5 Books That Should Be Movies
If the Lord of the Rings movies taught us anything, it’s that great books can be made into high-grossing movies. Hollywood now has proof that even in this day and age they can make movies from books. So, now that there are no longer any excuses not to, I demand that Hollywood immortalize the following novels in film.
Undeniably the greatest “open source” book ever written, John Dies at the End is a story of romance and mystery. Written by David Wong, and available to be read for free on his website Pointless Waste of Time, JDatE should be read by everyone.
John Dies at the End is essentially a ghost story, centering on the “fictional” antics of David Wong and John Cheese. I say fictional because I’m pretty sure it’s actually a true story. While this is possibly the best book on the list, it holds the last position simply because the difficulty of translating the humor to film. Much of the humor is in the narration, and were it to be in movie form, I fear it would fall under the same curse as great books like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
The Transall Saga is a must read for any coming-of-age boy. I first read this book when I was ten years old, and have read it at least 8 times since then. As a movie it would have the same appeal as the Harry Potter series - It’s the kind of fantasy novel that every boy wishes he could be living.
Stranded on a different world, the protagonist must battle the wild, and civilization, in an epic tale of survival. It is a story that illustrates the most basic aspects of human nature, from the point of view of a boy becoming a man. In addition to being a great book, this would be very ideal for film. It could be made on a low budget, as there aren’t a lot of effects needed, and the narration itself is of little importance.
The epitome of sci-fi, Rendezvous with Rama is essential reading for any self-acknowledged geek. The novel takes place far in the future, when man’s outlook on space is that of little concern. But, when a gargantuan space craft shows up in our solar system, society takes notice.
The story picks up when an exploration team is sent to investigate the strange craft. Upon arrival the team finds the ship’s interior to be as massive as its exterior would lead one to believe. An entire eco-system exists within, holding many mysteries to be discovered by the investigators.
The cinematic appeal is astronomical. I recently found out after reading this article that Hollywood was planning on putting it into production, but later canceled the plan. Why, I have no idea. I assume it had something to do with budget; but, that isn’t keeping me from hoping they’ll come to their senses and decide to make it again.
Raymond E. Feist has written many novels taking place in the world of Midkemia, but The Serpent War Saga was by far the best series. Taking a total of 4 books to complete, it is the story of two friends who, against all odds, manage to avoid hanging as punishment for murder, and are thrown into a war half a world away. Assigned to company of “condemned men” the two friends’ only hope is to survive the war, and receive a full pardon for their crimes.
The series chronicles the story of their battles, and progressive success in their respective ventures. One goes on to become a respected general, the other a shrewd businessman. But, not until after fighting a war that literally holds the fate of the world in its outcome; a war against a hideous and evil race of serpent-men, whose sole reason for living is to destroy all life.
In movie form, this series would be very similar to The Lord of the Rings series. It is a fantasy story, taking place on another world, where the protagonists must fight a war against evil with the fate of the world in their hands. This is why I believe it would be very successful.
In my opinion, there is no greater series of fantasy novels than The World of Tiers by Phillip Jose Farmer. The originality of the story still astounds me. I am currently reading it for the third time, years after the first time I picked the books up.
The novels tell the story of an aging man who is living a miserable life on Earth when he is suddenly and magically transported to the World of Tiers. This world is one of thousands (including Earth) of artificially made planets, that exist solely for the amusement of a group of elite “Lords.” It consists of a series of tiers, situated much like a wedding cake, stacked to form an entire planet. Each tier has its own culture, growing more sophisticated on each ascending plateau. The first being an extremely primitive, but highly pleasurable fantasy culture, and the last being the castle and command center of the world’s ruling Lord.
Upon arrival on the World of Tiers, the protagonist regains his youthful appearance and vigor, and decides to solve the mystery his magical transportation and transformation. On his subsequent travels he goes to many strange worlds, and encounters many fantastical creatures. He continues this life, eventually becoming a Lord himself, until the climax in which he confronts his origin.
This would truly make the most epic of all epic films. Unfortunately the complicated story and sheer scale of the landscapes would make the budget unrealistically enormous. But, one can always hope.
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