‘Blade Runner’ as a novel? The best book series inspired by movies

What with the whole world being sci-fi crazy right now and this month marking nearly a year since the release of the acclaimed sequel Blade Runner 2049 (the original was better, but still a good effort), Alcon Media Group and Titan Publishing have decided to team up to release a series of comics and graphic novels which will explore the Blade Runner universe.

In a statement, Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove declared: “In partnering with the exceptional Titan Comics and Titan Books, we’re confident that the world of Blade Runner will continue to organically grow in a way that refuses to sacrifice the quality, tone, and high standards of this beloved property.”

While there’s no word of a release date yet, we do know that Titan’s David Manley-Leach and Alcon’s director of publishing Jeff Conner will be leading the editorial duties. No doubt this news alone will have the Blade Runner fandom frothing at the collective mouth – just think of the illustrative opportunities.

While we wait for more news to trickle out, here are a number of other novels, comic books, or graphic novel series that were inspired by movies for you to get those chops around.

2001: A Space Odyssey (comic book series)

Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is by far one of the most iconic and visually ambitious movies ever made, so it’s no surprise it became the inspiration for a comic book adaptation which was published by Marvel. As well as the same-name oversized comic book, writer and illustrator Jack Kirby created a ten–issue monthly series which expanded upon the concepts presented in the Kubrick film and was described as “the weirdest sci-fi comic ever made.”

Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader (graphic novel)

There have been countless novels, book series, and comics based on the Star Wars film series, but we thought we’d single out this doozy of a graphic novel for its gripping narrative and outstanding illustrations.

Published by Marvel, writer Kieron Gillen and penciller Salvador Larroca’s compilation of the first six issues of Star Wars: Darth Vader focuses on the story of the original Dark Lord of the Sith, chronicling the high-octane battles of one of pop culture’s most popular villains.

28 Days Later (comic book series)

Published by BOOM! Studios, written by Michael Alan Nelson, and drawn by Declan Shalvey and Alejandro Aragon, the comic book series of 28 Days Later draws upon the story of Danny Boyle’s apocalyptic 2002 flick. A great read for zombie lovers, the story of the comic books bridges the gap between the original film and its sequel, 28 Weeks Later, ending with the Rage Virus spreading into mainland Europe.

Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment (graphic novel)

As you’ll be aware by the title, this graphic novel takes inspiration from Alice in Wonderland and the work of controversial writer Lewis Carroll, exploring the links between him and the Sunderland area and discussing themes on history, mythology, and storytelling.

The book was helmed by comic book veteran Bryan Talbot, whose sci-fi epic The Adventures of Luther Arkwright was arguably the UK’s first graphic novel. The book received high-praise upon its release, with critic Cory Doctorow writing, “This is not only the weirdest graphic novel I’ve ever enjoyed – it’s also the most ambitious. Talbot’s doing things here that I’ve never seen done before, and he’s doing all of it, all at once.”

30 Days of Night (novel)

A bit of a pointless one is the 30 Days of Night novel by British writer Tim Lebbon, who thought it’d be a good idea to write a book that closely follows the plot of a movie that was average at best. If you’re going to go for any reading relating to David Slade’s horror, you’re best off checking out the novels by comic author Steve Niles, which inspired the story of the film.

The Wicker Man (novel)

The Wicker Man director Robin Hardy and playwright Anthony Shaffer teamed up once again to compose this novel based on the cult horror film. Although you might wonder what the point is in creating a novel after the film has enjoyed such critical success, the novel allowed Hardy and Shaffer to expand upon the original story, incorporating additional plot points and new material that would have been unable to fit in the film.

The Blues Brothers (novel)

There’s no way reading “The Old Landmark” would be anywhere near as enthralling as seeing it played out by John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and James Brown, but Miami Mitch nevertheless managed to inject some magic into his novel based on the Blues Brothers screenplay.

Plus, the original script evolved so drastically during the film’s production that the two works only slightly resemble each other, so it’s worth reading if only just to see how different the movie could’ve looked.

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (comic book series)

Dance, magic, dance – writer Simon Spurrier and artist Daniel Bayliss cast a spell upon the comic world with their recently released comic book series entitled Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Based on the infamous fantasy flick starring David Bowie, the new editions explore the origin story of Jareth the Goblin King and how he came to reside over the titular mystical labyrinth.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Henson’s daughter and the CEO and president of the Jim Henson Company, Lisa Henson, said: “It’s the backstory of how Jareth came to be in the Labyrinth himself. The Goblin King, he’s not a goblin, he’s human. Many people have asked, ‘Well, how did he get there?’ So, that’s something that we thought we would explore.”

Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs (comic book series)

Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Wildstorm, telling the story set between The Lost Boys and Lost Boys: The Tribe and showing what really happened to our fave gruesome twosome – the Frog brothers.

Hack/Slash vs. Chucky (comic book)

Because obviously someone was going to make a comic book series out of the Child’s Play movies. The most notable was Devil’s Due Publishing’s one-shot crossover with Hack/Slash titled Hack/Slash vs. Chucky, which takes place after the Seed of Chucky. The illustrations are sharp as a knife and contain as much gore as you’d expect from a Child’s Play comic book.