In Contrast

In episode 27, Alan and Nisha take on their first noir, discussing the 1934 novel The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain. This classic hardboiled tale of passion and crime, just like Cain's other major work Double Indemnity , has held huge influence over crime fiction and film noir. It has been directly adapted numerous times over the years, but for this conversation we focus primaril...

In episode 26, Alan & Nisha delve into the counterculture classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. First published in 1962, the novel by Ken Kesey was inspired by his time working at a mental hospital while studying at Stanford. This experience, alongside his prolific use of psychedelic drugs, made Kesey adamantly outspoken against systems of oppression and dehumanization. The book even ha...

In Episode 25, Alan and Nisha go back to a millennial childhood favorite and their very first Roald Dahl story... James and the Giant Peach! Originally published in 1961, this story is one of many Dahl classics that have remained beloved by both children and parents. Adapted into a stop-motion Disney animation film in 1996, this story feels like it was particularly present for those growing up in...

In Episode 24, Alan & Nisha blast off to the Red Planet to discuss The Martian. Originally self-published and released by Andy Weir as an online serial, the book was then adapted into a full novel released in 2014. Rights for a film had already been optioned by then, resulting in the 2015 film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon alongside a stacked supporting cast. Weir has gone o...

In episode 23, Alan & Nisha return to the classics with Pinocchio. Originally released as a serial, The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi was published as a novel in 1883. It quickly became a staple of children's literature and Italian culture, and has become one of the best-selling and most translated novels in the world. As such, it has been adapted numerous times over the years i...

In episode 22, Alan & Nisha take a trip to the Pacific Northwest to hear the tale of Robert Grainier in Train Dreams . Originally a 2011 novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams was nominated for the Pulitzer and has enjoyed a great reputation for its ability to capture the scope and beauty of life and the changing American West, in an impressively short format. The novella was adapted into a fe...

Happy New Year from In Contrast! We are ringing in 2026 with a very special episode. In celebration of what would have been her 250th birthday, we discuss Jane Austen's timeless novel Pride and Prejudice. For the first time on the show, Alan & Nisha are joined by a very special guest, Jayanti Addleman! Jayanti is a career librarian and a champion of literacy and reading access. She is also...

Happy holidays from In Contrast! In episode 20, Alan & Nisha look for some Christmas cheer with The Polar Express . Originally a 1985 children's picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, it was adapted into a 2004 feature-length film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks. Some viewers found a modern Christmas classic, while others found its unique animation style...challenging. Grab...

In episode 19, Alan & Nisha tackle a MONSTER of an episode (we're so sorry) -- Frankenstein! Among the most influential novels of all time, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has informed not just the gothic and horror genres but echoes throughout all of pop culture history. With over 400 films and numerous TV Shows adapting, lampooning, or...

In episode 18, Alan and Nisha ring in spooky season with one of the classics... The Exorcist.  The 1973 film, based on a 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, has become the stuff of legends. Directed by the great William Friedkin with a screenplay adapted by Blatty himself, the film helped bring horror to the mainstream and revolutionized the genre for years to come.  When it released, it quickly b...

In episode 17, join Alan & Nisha as they discuss The Wild Robot , first a book published by Peter Brown in 2016. The rights for a film adaptation were bought almost immediately by Dreamworks Animation, and the film was released in 2024 to critical acclaim. Brown's novel explores some familiar themes, but does so in creative ways that do not shy away from the realities of nature. How does a...

In episode 16 of In Contrast, Alan & Nisha do the one single thing you're not supposed to do.. talk about Fight Club. Fight Club was the debut novel of author Chuck Palahniuk, originally published in 1996 and adapted to film by David Fincher in 1999. Both the book and film have remained a solid piece of the cultural zeitgeist ever since. Why has this story remained so popular since its rel...

