If this prompt had been a movie or TV show filmed in my town, it would have been so, so easy. I live in Vancouver, better known as Hollywood North. I’m used to picking out familiar streets and landmarks while watching (some shows and movies that were easy to spot as Vancouver or the Vancouver area include: Twilight, Maid, Supernatural, 50/50, Deadpool, Fringe, X-Men, The L-Word, and Once Upon a Time. We used to regularly come across Supernatural shooting around our apartment building and saw stars from The L-Word and X-Men shopping and running errands.). Things that are actually set here are a little harder to find. The author who comes to mind as the most obvious pick is Douglas Coupland. Not only is he from this area, but he’s from the actual area in Metro Vancouver where I currently live. Some of his books that really make this obvious are:
It was definitely interesting reading these and coming across the familiar – particular The Gum Thief which is set in an office supply store here, and which I read around the time I was also working in an office supply store in downtown Vancouver. Needless to say, I could relate.
What about you guys? Which books were set in your neck of the woods? Any movies or TV shows featuring your local landmarks?
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I’ve never read any of his, but I’ve had them recommended to me many times. And yes, I’d been told Vancouver is a popular setting for films!
If you enjoy odd stories and characters, you’ll probably get a kick out of his work! His books are all very different from one another, so choosing which to read comes down to which appeals most, I think! Yeah, Vancouver pops up all the time. I guess it’s maleable enough to be turned into most anywhere!
Oh I’m in Vancouver too! I’m a more recent resident so it still takes me a while to pick up on recognizable landmarks in shows. I’ve found my hometown Winnipeg a couple times in books but not often unless it’s by local authors
Oh yay! Do you like it here? I find there are a few giveaways. Buses are one. Street signs are another. Particular styles of architecture in the houses can do it too, sometimes! I used to hate it because it took me out of the setting of the story, but now I find it kind of comforting! I’ve not read any books by Winnipeg authors I don’t think!
Yes, I am in awe of just how many American cities are actually Vancouver in disguise! I’m not familiar with Douglas Coupland, though.
Yeah, I think Vancouver has been most of the major ones (and some made up ones) over the years! Coupland is an acquired taste. He can be downright wacky at times. But some of his books have niche appeal. Microserfs is one every nerd I know loved, Girlfriend in a Coma appeals to the more emotional reader, The Gum Thief appeals to the pissed off and disenfranchised minimum-wage young person, and All Families Are Psychotic is…. well, it’s like he took every crazy extreme scenario he could think of and threw them all into a book to see what would happen, which I liked as an experiment, even if it wasn’t the best book in the world! There’s a lot of variation to his books, but that’s one of the things I like about him. Oh, and once someone stole his car when he was away and parked it inside a huge tree in one of our public parks. If I remember the story correctly, his family were contacted about it and said to leave it there because that sounded like the sort of thing he might have done on purpose. If that gives you a sense of the guy. 😉
I had the same problem with Utah … lots of movies filmed here, but not set here… I haven’t heard of those books. Might have to check them out!
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Definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy slightly wacky, very tongue-in-cheek social commentary, he’ll probably appeal!
I remember being surprised by how many US shows were shot in Vancouver! I’m going to check that author out now, too.
My post.
Yeah, it’s amazing how much of the on-screen views of America actually…. aren’t. It’s been neat seeing filming around town over the years. It used to bother me that I knew the settings, now I’m pretty used to it! Coupland isn’t for everyone – he’s a distinctly odd person, and his writing reflects that. Each book is quite different from the others, so it’s good to read through them and pick one that appeals to you specifically – because they’re not all the same at all! I liked Microserfs and All Families Are Psychotic, my husband’s favourite is Girlfriend in a Coma. So even there you’ve got some different opinions!
I would like to visit Vancouver. The book that set in my home state of Virginia is The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero. I don’t get why the creepy books are always set in Virginia. I live here for most of my life and I don’t how it can be a creepy place.
I’ve never been to Virginia, so I have no familiarity with how it feels there! I can see how Louisiana can be creepy, but I don’t know about many other areas in the Southern States! I don’t think Virginia would ever have come to mind if I were trying to think of creepy locations, though!
There a lot of history that goes back since the first settlements. Also there a lot of Civil War battles fight here.
Edgar Allen Poe live in Virginia so that could be why people think it creepy.
I did not know that! I imagine that might have something to do with it! Not being American my grasp of history (and geography) is a bit spotty, so I have only the vaguest sense of most of the states I haven’t been to! It’s so interesting to hear the disparity between pop culture representations of a place and the way it feels to those who actually live there!
I’ve watched a number of the movies and shows you’ve mentioned. The area is beautiful.
It is – there’s also quite a lot of variation in different parts of the city and surrounding areas, so it lends itself to a wide range of settings, which I think is part of why it’s so popular!
I’ve seen his books, but I’ve never read one of them… I’ll put them on my list to rectify that. My post is here .
He’s a bit of an acquired taste, so definitely choose a book that has a premise that appeals to you, as they’re so, so different from one another! Thanks for stopping by!
I lived in Burnaby for a little while years ago. It’s a beautiful place.
The Gum Thief sound interesting.
Oh wow! I lived in Burnaby for a while too. I haven’t read it in years, but I remember at the time it definitely struck a chord!