Fantasy adaptations have become more common over the last few decades, but some book series still feel unfilmable today. The rising popularity of the genre, paired with the enhanced technology to bring it to life, makes many fantasy novels ideal adaptation fodder. Dramatic political narratives like Game of Thrones translate well to film and television, and cinematic stories like Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere are just as easy to picture on-screen. With streaming budgets, advanced effects, and animation as an option, there aren’t many fantasy titles that can’t be adapted.
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Of course, there are a few exceptions to that statement — and the challenges usually stem from bizarre world-building and visuals, deeply reflective narration, graphic subject matter, or some combination of the three. We’ve covered a few fantasy books that are hard to imagine on-screen already, including The Book of the New Sun, Gideon the Ninth, and The Poppy War. Three more stories would be just as difficult to film, adding them to that list.
3) The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker
R. Scott Bakker’s The Prince of Nothing series is well-loved among fans of grimdark fantasy, but its greatest strengths would make it difficult to do justice on-screen. The Holy War at the center of initial trilogy would require a hefty budget and detail-oriented writing team to adapt, but it would technically be doable. (Whether the series could cover the scope of the greater Second Apocalypse series is another story.) The real challenge a Prince of Nothing adaptation faces is bringing its more introspective storytelling to a visual medium. The writing is often focused on the characters’ inner dialogue, which would require an adjustment in the jump from page to screen. Additionally, there are darker moments from The Prince of Nothing that would likely need to be altered or cut. Too much of that would risk diluting the original story, though, which could alienate diehard fans.
2) Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station is a wonderfully unique novel, but it’s so distinct that it’s likely not adaptable. The book’s world would pose significant challenges in bringing it to the screen, even if a streamer or network was willing to dedicate a large budget to it. The dystopian backdrop, which blends the fantastical with horror, might be workable — but it’s dubious whether a show could make it feel as bleak and immersive as the book does. There are also the non-human fantasy races and monsters to consider. The visuals would present the biggest obstacle to bringing this story to life. Any show or film would likely need to be an animated project, and even that would require quite a bit of care to pull off.
1) The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
Stephen R. Donaldson is well known in fantasy spaces, and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is his most notable work. However, the story — which consists of a whopping 10 books split into multiple series — feels unlikely to ever see the screen. For one thing, it centers an unlikable main character modern audiences are unlikely to get behind. The series’ opening would be hard to adapt, particularly with the expectation that people get invested on wide scale. The books are divisive, and any adaptation would probably be the same. Even if a show or film could get around this reality, there are other challenges to bringing The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant to life. Donaldson’s writing is a large part of the appeal, and like The Prince of Nothing, the books get philosophical and introspective. Those elements are cited as highlights, but it’s hard to say how they’d translate on-screen.
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