Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

In fact, I found that the true story was, in many cases, more unbelievable and frightening than the version presented in these old sources, which had often got things wrong or reiterated exaggerated hearsay and myth. A good deal of the work I did on the book was made necessary by the questionable veracity of some of the existing English-language accounts of the disaster and the mythology that has developed around the accident over the last 30 years. In the three episodes I have seen, there’s a lot of fictionalization and exaggeration for dramatic effect. However, as you’ll know from reading Midnight In Chernobyl - which was the product of many years of on-the-ground reporting and research, eyewitness interviews, and access to previously unseen archival material - the show tells a story that differs significantly from the actual events. The production design is extraordinary, and a huge amount of effort has obviously gone into getting the period details of the costumes and settings exactly right. Higginbotham: I’ve so far enjoyed it as a piece of drama. Inverse: What has been your reaction to the details presented in the Chernobyl on HBO?

Mazin explains his decision-making on what’s real and what was added for reasons of narrative, drama, or character. Peter Sagal (host of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!) interviews series creator Craig Mazin about each episode. We also get his assessment of the series so far.Īnd before we go any further, you have to listen to the podcast associated with the series. Inverse sent Higginbotham some common questions about Chernobyl that might give viewers pause. It’s a perfect complement for viewers who have a reignited fascination with Chernobyl, and for people learning of its mind-boggling catastrophe for the first time.

The late Soviet Union was essentially the late Seven Kingdoms.Īdam Higginbotham is the author of Midnight in Chernobyl, a New York Times non-fiction best-seller that’s also rich with detail and attention to the facts.

There are no dragons, but there are lies, there is poison, and innocent lives are lost due to the arrogance of political leaders. The mini-series mixes history and drama with nuance, and develops its characters over episodes that are as cerebral as they are arresting. In the dramatized historical account of the Chernobyl disaster, in which a nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine exploded and might’ve wiped out Western Europe, HBO has given audiences an antidote for Game of Thrones’ underwhelming final season.

Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham