Something from Iain M. Banks The Culture. The best books, like Excession would probably be hard to adapt due to the protagonists being mostly ships, but others like Consider Phlebas or The Player of Games could probably make great films or miniseries (and Use of Weapons would probably be great as the later).
Probably excessively expensive in the CGI department if done well, but one can dream.
Dresden files not popular among these parts or how come nobody’s mentioned it yet?
It has technically already been adapted, but it was a stupid procedural cop show with a twist rather than what it should be. If you want a more formulaic thing, just copy Amazon’s Reacher.
Plus, since it’s an urban fantasy, it should be cheaper to make than most other fantasy/sci-fi shows, I think.
The blue(and green) beetle LIVES!
The Sword of Truth series. My favorite series of all time. It had an attempt at a show, but I refuse to accept it. They took a story that’s 10x more adult than Game of Thrones and made a CW show that had events from the 5th book in episode one.
No hate, but you’re the first person I’ve heard say it was their favourite. I enjoyed the first few books, but dude went off the deep end in later books. Became damn near unreadable for me. And I think majority of readers have similar views. I doubt any attempt would survive the hate and t would receive.
That’s fair, I get it’s not for everyone but I truly did enjoy it and the little book club my with my friends liked it. Granted I like those types of worlds. Mistborn, Wheel of Time, etc. But book 5 was by far my favorite entry, I’ve reread it by itself. I’m honestly curious what you started to dislike about them, just to understand that take on em, if you’re willing to take the time.
No offense taken if it’s not for you, or hell even most people, but man I would love to see it done justice in cinema, I just see so much potential there.
It’s been a long while since I read it, but each book got a little bit more pretentious with the author shoe horning his own world view into the readers face. That was annoying, but even more so because I recall disagreeing with his view quite a bit.
Also, each book was essentially the same plot. Universe works to keep the two protagonists apart, a bunch of fucked up shit happens, and at the end of the books they’re back together having learned nothing.
But the real issue I had with the later works was the very real Mary Sue of the two protagonists. Those characters just could do everything. It got boring and stale after a couple books of it.
I still hold Sword of Truth to be a good book by itself. And I do recall liking the next two books at least. But as a whole, I do not think it’s good storytelling.
Wow, thanks for taking the time and sharing all that!
The only thing I could think of is The Order and their concept that if you have and others don’t you should be forced to give to them. I think it’s an interesting political view, but I took at as the way the Dream Walker built and consolidated power, not a remark on the real world at all. But I could just be naive about it.
I would disagree about the second paragraph. I mean one book doesn’t even have any of the main chars in it till the very end. Then you have a lot of content around multiple groups or people they are going after.
I can %100 understand the issue with the plot armor and ability to handle anything that comes up. Richard is made out to be this mega character that is essentially God, which does make some of the conflict feel weak. I can totally appreciate that.
Well thanks for typing all that out and talking the time to break down your feelings on it. I’m always curious about how others see things I’ve built an attachment to that can blind you a little sometimes. I still stand by loving them, warts and all, but I’d never cast shade on anyone who doesn’t.
The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.
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Hyperion Cantos.
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Neuromancer.
Neuromancer has been optioned before but no one did anything with it. I think it was in play again but recently but haven’t heard much lately.
Hyperion Cantos would be great.
Gormanghast might also be cool.
https://www.theverge.com/24086056/apple-tv-plus-neuromancer-streaming-series-william-gibson
Neuromancer Might be getting made.
For being what I would consider one of the founding fathers of cyberpunk, I’m surprised there hasn’t been a Neuromancer film yet. Especially when so many of the tropes we know from the cyberpunk genre originated from Neuromancer, to begin with.
The question is do they stick with the existing Johnny Mnemonic movie as the prequel story, recap it in an intro scene, or ignore it completely?
Watch Inception and think of Neuromancer and you will find that its probably the best closest match for the way the story is told. So many things made me realize there are so many little “I loved that story but I cant make that movie so I will just give you clues”. The throwing star is the top.
