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Books that should be made into comics, but never will be

Started by Ijiwaru Sensei,

44 posts in this topic

Ijiwaru Sensei

Ijiwaru Sensei

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Have you ever read a book that you thought would make a great comic book series? If so make your case. Maybe we can share some good reads with each other.

 

I would nominate Haruki Murakami’s “Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.” It’s a genre-splitting novel that contains elements of fantasy, science fiction, cyberpunk, horror and mystery with a hard-boiled detective novel’s edginess.

 

Murakami has two narrative strands alternating chapter by chapter that seem at first to be wholly unrelated. The first is set in a slightly futuristic, cyber-punk major city where the main character works as a human computer—information is encrypted and stored in his brain, but which he can only retrieve on a subconscious level. The second is set in what appears to be a medieval anti-technological community in which odd occurrences (characters removing their shadows, characters reading dreams from old animal skulls) seem commonplace. As the novel progresses, the relationship between the two worlds becomes more evident.

 

I think, the bizarre images, quick pacing, and episodic nature of the novel would translate well to a graphic form. The book is more than just a fun read, though, as Murakami attempts to depict the unrecognized/unknowable conflicts between the will and the subconscious.

 

Well, that's my case. Any other books out there that would make a great comic or graphic novel?

_______________________________________________

 

WTB Invaders 3 and 17 9.6 or better

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howardhallis

howardhallis

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There's this book by Charles Platt called "The Gas" that will never ever ever EVER be adapted into a comic book, film or anything else because it's one of the most disturbing and sexually explicit books to ever be published. The plot involves an airborne aphrodisiac that turns Britain into a giant sex orgy where every taboo is broken in very twisted ways. It's way out of print, but you might find it on Alibris.

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

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Dostoyevkski's THE insufficiently_thoughtful_person. Maybe I would understand it better that way, or at least keep better track of the named characters!

 

But on a serious note in the same vein: Gogol's THE OVERCOAT would make a GREAT comic book, especially with the spooky end plot.

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Currin Comics

Currin Comics

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I have never played the role playing games, but I have read the books "Tribe Novels" of the "World of Darkness" series "Werewolf of the Apocalypse", or the Garou as they call themselves, would make a great comic book. All the different tribes of Werewolves(Garou) and there battles with the Wyrm and it's minions(the Black Spiral Dancers for sure). This would be an excellent comic with plenty of paths and plots for stories.

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garthgantu

garthgantu

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"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card comes to mind for some reason.

 

Good call. I think the 'reason' is that this is one of the best sci-fi books of the past 30 years. It would make a fabulous comic. I spoke to O.S. Card at length via phone about 15 years ago, and among other things he noted that "Ender's Game" had been optioned for movie-making almost from the day it was published. But Card retained creative control and refused to let a studio make the movie with a 13-year old. "Ender's gotta be 6!" was the way Card put it, while bemoaning the fact that the latest deal proposal had McCaulie Culkin playing Ender... thank the gods that never came to pass.

 

Another great sci-fi resource: Jack Vance. His five-book "Demon Prince" series would make great comic book fare, as would his "The Dying Earth" (which inspired the creation of Dungeons & Dragons) and his "Planet of Adventure" series.

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Rocketeer

Rocketeer

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......... 893scratchchin-thumb.gif......"Vanna Speaks",...by Vanna White,...it's a courageous view of one woman rising against unsurmountable odds to rise to the top,.....did you know she was dyslexic as a child?.... they said she would never get anywhere in life reading backwards,.....

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Ze-man

Ze-man

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Well Ijiwaru Sensei.. the Title to your thread makes me wonder about the books people have mentioned so far.

ALL of the suggestions have merit, and would translate well into the medium.. and who knows .. someday..they MIGHT make it into a Comic /Graphic Novel format.

 

But since you asked us for Books that should be.. but never will be made.

 

I say..Julian May's . Pliocene Exiles series

Sci-Fi/Fantasy at it's best, but too long.

 

Would be fantastic..but I doubt it will ever get a green light.

But now that I ponder the first novel.. it really does lend itself to the comic format.

I guess that is what makes comics great.. any medium.. and format can be done.. nothing is impossible.

 

This thread did make me think about Orsen Scott Card, Joe Haldeman, and Robert Jordan again...so I say..

893applaud-thumb.gif

 

Ze-

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