The Wayward Pines Trilogy Explained

The Wayward Pines Trilogy
Books:
  • Pines (2012)
  • Wayward (2013)
  • The Last Town (2014)
Author:Blake Crouch
Country:United States
Language:English
Publisher:Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date:August 2012 – July 2014

The Wayward Pines Trilogy (2012–2014) is a mystery/thriller/science fiction novel series by American author Blake Crouch. It follows U.S. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke as he unravels the mystery surrounding his unanticipated arrival in the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho, following a devastating car accident. The novels are Pines (2012), Wayward (2013), and The Last Town (2014). In 2015, the novels were adapted into the television series Wayward Pines.

Overview

The plot surrounds Secret Service agent Ethan Burke's introduction to the remote small town of Wayward Pines, his new home from which he cannot escape. The residents of this picturesque town do not know how they got there and are forbidden to talk about their prior lives. An electric fence surrounds the town, and the residents are under 24-hour surveillance. The mysteries and horrors of the town build until Ethan discovers its secret. Then he must do his part to keep Wayward Pines protected from threats both within and beyond the fence.

The series covers themes of isolation, bucolic Americana, time-displacement, man vs nature, human evolution, and cryonics. Crouch has acknowledged that he was inspired by the 1990–91 TV series Twin Peaks.[1]

Books

TitlePublisherDatePagesISBN

Reception

Ryan Daley of Bloody Disgusting named Pines one of his Top 10 Novels of 2012.[2] He later called Wayward "riveting" and even better than Pines.[3]

Adaptation

See main article: Wayward Pines. The novels are the basis for the television series Wayward Pines, produced by M. Night Shyamalan. After reading the source material, he said of the project, "As long as everybody isn't dead, I'm in", his "only rule" to secure his participation.[1] The "big reveal" at the end of Pines is reached halfway through the series in the fifth episode, and the remaining five episodes cover the events of Wayward and The Last Town. Shyamalan noted that the TV series varies from the books in some ways, but as Crouch was still writing the novels while the show was in development, there were "all kinds of cross pollinating" between the two.[1] In December 2015, Fox renewed the series for a second season.[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Scott D. . Pierce . No, they're not dead on Wayward Pines . . May 11, 2015 . June 13, 2015.
  2. Web site: Daley. Ryan. Top 10 Horror Novels of the Year!. Bloody Disgusting. June 18, 2015. December 24, 2012.
  3. Web site: Daley. Ryan. Wayward Is So Good, Not Even M. Night Can Screw It Up. Bloody Disgusting. June 8, 2015. September 11, 2013.
  4. Web site: M. Night Shamalan's 10-Episode Psychological Thriller 'Wayward Pines' Returns Wednesday, May 25, on FOX. The Futon Critic. March 3, 2016. March 3, 2016.