I think neuromancer is being done? Maybe it’s something else tho I forget
The first book seems ideal for a mini series
An anthology-like mini series where each episode deals with one pilgrim and is written and directed by different people. As many different styles as there are pilgrims, just like how the book is written. Would translate very well to screen IMO.
Exactly!
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Any of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett
There are a couple animated adaptations of some of the books, and the live-action adaptation of Hogfather is pretty good!
There’s also a Sky One live action of Color of Magic and Going Postal that are pretty solid.
Edit: Thanks Madjo!
Sky One, not BBC.
Dredd could be a whole franchise
Bring 👏 back👏 Karl 👏
Otherland.
Blood Meridian
I don’t think this is impossible to adapt. I don’t even think it needs a huge budget. If you could nail the cinematography; be comfortable with long sections w/o dialogue; and resist the urge to re-work the pacing you could have something. Think Barry Lindon(1975) but as an ultra-violent Western.
The Cohen bros. proved that McCarthy can be adapted in this way. Think of the opening scene of “No Country For Old Men”(2007).
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy deserves a good adaptation, rather than that trash movie and that too short BBC series.
And it should be of the first three books, not just the first book.
The BBC series does up to them being on >!prehistoric hairdresser and middle management earth!< Iirc
Which I’m pretty sure is the third book. But I haven’t read it in a loooooong time.
Wha… really? I’ve seen the BBC HHGTTG, but I’ve never even heard they did the sequels!
Book 2 was Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and book 3 was Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Two books followed… So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless constituted Books 4 & 5, but were detached from the main characters and plot.
Ah, ok. The [Show](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(TV_series) does the first two books. Not the third.
Because I remember them going to the restaurant and then meeting the hairdressers and telephone sanitizers and the mess they get the main characters into, but forgot about the Krikket/wikket people.
The BBC series was brilliant.
Agreed, just too short.
I would love that, I dont think the movie is terrible, its just that everything after Ford and Arthur get thrown out the airlock isnt as funny or absurd as the books. The main issue is the first 2ish books are unadaptable because there is no central conflict (or arleast the main cast dosent care or know there was supposed to be one).
Zaphod is the only person with motivation to do anything other than to continue existing, and he is unaware (or dosen’t care) he is being hunted until they meet those suprisingly progessive law enforcment officers on Magrathea and when he visits the guides publishing offices.
Zaphod’s 2 heads were the biggest let down of the movie.
House of leaves.
Hard to imagine it being done well, given not only the plot(s) but the…unique narrative structure.
Any advice on how to actually get through this book? I love it but it’s very challenging.
Take as long as you feel like, and try not to focus on “getting through” the book. On my first read, I was lucky enough to feel like I couldn’t put it down. I tried a second time years later and didn’t get very far, I think because I was focused on finishing it.
MZD wrote some spec screenplays for a television series and sells them for $11.
https://www.markzdanielewski.com/digital-downloads/p/markzdanielewskihouseofleavesscripts
Haven’t read them yet but intend to.
Where’s is waldo
Not a TV show, but this ongoing series of shorts as if a video game are fantastic… here’s the first, see the rest on their reels/shorts
The Grand Tour novels from Ben Bova. All about mankinds spread into the solar system. There are some anachronisms here and there that would need to be ironed out, and plenty of continuity errors to fix, but overall a very exciting series of stories.
Always felt like that Eragon series could have been good. Too bad they never made a movie for it. Never once. I’m sure it would have been solid if they had. But they didn’t.
I feel the same way about Avatar: The Last Airbender. It would have been such an amazing movie, or perhaps even a series. But alas, they’ve never attempted it once.
Ah, it appears you have forgotten or have simply Mandela’d in from a different timeline. Allow me to refresh your memory for you in the kindest way possible:
Eragon was a 2006 dance film featuring Jeremy Irons and Ed Speeler on a ship. Some fighting is involved. And I dunno, a dragon maybe.
I think they are making an Eragon adaptation (for the first time, of course). I think Disney+ is making a series, similar to them restarting Percy Jackson.
Oh boy. Disney adaptation track record is very hit or miss. I hope they don’t mess this one up like the last adaptation.
The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee.
