We are living at a time where we are seeing our favourite book adaptations hit the small screen across a myriad of streaming services. Some of these adaptations are rectifying mistakes of the past, prime example being Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, and others are unfortunately not getting their fair dues and are being cancelled after one season. (Although the hashtag #SaveLockwoodAndCo is still healthy across social media).
Then there are books which appear to work better as movies, like The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Ready Player One, and Dune.
But regardless of how we watch these adaptations, it’s great to see book characters and stories we love come to life, comparing what we saw in our heads to what we see on screen. Usually, we find passionate arguments online, from character casting to plot interpretation, and one thing is for sure; adaptations bring more light to the stories we love.
So, I’m going to list four book series I would love to see adaptations for and whether I think they would work best as movies or TV shows.
1. Spellslinger by Sebastian De Castell – TV show
I listened to these audiobooks and loved them. Narrated by Joe Jameson, he interprets these characters so well I believe if there really was an adaptation, it would be a sin if he wasn’t cast as Reichis, the foul-mouthed, sarcastic squirrel-cat. (More on him later).
The story follows Kellen, a teenage magical initiate, as he tries to spark the tattoo bands on his arm which will enable him full access to his magical abilities, but later becomes an outcast, travelling across De Castell’s vivid and fantastical world with limited powers. You realise very soon with these books are as much westerns as they are fantasies. Kellen travels with two of the most lovable characters you will ever encounter while fighting off bandits and bounty hunters in order to survive.
The first of these characters is Ferius Parfax, Kellen’s Argosi (sort of a philosopher) mentor. She’s a wandering gambler and card sharp, and challenges Kellen’s world view in a way that changes his life.
Then there is Reichis, (who I mentioned earlier) who acts as Kellen’s ‘business partner’ rather than familiar, and although he is unwilling to admit it, he is Kellen’s closest friend. He’s a grumpy squirrel-cat who constantly steals from Kellen which is as funny as it sounds.
There is definitely a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe about this team. The banter between them is funny and uplifting despite the perilous situations they find themselves in with the odds always stacked against them.
These books have all the hallmarks of an engaging and thriving TV show. Expert worldbuilding, intriguing magical systems, and great characters, I believe the Spellslinger series would be a huge success on the small screen.
2. The Call (The Grey Land Series) by Peadar Ó Guilín – Movies
At any moment, a teen in Ireland can just disappear and be taken to the grey land. Here, they are chased and hunted by terrifying fairies known as the Sídhe. (Pronounced – shee). Whilst ‘the called’ only disappear for a little over three minutes in the human world, they must survive over a day in the fairy world where they’re subjected to their torturous ways. Most times, the called are returned dead, bodies mutilated, but on the rare occasion, they survive.
This duology follows Nessa, a teenager who attends a school which helps kids learn how to survive “the call” as she endures gruelling physical and mental training. As someone with polio which affects the use of her legs, it doesn’t damper her determination to survive the call. She’s innovative, smart, tough, and underestimated by her peers. This makes her very easy character to root for.
Why I think these stories would make great movies is because I see it having Attack on Titan vibes. It would be an ideal opportunity to showcase some great special effects and some terrifying scenes. Ó Guilín’s Sídhe are frightening monsters which think of creative and ironic ways to torture their victims. I think these book adaptations would do well within the horror and dystopian genres and would be wildly entertaining as movies.
3. Warcross by Marie Lu – Movies
With Ready Player One by Earnest Cline making the successful transition from book to the silver screen, it’s obvious there’s a market for films about virtual reality. For those of you who want to watch more of this kind of thing, I think Warcross could scratch that itch.
Another duology, these stories follow teenage hacker Emika Chen who inadvertently becomes a contestant in the world-wide popular game, Warcross. Instead of being arrested for purposely glitching into the international Championships, Emika is hired by the elusive young billionaire, Hideo Tanaka, to be a spy on the inside the tournament in order to uncover a security problem.
Marie Lu is an expert at creating vivid imagery and the same can be said for the virtual world which she creates. I would love to see this on screen, not only the Warcross game, but the futuristic Tokyo where the story is based.
I think with virtual reality, there is ample opportunity to do some cool things with CGI and I would love to see what they could come up with. I bet it would be a feast for the eyes, given how colourful Lu has made this world.
4. Ancient Appetites (Wildenstern Saga) by Oisín McGann – TV show.
I usually do things in threes but couldn’t help throwing this suggestion in for good measure. This book has a mix of cool stuff going on which I think would translate into a great TV show. A steampunk alternate history which takes place in 19th century Ireland, the Wildensterns are a powerful lording family with investments reaching out as far America. Members of the family have the supernatural ability to outlive most people by decades but they are by no means immortal. There is a constant threat of murder among the males to take over the family empire with Nate being blamed for the murder of his brother. At its heart, these books are mysteries.
Along with this are the fascinating engimals – mechanical beasts of an unknown origin. The first scene of the first book is Nate trying to capture and tame a living motorcycle. This would make a great opening scene for a TV show which would guarantee to draw the audience in its first five minutes.
With the success of Downton Abbey and Bridgerton, period dramas are at an all-time high in terms of popularity. Throw in some steampunk animals, action packed scenes and supernatural abilities, perhaps this is the speculative fiction that would give those shows a run for their money.
Conclusion:
So, there you have it, four book series which I think we need to see on screen, whether on our favourite streaming sites or at our favourite cinema theatres. There is some great adaptation potential here which could keep us entertained for years to come. Hopefully, if we do see our favourite books adapted to screen, they’ll receive the love and promotion they deserve. There’s nothing worse than getting invested in a show only to learn there won’t be more than one season. So, if by any chance someone at Netflix is reading this article, leave these books alone unless you are willing to commit.
If you think there’s a book series out there that deserves an adaptation, feel free to let me know in the comments or you can catch me on X (Twitter) or Mastodon. I would love to hear your suggestions.
MARK KIELTY 