Ever get done reading a book and think this has to be a movie? We have. A lot. I should qualify it, though. When we mean it has to be made into a movie it has to be made into a good movie. A movie that perfectly captures the essence of the book. A movie to make you feel all the feels, cringe all of the cringes.
Here’s our list of books that need to be made into movies.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) – Dennis E. Taylor
Its just a fascinating sci-fi novel with an unexpected twist on the artificial intelligence angle.. I actually read and liked the whole trilogy, but I think really only the first one would make an interesting movie. It would be interesting trying to film it, and you would need a really talented actor who could play multiple versions of the same guy, but if it was done right, it would be a great movie. – Lilyn
Call of Cthulhu – H.P. Lovecraft
I want to see His Royal Tentaclyness on the big screen. The huge screen, the biggest screen ever. I want a huge IMAX spectacular version of The Call of Cthulhu. I will settle for Guillermo del Toro’s version of At the Mountains of Madness, however. I’m not greedy. – GracieKat
Manifest Recall – Alan Baxter
There’s so much tension and the second half is nonstop action. This book would make an incredible movie. – Nico
1984 – George Orwell
In an age where our rights are slowly being revoked daily, where we’re told that journalists are the enemy of the people and we’re in a constant state of mass surveillance, I think it’s time for a modern series based on George Orwell’s classic tale of dystopian life in Nineteen Eighty-Four. – Jason
The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova
The Historian is begging to be adapted to film. Two characters, father and daughter, pursue the truth of Vlad the Impaler and scour Eastern Europe for clues connecting him to the fabled Dracula. Abundant with delicious and salacious history, this tale not only gifts readers with gorgeous old-world imagery, it’s steeped in creepy classic horror vibes that will chill you to the bone! I’d give more than a pint of blood to see a black and white film or mini-series adaptation with an aesthetic nod to Nosferatu. It’s dark. It’s gorgeous. And it’s raise-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck scary! – Frankie
The Power – Naomi Alderman
A staggeringly current, globe trotting thriller about gender politics that would make an amazing 10 part series – Olly
Broken Monsters – Lauren Beukes
This book is horror, but also thriller in that they are trying to catch a severely demented serial killer that replaces human body parts with animal limbs. This should translate extremely well to film and appeal to a wide range of Horror/thriller audiences. – Tracy
The Enemy – Charlie Higson
I think The Enemy would make a great movie for a couple reasons. First off the characters all have diverse thoughts on situations but I would like to see those thoughts in facial expressions and also their actions during times of confusion. The ending also could be done really well. – Tiny Tentacle
Biblical – Christopher Galt
This is some Inception-style stuff that will definitely play with your head. Completely intense, it would make a great Summer Blockbuster type movie if they did it right. I just remember when I got to the end of it, I was like “Oh. Shit. Nicely done!” Would have to have a great budget for special effects, though, or some Shatner-level acting for certain scenes. Either or. – Lilyn
Nightmare Seasons – Charles L. Grant
Charles L. Grant gets overlooked so much and it’s a damn shame. His books aren’t always spectacular but they’re always solid reads. Nightmare Seasons would make an awesome anthology-style movie with seasons making for a great wrap-around frame. – GracieKat
The nice thing about having a large team is that you get a wide variety of choices, as was witnessed in this post. I love it.
What about you ladies and gents? What books do you need to see adapted in 2018 or 2019? Talk to us!
GracieKat was the first co-host of Sci-Fi & Scary, Lilyn’s partner-in-crime, and sub-head of the Coolthulhu Crew. She reviews horror books, movies, and games for the site. She also does a weekly Focus on the Frightful feature, and is the site list-maker. She is also in control of the Sci-Fi & Scary podcast which will relaunch soon.
Gracie is also a member of the Ladies of Horror Fiction crew.
I need to check out Nightmare Seasons apparently. And yes, I agree, Manifest Recall would make an awesome film!
Charles L. Grant is a dang good read. Some can be a little on the slower side but they’re worth it. Especially his Oxrun Station books, His Symphony series is very good as well
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. That NEEDS to be given big screen treatment.
The Historian sounds great- and really creepy! Love that idea. Biblical sounds awesome too. 🙂
I’d love to see The Swarm by Frank Schatzing made into a movie. It’s about an intelligent life form that takes over the oceans and takes revenge on the humans. It’s quite a large book and I loved it.
Besides agreeing with several of your nominations (how has Kostova’s “The Historian” escaped being filmed almost immediately after it came out?), here’s a few others:
1887 – Guy de Maupassant – Le Horla – The French counterpart to Bierce’s “The Damned Thing.”
1912 – E. F. Benson – The Room in the Tower – The title alone should grab you. what’s up there, and how is it connected to the protagonist’s dreams?
1937-38 – Carl Stephenson – Leiningen Versus the Ants – It was made into a film in the 1950s, with a romance grafted onto it, but I’ve not seen it. Think “Jaws,” but with billions of regular-sized ants, instead.
1952 – Daphne du Maurier – Monte Verita – Not a horror story in the classic sense, but a spiritual journey-fantasy, nevertheless has a horror subtext worth bringing out on the screen.
1977 – Fritz Leiber – Our Lady of Darkness – late hippie San Francisco meets magic based on large city buildings, with a tip of the hat to Ambrose Bierce. Could be done high on atmosphere.
2014 – Walter H. Hunt – Elements of Mind – set in Victorian Europe, where mesmerism really is a distinct force as conceived in the 1830s and 1840s. The book has its flaws, but it has potential as a film with some nods to the major British figures of the era.
I would love to see The Room in the Tower as a movie. It would fit perfectly in an English anthology movie.
Yesss I love that you included The Enemy in this list – it’s so under appreciated!
The Tiny Tentacle says thank you! I read it as well and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.