In episode 15, Alan & Nisha have their first foray into the timeless mysteries of Agatha Christie with 1934's Murder on the Orient Express. Among Christie's most well-known novels, this story finds longstanding detective Hercule Poirot wrapped up in a bizarre murder mystery aboard a stranded train. This and other Christie stories have been adapted in numerous forms over the years, but...

In Episode 14, Alan & Nisha discuss the much-acclaimed psychological thriller Shutter Island ! They talk about the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane, and the 2010 film adaptation directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. At the time of publishing this book, Lehane was already well-known for his crime mysteries, but how did he inject a new psychological twist into his typical work....

World Dracula Day is this month! To celebrate, Nisha put together a special bonus episode where she talks about 10 of the weirdest people characters Dracula has appeared with across the years.

Welcome to Episode 13, which means we are kicking off our second year of In Contrast! For this episode, Alan & Nisha discuss Nisha's birthday pick:  Water for Elephants ! They discuss the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and its 2011 film adaptation by the same name. Join us as we delve into this period piece romance and discuss how Gruen's own character are evident in her writing.

In episode 12, Alan & Nisha discuss another classic of gothic horror: Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death ! They marvel at how well this story holds up even 180 years later, and even still has some notable parallels to our modern world. For the film adaptations, they focus on the most well-known version put to film: the 1964 film of the same name, as well as the early 1919 silent fil...

In episode 11, Alan & Nisha once again visit with pod favorite H.P. Lovecraft to discuss his 1927 short story, The Colour Out of Space. Often cited as perhaps the favorite work of Lovecraft himself, this story has been adapted numerous times over the years and inspired countless more. For the discussion, they also focus on two films: The 2019 film The Color Out of Space starring Nicholas Cage,...

In episode 10, Alan & Nisha tackle the well-known crime thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. Written by Patricia Highsmith and released in 1955, this novel kicked off a series of five books that would be published over the next few decades. This first book has 3 major adaptations, all of which are discussed in this episode. Purple Noon is a French adaptation starring Alain Delon as Tom, released...

Happy 2025 from In Contrast! Alan & Nisha are ringing in the new year by discussing a seminal work in modern young adult fantasy and a personal favorite of Nisha's: The Golden Compass . This book (also known as The Northern Lights ) was written by Phillip Pullman and released in 1995. It is the first entry in the His Dark Materials trilogy, but this conversation specifically focuses on the fir...

In Episode 8, Alan & Nisha discuss one of the major classics of American literature: To Kill a Mockingbird. They talk about the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel by Harper Lee, and compare it with the film adaptation released just two years later in 1962. This remains the only major adaptation of this book. How does the film deal with the large and sometimes scattershot story of its source mat...

Spooky season is upon us! On Episode 7, Alan & Nisha discuss the 1983 gothic horror novel The Woman in Black, as well as its two film adaptations: The 1989 made-for-TV film and the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe. The novel is considered a hallmark of gothic horror, even being taught as part of standard curriculum in the UK. How do these two film versions stand up? Join us to find out!

Alan and Nisha are back in Episode 6 to talk about another classic: The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story was originally published as a novel by legendary science fiction writer H.G. Wells in 1896. It tells of a far away island and the mysterious doctor who lives there conducting strange experiments.   This novel had been adapted many times over the years, so Alan watched a total of four...yes, FOU...

In Episode 5, Alan and Nisha discuss No Country for Old Men, looking at both the 2005 novel by legendary author Cormac McCarthy, as well as the film directed by the Coen Brothers just 2 years later in 2007. The film is not only widely considered a great adaptation, but one of the Coens' best films in their critically lauded career. Does the source material hold the same place in McCarthy's similar...

In Episode 4, Alan & Nisha delve into The Phantom of the Opera. Originating as a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux, this story has been adapted numerous times in different mediums, including one of the longest running stage productions of all time. They discuss this cultural impact and focus on 3 versions put to film: The 1925 silent film featuring Lon Chaney, the wildly different 1943 film by Arthu...