The good news for fans of Netflix's original series "Narcos" - which premiered in late August to dramatize for the masses the story of the rise of Pablo Escobar - is that the show has been picked up for a second season. The bad news? That second season is far off, set to make its way to the small screen sometime in late summer 2016.
For all of its brutality and corruption, the roll-out of "Narcos" came rather softly. It's not the show that everyone began talking about immediately; rather, "Narcos" crept onto the entertainment radar relatively quietly, as word of mouth progressed slowly. No one has been shouting from the rooftops. There were not scores of character costumes parading through the streets this Halloween, a la "Orange Is the New Black." And oddly, it seems folks are whispering about it around the water cooler more than they are brazenly chatting about it.
Indeed, the material of "Narcos" is seedy and rough. The rise of Escobar took place against the backdrop of a corrupt Colombia - one that is far different than the top tourist destination that's sprung from its history. That former version of Colombia is also fascinating. So if you've not already binged on the ten episodes that make up the first season of "Narcos," get to your screen of choice immediately. And then join us in our misery as we wait out the long months before season two. Oh, and to help make the expanse of time more bearable, check out these books that fans of "Narcos" will surely appreciate.
The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Juan Gabriel Vásquez's 2013 novel tells the story of Antonio Yammara, who is faced with the memories of the violent war between the Medellín cartel and government forces. Antonio sets out on a mission to uncover the murder of a friend of his during that time - and his journey brings him deep into Colombia's violent past.
ZeroZeroZero by Roberto Saviano
Journalist Roberto Saviano, in his latest book, ZeroZeroZero, delves into the international cocaine trade, uncovering not just its origins and progression, but also the ways in which it's become, truly, a global business.
Blow by Bruce Porter
In his twenties, George Jung found a lucrative business smuggling pot from the west coast to the northeast - and then was caught. Through a strange twist of fate, while locked up he made a Medellín connection. Upon release, he expanded on his earlier business. This is the true story that served as the inspiration behind 2001's "Blow" starring Johnny Depp.
Even Silence Has an End by Ingrid Betancourt
In 2002, while campaigning for president, Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was taken hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla operation partially funded by the drug trade. Betancourt was held captive for more than six years, and documents her time as a prisoner in the Colombian jungle in her 2010 memoir. Betancourt's book is a riveting way to take a look inside another facet of Colombia's recent and complicated politics and history.
Beyond Bogota by Garry Leech
Journalist Garry Leech spent eight years in Colombia, traveling throughout the country and interviewing everyone from farmers to guerrillas. While working, in 2006, Garry was held captive by FARC for eleven hours. It's around this time that Garry frames his telling of what he's seen and learned during his time in South America.
News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez
While we're on the topic of kidnapping, the Medellín Cartel also committed crimes of abduction. In 1990, as Escobar was facing extradition to the United States, his cartel took ten prominent Colombian people hostage, and used them to negotiate his security. Beloved Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez recounts the events of the kidnappings in his 1996 book, News of a Kidnapping.
The Infiltrator by Robert Mazur
At the height of their operations, the Medellín Cartel was bringing in $80 million - daily. That dollar amount is hard to fathom (though in "Narcos" you get a good sense of it, as Escobar and his men get quite creative in hiding the money). Federal agent Robert Mazur went undercover, where he remained for five years, to expose the dirty bankers and businessmen who helped Escobar launder the dirty money. The Infiltrator is his report on that time - and how he brought forty high-ranking criminals to justice.
Dark Alliance by Gary Webb
To no one's surprise, the cocaine epidemic flew rampant Stateside. For years, the Drug Enforcement Agency has fought the war on drugs here in the U.S. Pulitzer-winning journalist Gary Webb reported on that epidemic - specifically of crack cocaine in Los Angeles - and released his story via the San Jose Mercury News in 1996. What's particularly unique about the story he told - and continued to tell in this book - is the government's involvement in all of it. Dark Alliance was later adapted into the film "Kill the Messenger," starring Jeremy Renner.
Cocaine's Son by Dave Itzkoff
Bringing the struggles of the drug trade to a much more individual place, Cocaine's Son by Dave Itzkoff is his memoir of growing up with an addiction-addled father. After a rocky childhood and coming-of-age under the same roof as a man saddled by substance abuse and depression, Dave makes his way to college - and the demons follow him. Just when all seems lost, however, the author and his father make a surprising turn.
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