once Upon a Time is available.

Unknown said...

I've never seen The Outer Limits, but if it's anything like The Twilight Zone than I have to watch it.

Nick Wilford said...

I hadn't thought about The Outer Limits for ages. It came out just as I was starting to get into shows like that.

Anonymous said...

Once upon a time I used to read fairy tales and my favorite, although I can't remember the name (believe it or not) was about some elves or dwarves or gnomes or whatever who would come in the middle of the night and clean up your house! LOL.

Or maybe it was just me sleepwalking through my chores.

And I'm a big follower of Once Upon a Time! New episode on Sunday!

Sherry Ellis said...

It's been a while since I've seen The Outer Limits. I remember I enjoyed it.

Golden Eagle said...

The Outer Limits sounds like an interesting show. I've only seen a few episodes of The Twilight Zone, but the ones I have watched were really good.

Trisha said...

I still have not started the Obernewtyn series! I've got almost all the books to date ready on my shelf, but am still missing one. Also, I LOVE Carmody's other series, Legendsong, but sadly am still awaiting the third and final installment. Maybe next year?!? Been waiting since 2002, damn it!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I get distracted... There are so many books I want to read. I used to buy books as therapy too when I was feeling down, lol. (It's better than eating chocolate!)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

aw, I didn't get to see either of those. The latter sounds like a lark with Carol Burnett.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's a good rule. I never watch anything scary on my own.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

You sound like one of those cool teachers the kids remember with fondness.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I think it was called The Elves and the Cobbler.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I haven't read the Legendsong series. I'll wait until they are all out too before I begin.

Maryannwrites said...

I really enjoy the show, Once Upon a Time. It is so much fun to see all the different fairy tale characters interact. One of my favorites has always been Snow White. There was something so wonderful about waiting to be kissed by a prince.

Anonymous said...

That's right! They came in the middle of the night and made the shoes for the old shoemaker.

That does it...I'm getting a complete works of the Brothers Grimm. It's been too long, and I love that style of storytelling. Also a book of Aesop's Fables (another old fave).

Unknown said...

I left another comment, but I think it went to spam.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Nope your comments went to moderation. If it's an older post you're commenting on, then this will happen. It's just so I don't miss any comments :)

Oh I love those fables too!