- Severance is not based on a book.
- A novel by writer Ling Ma titled "Severance" exists and even though it shares the theme of Apple TV+'s Severance, the TV show is not based on this novel.
- While Ling Ma's Severance focuses on the existential crisis faced by Candace Chen, the TV show revolves around Mark and his team set to uncover Lumon's secrets and is more of a sci-fi suspense-thriller.
The first season of Severance legit had me tweaking with the cliffhanger we got in the final episode. However, that’s going to change since Severance Season 2 is coming out on January 17, 2025. Even with that, the quality and the diabolical storytelling Severance brings to the table begs the question if the story of this show has been adapted from some previously existing literature. So, without any further delay, let me answer the question if Severance is based on a book or not.
Severance Is Not Based on Any Book
With almost every good movie or show these days turning out to be adapted from some form of literature, it’s truly understandable why one would think Severance to be based on a book. On top of that, a novel by writer Ling Ma titled “Severance” raises the suspicion even higher. While Ling Ma’s Severance and Apple TV+’s Severance share the same title and theme, the Severance TV show is not based on a book.
Even though both Ling Ma’s Severance and Apple TV+’s Severance share corresponding themes, the stories they tell are poles apart. The novel revolves around Candace Chen who works at a publishing company and oversees the production of Bibles. In her case, the dilemma is an existential crisis that is even further enhanced by the breakout of a plague caused by the Shen Fever. However, in the case of Apple TV+’s Severance, the story revolves around Mark Scout and his team working at Lumon and is a sci-fi suspense thriller.
So, there you have your answers, and if you want to stay updated with everything that will go down in Severance Season 2, stay tuned with us for our coverage beginning January 17, 2025.
