In 2018 Betimes Books published my third novel, The Dark Manual, a futuristic, Japan-set story of an Irishwoman battling against AI forces, her foe in particular a home robot which causes her endless frustration. Themes of nature versus technology, grief and isolation for an alienated foreigner captured the imagination of TV executives who have brought it to the small screen in the form of a 10-part series, now called “Sunny” and now streaming weekly on Apple TV.
It has been an honour for me, first to have my work published, then expertly adapted and played by such wonderful actors as Rashida Jones and Hidetoshi Nishijima, and scripted by the extremely talented and tireless showrunner/scriptwriter Katie Robbins. It was Katie who invited me and my wife to the set in Tokyo in November 2022, and that unforgettable experience I am pleased to recount here.
What struck me first about visiting that late-night shoot in a dark forest in Tokyo was the sheer scale of operations; I’m usually alone at my fiction factory, sitting solitary in a quiet room on weekends, banging out novels, stories, screenplays; but to arrive on a set where scores of people – creatives, producers, actors, sound people, lighting technicians, costume, hair/makeup specialists and caterers – were all humming with great verve and positivity was a real eye-opener.
Everyone was incredibly welcoming and accommodating, and there was the added bonus of Dearbhla Walsh being the director of that particular episode – how wonderful to have a fellow Irish person not only on the set, but right at the helm and allowing me full access to her process. It was such a privilege to see her commanding presence on set; how fortunate to be able to sit behind and observe her work – her exactitude, her vision, was quite something to behold.
Everyone I met that day made me feel special; they praised The Dark Manual for its literary merit as well as its TV inspiration, and how lucky I felt to have the text treated that way – again it made me appreciative of Betimes Books and how they had backed my earliest projects.
That day too, of course, I met Sunny herself, and what a surreal moment that was. The robot in my imagination had been a darker machine, with ominous red eyes and a constant aura of threat, but this beautiful machine (which has recently, jokingly, been compared to a living emoji), was bright and cheerful and quite the charmer – those that have seen the TV show will know exactly what I’m talking about.
But writers must let go of their babies sometimes and not be so precious about decisions made – The Dark Manual was to become “Sunny” the TV show (there are simply too many TV shows with “dark” in the title these days; Apple TV even have their own “Dark Matter” show) and that meant letting the creatives steer things down their own paths. There are quite a few elements of the TV show that are not in the novel, but that for me is now exciting and arouses my curiosity – just where will they take it, how will they get there? I’m avidly watching along with everyone else.
A launch in Tokyo in June meant a reunion for cast and crew, and graciously they invited me along to celebrate. Everyone was buzzing with enthusiasm and excitement as the first positive critical reviews started to filter in.
The novel is now called Sunny and is available from Mariner Books as a paperback, e-book and audiobook. But it was Betimes Books that set it all in motion, that trusted me and my output, and fully supported bringing this project to the world. I will be forever grateful to this terrific group of passionate booklovers, who continue to recognize and publish great literature; Betimes Books will remain forever in my heart, and with utter sincerity I thank them for all they have done for my writing career.
Find Colin’s other books here.
Betimes Books 
You must be logged in to post a comment.