what books would you like to see made into films?

[Bernie Gunther]

Cities of the Red Night by William Burroughs

It would be impossible to do of course, but I would like to see someone have a shot at it

I thought Naked Lunch would be impossible, but Cronenberg pulled it off rather well (although he was, by his own account, making a movie of the halluncinations Burroughs was having when he wrote the book rather than the book itself)

What about Nova Express? There was some sort of attempt in the 60's that Paul McCartney of all people put up funding for and I believe Donald Cammel was involved or potentially involved, but as far as I know it never got anywhere.

That'd be a real challenge I think ...

 

[Geri]

I'm waiting for The Lovely Bones. I hope it isn't going to be a disappointment.

 

[Dhimmi]

The Flashman books, but not in the style of the not so bright film version of "Royal Flash".

Starring Richard E. Grant as Flashy, Keira Knightly as Elspeth please.

 

[Fedayn]

HG Wells War of the Worlds and stick to the original story ie England 1904.

 

[HAL9000]

Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks

or

The Stainless Steel Rat By Harry Harrison (far better than James Bond)

 

[Bernie Gunther]

The Flashman books, but not in the style of the not so bright film version of "Royal Flash".

Starring Richard E. Grant as Flashy, Keira Knightly as Elspeth please.

Heh, Richard E. Grant was definitely who I'd cast as Flashy. I guess KK might be good as Elspeth but I'd always imagined her as shorter, bustier and considerably more scottish.

 

[onemonkey]

is there a good film version of war and peace?
cos i'm never going to read the book

 

[butterfly child]

Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks

or

The Stainless Steel Rat By Harry Harrison (far better than James Bond)

That book sparked off a whole new texting language for my husband and I

 

[ChrisC]

Complicity by Iain Banks would be good. Mind you it would be gory.

 

[marty21]

I'd like to see Dune done properly, I.E perfect in both visuals and plot.

Also I'd like to see King Rat done, but not in the low-budget rubbish style BBC adaptation ( Like that horrifically bad Neverwhere adapt)

i'm reading that at the moment, would love to see that on film, in a similar vwin, christopher fowler's "roof world" would be good to see as a film

 

[fractionMan]

Saturn's Children by Charles Stross

(not the political science book by Alan Duncan and Dominic Hobson)

 

[The Octagon]

I could see Andy McNab's 'Nick Stone' series being a kind of British Bourne (except Bond seems to have gone in that direction now), Remote Control would make a hell of a film.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (the novel, not the crappy computer game series)

 

[SpookyFrank]

Number9dream by David Mitchell would be good.

 

[Roxy641]

Dirk Gently books (recently made into a Radio series) by Douglas Adams.

 

[butchersapron]

Complicity by Iain Banks would be good. Mind you it would be gory.

Been done - was pretty shit.

 

[albionism]

I loved the 1993 Andrew Birkin adaptation of The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan

 

[Buddy Bradley]

A Confederacy of Dunces (which I seem to remember was in pre-pro at one point, I guess it died a death somewhere along the line).

 

[Zachor]

The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien.

 

[fractionMan]

The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien.

That's a documentary if anything.

 

[damnhippie]

Gravity's Rainbow.

i would gladly pay money to *prevent* that from being made into a film

interesting to see some David mitchell books on here, i reckon Ghostwritten would be ace, specially the last chapter.

 

[Zachor]

That's a documentary if anything.

Some films could never have been made 20 or even ten years ago because the technology wasn't there for things like effects.

Some have said that the Silmarillion is 'unfilmable' but with modern effects etc I don't think that still applies.

I want to see the Silmarillion made into a film its got the lot. a creation story, Good vs Evil, giant spiders, enchanted forests, internecine strife, incest, tragedy, triumph, dwarves, magic and so much more.

 

[spawnofsatan]

Lamb by Christopher Moore

(Or any of his books really)

The Difference Engine, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling would be fun too.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Eon - Greg Bear.

It would be amazing but of course the visuals in the latter half would be impossible.

 

[geoff64]

cryptonomicon
foucault's pendulum
crying of lot 49

 

[Geri]

Pig Island by Mo Hayder.

 

[Louloubelle]

Lilith by George MacDonald

It's a very dark fantasy with Christian, pagan and Kabbalistic references and themes, first published in 1895.

A number of his books have been made into children's films, mostly dire animated cartoons, but Lilith is far too adult in it's themes for that and prior to the days of CGI film interpretations would not have been possible.

Macdonald was massively influential to CS Lewis and to Tolkien but is far less well known. From reading Jung's memoirs I would think he influenced Jung too, although Jung doesn't mention Lilith at all to my knowledge, a dream of Jung's seems to be taken directly from its pages.

Lilith has lots of interesting characters including; a talking raven, a white leopardess, an evil queen, a vampire, monsters, fighting skeletons and all kinds of fabulous things.

The Lilith in the novel (Adam's first wife before Eve) is not the Lilith that I know from Hebrew and Sumerian mythology and more recent feminist writings, but it's still a great story with numerous layers of meaning. For a Xtian he was certainly well read in the Kabbalah and Lilith, liken many of his books, has representations of various female aspects of the divine.

My only worry is that it could just be awful of done badly. Kind of like Narnia only worse. If done well it could be a remarkable film.

Given the success of the LOTR films I think it's only a matter of time before Lilith is made into a film and with this in mind I have collected rare early editions of MacDonald's work in the hope that their value will rocket once the becomes better known.

 

[catinthehat]

A Confederacy of Dunces (which I seem to remember was in pre-pro at one point, I guess it died a death somewhere along the line).

Thats the one I was going to say. I cant belive no one has done it. Shelly Winters for his mother would be my casting choice. But she may be dead.

 

[Kizmet]

The Belgariad by David Eddings... because I am sad.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Been done - was pretty shit.

Agreed. I still think it could be a class film in the right hands.

I'd give anything to see Consider Phlebas as a film.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Some films could never have been made 20 or even ten years ago because the technology wasn't there for things like effects.

Some have said that the Silmarillion is 'unfilmable' but with modern effects etc I don't think that still applies.

I want to see the Silmarillion made into a film its got the lot. a creation story, Good vs Evil, giant spiders, enchanted forests, internecine strife, incest, tragedy, triumph, dwarves, magic and so much more.

It would need about 800 films. Besides, much as I loved the LOTR films, I'm not sure I Could take much more of it.

Perhaps it could be given a fresh spin, and those Japanese guys who make those 900 part epics could do an 'eastern' version of it?