Comments on: Unfilmable Novels

By: Joseph Heaney

Joseph Heaney — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:36:27 +0000

The next best thing to the unfilmable novel is the novel that gets filmed, but in the process becomes something entirely different. Strugatski’s Roadside Picnic and Tarkovsky’s Stalker come to mind. Bother masterpieces, but in many ways fundamentally different.

By: Matt’s Bookosphere 5/28/08 « Enter the Octopus

Matt’s Bookosphere 5/28/08 « Enter the Octopus — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:02:58 +0000

[...] Jeff VanderMeer asks: what novels do you consider unfilmable? [...]

By: Books that are unfilmable « The Rabbit I Pulled Out Of My Hat

Books that are unfilmable « The Rabbit I Pulled Out Of My Hat — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:06:13 +0000

[...] writing — Paul Crittenden @ 5:06 pm Jeff VanderMeer’s Ecstatic Days blog has a post here about this list of unfilmable books. The list is pretty good except I think Catcher In the Rye is [...]

By: Bryan Russell

Bryan Russell — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:24:46 +0000

I was thinking of William Burroughs too, what with Naked Lunch and it’s mad tangle of I’m-not-sure-what. Except it actually was made into a movie… though I haven’t seen it. Though I’ve heard it seemingly has little to do with the book, which would make sense since the book didn’t have much to do with itself either. Considering the manner of its composition, though, that seems only natural.

By: Hannu Blommila

Hannu Blommila — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:26:16 +0000

Mark Z. Danielewski’s “Only Revolutions” would be pretty unfilmable. But then again, maybe David Lynch could do it. He has, after all a pretty impressive track record of making truly odd, but utterly compelling movies. “Inland Empire” kicked ass!

By: Oliver Kotowski

Oliver Kotowski — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:40:05 +0000

Nobody mentioned William Burroughs, esp. “Nova Express”? I think this is the most unfilmabel novel I’ve read so far.

Oliver

By: Jami JoAnne Russell

Jami JoAnne Russell — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:35:51 +0000

As much as I’d like to see a faithful adaptation – I think the young adult series Alfred Hitchcock’s Three Investigators would be hard to film. Not just because Hitchcock himself is dead, but because Hollywood would never cast Jupiter Jones right – he’s suppose to be an overweight genius. They’d probably cast Justin Timberlake.

By: jeff vandermeer

jeff vandermeer — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:52:18 +0000

more tomorrow, lots of cool stuff mentioned here, but paul it is ada not pale fire that contains a narrative gambit similar to that in shriek, one also used in richard grant’s underrated novel views from the oldest house (sic?)

By: Bryan Russell

Bryan Russell — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:43:19 +0000

Thanks Gary and John,

I may just have to try and dig up that Gormenghast by the BBC. And maybe try and find the films of Sanctuary and The Sound and the Fury. I wonder how well they work?

Thanks again.

By: Serendipity Wednesday « That, Which

Serendipity Wednesday « That, Which — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:07:27 +0000

[...] of pontifications on whether books or film are driving contemporary science fiction? (Courtesy of Jeff Vandermeer and John Scalzi, [...]