[PUBLIC POST] Books you'd like to see adapted

[ljwrites]

I am back from my travails and, as promised, here is my make-up public post for last week.

Let's try something a little different: Are there any books, fiction or non-fiction, that you would like to see adapted to other media, like a movie, TV show, or game? If you want, feel free to add more detail. Why do you think this story would be good for that medium? What might some of the difficulties be? Do you have ideas about how to make the adaptation work? Any thoughts about who might play the characters?

One book I can think of off the top of my head is Idylls of the Queen by Phillis Ann Karr. It's an Arthurian murder mystery starring Sir Kay, who has to solve a murder to save Queen Guinevere who is accused of the act. A surly Kay and jaded Mordred make a great, entertaining detective duo, and Morgan Le Fay plays a prominent and spirited supporting role.

This is one of very few modern works of Arthuriana to star Kay, my favorite Knight of the Round Table. I love the way Karr portrayed his character, a decent and flawed man who makes sharp, wry observations of some of the worst aspects of Arthur's court. With Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot almost totally absent the other characters get to shine, and Karr captures the feel of a medieval court in a way I've never seen in the genre.

If I ever write a movie script I would like to adapt Idylls. Some of the snippets I loved from the book play out almost like a trailer in my head:

- The murder victim leaning against Kay at table and Kay being irritated at the intrusion until he realizes the man is dead;

- A hard-faced Kay telling Mordred, "Get out of the water and arm yourself." (Or something along those lines. Don't have the book on me.)

- Kay confronting Morgan Le Fay about her attempts to reveal Guinevere;

- Kay and Mordred dueling in thigh-high water, throwing up splashes as they hack at each other;

- Mordred screaming in rage and pulling a dagger from a tabletop to lunge.

As for actors, I have no idea. Probably some obscure method actors with theater backgrounds.

Comments

[jazzyjj]

One book I'd like to see adapted into a movie is the one which I'm currently reading. It is entitled "The Ballad of Blind Tom," and is about a slave named Thomas Wiggins who was a piano prodigy and possibly on the autism spectrum. I don't think this one has yet been made into a movie, or if it has I don't know about it. But I'd really like to hear some of Mr. Wiggins' playing, and I'd like to hear the reactions to his blindness and possible autism. The person who narrated this book did a stellar job, and he seems to have nailed the accents right on the head. I think he'd be great in the movie if he is still alive.

[ljwrites]

The first Google search result on "The Ballad of Blind Tom" is an Elton John song, though I daresay it would have been different from what Blind Tom would have sung. Books about musicians have particular appeal as movies, and given that he published numerous original scores it would be great to hear them reconstructed in the style of the times!

[jazzyjj]

That is a great song. I'm an Elton John fan but hadn't heard that one before.

[lizbee]

I'm in the middle of re-reading one of my favourite "this should be a series on a prestige cable network" series, the Benjamin January mysteries by Barbara Hambly.

They're the story of a free man of colour who returns to his home of New Orleans in 1835, following the death of his wife in Paris. As he reconnects with his family -- his wealthy and judgemental mother, Livia; his full-sister, Olympe, a voodooienne; and his much-younger half-sister, Dominique, who is placée to a wealthy white planter -- he finds himself caught up in a murder investigation.

It would be especially zeitgeisty now, with Beyoncé highlighting her Creole heritage in her new album, and shows like Underground proving that there's a market for historical dramas about African Americans. In fact, I used to picture Beyoncé as Dominique, but she's too old, now, so I guess we'd need to find an ingenue. Angela Basset could be Livia, and Uzo Aduba would be perfect for Olympe, right down to the gap in her teeth.)

(The other problem is that I have no idea who would play January himself. Okieriete Onaodowan of Hamilton has exactly the right look, but he's about 10 years too young.)

[dhampyresa]

OMG YES PLEASE BENJAMIN JANUARY TV SERIES

[ljwrites]

That sounds like an awesome series idea! So I take it Benjamin and Olympe are dark-skinned and Dominique has Creole heritage? I'd say go with Okieriete Onaodowan anyway, they can do a lot of things to age actors with makeup and acting.

Speaking of Uzo Aduba, she has a voice role in an upcoming episode of Steven Universe and I'm psyched!

[lizbee]

Yes, Benjamin and Olympe have one white grandfather, whereas Dominique has three. (I feel like the casting calls for such a series would be FRAUGHT AS HELL. But I'm now watching Underground, which is sort of scratching my itch for this series to exist.)

[ljwrites]

In the event of Benjamin January being adapted I expect Black Tumblr to explode with commentary about colorism and other issues, which is good because these things need to be talked about.

Man I've got to get started on Underground, it looks so awesome from the reviews and clips. And the Season 1 finale has everyone going berserk with anticipation for Season 2, naturally.

[inevitableentresol]

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch would be fantastic as a lavish mini-series. I say lavish, because there'd have to be a lot of special effects for all the supernatural elements. But the rest of it would make perfect TV, with the detective story, the London setting and all the melting pot of characters that would give actors a lot to work with.

[ljwrites]

Let's hope the Syfy Channel doesn't get a hold of it and turn it to crap. RIP, The Dresden Files TV series.

(Not to jinx it or anything, the supernatural police element reminded me of TDF and my disappointment with its small-screen adaptation.)

[lizbee]

*drives by two weeks later*

The BBC is adapting it right now! I think it was originally slated to air this year, but must have been pushed back, because I haven't seen so much as a casting announcement.

[ljwrites]

Woo-hoo! At least one of the people on this thread gets their wish!

[inevitableentresol]

What!!!! Fantastic news.

I can genuinely see them doing a good job of it. I mean, it's the BBC, and there are so many great British actors, and you could probably adapt it so that there's not so much CGI needed. The characters and writing are already strong.

Thanks for telling me this. I look forward to it! I must read all the sequels now before the TV series comes out. I don't like to mix them.