'Hunters' Balances Adaptation With New Elements

Syfy may be well-known for its science fiction B-movies along the lines of Sharknado (and its sequels), but the network has also tried its hand at a number of original scripted dramas and miniseries, some even going beyond the realm of sci-fi into realistic magicians. One of the newest series to join the ranks of Syfy's original programming is Hunters, but this show may draw its inspiration from the world of sci-fi novels. So, is Hunters based on a book? Yes, in fact, it is.

Hunters is based on Whitley Striber's Alien Hunter , a best-selling thriller/sci-fi novel that follows a police detective named Flynn Carroll who is obsessed with finding his missing wife even though all evidence seems to indicate she left him of her own volition. Through his solo investigation he finds a secret government agency, and Special Agent Diana Glass, who track notorious criminals that may or may not be from Earth. With Flynn's new partner and his new allies, he continues his search for the person — or alien — responsible for his wife's disappearance. It sounds like the perfect mix of a thrilling sci-fi premise with a government agency devoted to alien investigation along the lines of The X-Files, but how closely will Hunters stick to Alien Hunter?

From what I can tell, Hunters will stick pretty close to the premise of Alien Hunter. Here's the official synopsis for Hunters according to TV Series Finale:

The series follows Flynn (Nathan Phillips, “Wolf Creek”), a headstrong Baltimore FBI agent with a dark past trying to piece together the disappearance of his wife. His search leads him to a secret government unit assembled to hunt a group of ruthless terrorists – shadowy figures that may or may not be from this world. Britne Oldford (“American Horror Story”) plays Regan, who is one of the government’s most valuable operatives and may be keeping secrets of her own. Julian McMahon portrays McCarthy, an unhinged junkie and Hunter cell leader.

Of course, aside from the basic outline for Alien Hunter, it seems Hunters may be forging its own path with certain changes, such as replacing Diana with Regan. Additionally, it seems Hunters will give more focus to characters aside from Flynn since Regan becomes his partner very early on and has her own struggles to deal with, while McCarthy represents the alien terrorists that the government agency is attempting to track down.

So, it seems Hunters will incorporate a balance of adapting Alien Hunter with enough originality that the series will provide new twists and turns for those that read the book. But, all in all, Hunters may lean more toward expanding the world of Alien Hunter rather than be too caught up in being a strict adaptation — which sounds to me like the recipe for creating an exciting television show based on a novel that's fun for both book fans and those who haven't read it.

Images: Peter Brew-Bevan/Syfy