the book representi just read the book last month and and it be a very anticipated read ( with me have see the movie year prior and the book be a best seller and all ) . and in this case and i wasn not all that thrill after read it . don not get me wrong and it a great book . whitley have a clever writing style . he fight a constant psychological battle and on the one hand come up with evidence that he really be abduct by alien and while otherwise try to refute the experience with other explanation . he also and at time and delve into folklore and mythology . make up for an interesting read and but the downside be and that the book become very repetitive after a while . strieber keep on go over the same event that happen on two night in such a way that after a while he really isn not add anything new . not a new angle and nor a new light on the matter . and at such time and it get a little harder to sit through his whole story . nevertheless and it an interesting read and and great material to compare to the screenplay of the movie ( also write by strieber ) . the movie representthe 1989 adaptation be one that grow on me . i just finish watch it for the 3rd time ( after quite some year ) and and i like it good now . the film itself be actually more entertaining than the book and so again and strieber manage to write a clever adaptation . true and near the end the story get quite fragmented and and result more in the telling of anecdote than actually try to wrap up an already incoherent story ( note that i be not use the word inconsistent and because strieber be very consistent in his way of tell the event and both in the book and the movie ) . it fun and though and notice little detail that he leave out of the movie . sometimes strieber devote a whole chapter in the book to a certain anecdote and while in the movie it get reduce to nothing more than one line of dialogue ( obviously carry a lot more weight than you would at first imagine ) . christopher walken play strieber and and he simply own the film . it great to see him walk and talk through this whole movie . the special effect be really neat and surreal at time and which fit the atmosphere of the movie . i would say communion be really worth a watch . read the book give you a more in depth look on what happen and might help you to understand how the movie come to be .