Over the last 17 years, geek culture and sci-fi have invaded mainstream culture. Superheroes, wizards, dystopias and time travel have become commonplace in the films and TV we watch and the books we read. With that in mind here are 5 books, comics, and games I would like to see become films or TV shows.
1. Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
An ordinary American teenager named Joey Harker finds that he is able to walk between alternate universes. He joins an organisation called Interworld, which consists of every alternate version of himself from every reality. Joey and his other selves fight a guerrilla war against two evil empires in an attempt to stop them conquering all reality.
This series could be as big as the Hunger Games if done correctly. If the films play up Joey’s everyman quality and show his development into a strong and confident leader he could be a hero to rival Harry Potter. The books are full of great ideas that deserve to be explored such as TimeWatch and the genesis of HEX and Binary, the magic and technology using empires that threaten the multiverse. The only problem would be the budget that the films would need.
2. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Set in an alternate future London where clairvoyance is outlawed, a young clairvoyant named Paige Mahoney is captured and taken to the secret city of Oxford. There she discovers that Scion, the oppressive government of Britain, is actually a front for an extra-dimensional race of beings called the Rephaim. Drafted into their army of clairvoyants, Paige must lead an escape and then a revolution.
This series is bursting with intelligent and imaginative ideas. A strong anti-imperialist message is present as is an intriguing love story between Paige and Warden, the Rephaite to whom she is assigned. This series has the potential to be a Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Paige is a strong, streetwise yet vulnerable character who could inspire generations of girls and young women. The first two books are very gritty and real yet they retain a sense of mystery and wonder. The rights to this series have been snapped up by Andy Serkis‘s Imaginarium production company. I hope we get to see Paige, Warden and Jaxon Hall on screen very soon.
3. Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
The consciousness of a teenage boy from Earth enters the mind of a girl from another dimension each time he closes his eyes. Nolan’s family believe he has epilepsy but Nolan can see and experience everything that Amara does. Amara is a servant girl sworn to protect an exiled princess, Cilla, with her fellow servant Maart and the brutish Jorn, their leader.
This book has a unique concept that would lend itself well to the format of television. All of the characters are sympathetic and likable and this novel portrays an LGBT relationship with tenderness. This would be a very positive thing to show on TV and Otherbound has enough twists and revelations to thrill its audience. If done as a serial this could be a huge hit. This series would not require as large a budget as the others I have mentioned so far.
4. Nikolai Dante by Robbie Morrison and Simon Fraser
Set in 27th century Imperial Russia, a swashbuckling young thief and ladies’ man discovers that he is the illegitimate scion of the Romanov family, a powerful noble faction whose patriarch wishes to become Tsar. Initially lighthearted and humorous, the storylines become progressively darker as the political machinations of the Tsar, Dante’s father and others play out.
I think this comic has a great main character in Dante, who despite his flaws is a good man who wants to help others. I think it would be good to show someone like this in the midst of power games and intrigue who retains his good nature. The relationship between Dante and Tsarina Jena could be heartwarming if handled correctly. One thing that concerns me about an adaptation of Nikolai Dante is the potential for it to become a sci-fi equivalent to Poldark which could happen if the source material is interpreted badly. If the series retains Dante’s goodness and desire to help others I think it could be really successful. The only downside is the gigantic budget a live-action Nikolai Dante would need.
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic by Bioware and Lucasarts
Written by Drew Karpyshyn, this RPG tells the story of Revan, once the most powerful and feared Sith Lord of his generation and his journey to redemption. Players take control of a customizable Republic soldier (later revealed to be Revan) and journey from planet to planet either helping others or destroying them.
These are bold words but I feel they have to be said: a series of films based on KOTOR have the potential to be better than the original trilogy in my opinion. There is so much the writers and directors could do with the idea of good and evil ie is redemption truly possible? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Although Revan is canonically male and light sided I think a female Revan of either alignment could be just as compelling if not more. If Disney were to do this it would probably be better as a cartoon in the vein of the Clone Wars due to the huge budget that would be required.
If anyone has any thoughts as to what books/comics/games they’d like to see as films or TV shows please let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading and take care.
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