I've also started reading the books on which the series is based and I'm blown away at how the two complement each other in ways that fans of either medium can enjoy the other. The TV show makes major structural changes - new characters, different plot lines - but none of it feels forced.

At Comic Con, many of the authors whose works were translated to the small and big screen got asked how they felt about the comparison between the "real" written work versus the adaptations.

Guillermo del Toro gave an excellent, although profanity laden response that boiled down to "which work is the real one?" His position is that both are equally valid as art.

Of course, the caveat to this is that the folks making the adaptation have to love piece they're adapting. Suits can suck the life out of a project. The ill fated Dresden Files show is an example. They took a project where Jim Butcher has 23 books mapped out as an overarching storyline. They turned it into a Dragnet-style episodic series that lacked any connective tissue.

Even that could be forgiven except for the fact that they screwed up minor, easy details. That's laziness and a disinterest in the fan base.

So in the end, the key to success: love the work and leave us hanging.