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[Linkura]

I read the Star Wars prequel novels because they came out before the movies and I like spoilers. I was also a child.

 

[Alter_Fridge]

Movie novels always had me excited as a kid

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I remember my brother trying to do a high school book report on the novelization of T2: Judgement Day.

 

[LegendofLex]

The novelization of Revenge of the Sith is actually really good. It came out before the movie did, and it explained things so much better/had better dialogue that I was genuinely disappointed when I saw the movie because it does so little of what the book does.

I actually really recommend it.

The Star Wars Episode III novelization is actually pretty good. The way it covers the Anakin/Obi-Wan/Dooku scene at the beginning really fleshes things out and makes it an infinitely better scene than the one in the movie itself.

Sometimes novelizations can actually elevate above the source movie material by adding background & depth to otherwise shallow characters.

I'll third(?) this.

I usually am not compelled to buy novelizations of films, but when I want more of the story than the films are able to give me, I find novelizations can often be very satisfying at addressing things that were disappointments in the films they're about.

 

[Peltz]

I have one for 2001 a Space Oyssey. Pretty cool and it's a first edition apparently.

I read this too. Actually, I read it before ever seeing the film. It was cool.

 

[Sectorseven]

They would often release prior to the films and it felt like a sneaky way to spoil the movie.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I have one for 2001 a Space Oyssey. Pretty cool and it's a first edition apparently.

I missed this post earlier.

That one's kind of a unique situation!

 

[Jezan]

I don't know, I'm only interested when it expands the universe but if it says Novelo tuin I lose interest. For example , the Power Rangers comic that came out after the movie is not canon for me, because it was not on the big screen. In the end the movies will change whatever they want and rewrite canon, like Star Wars.

What's the point of movie adaptation of books? Who watches them???

That's not the same, there is no "spectacle " and fxs in books.
Also OP basically said that was not the point of this thread.....

 

[GustyGardens]

I bought the novelizations of Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October. They added a couple of scenes that weren't in the original movies, but they were good.

 

[Peltz]

They have Junior Novelizations. I think you are right about that aspect, but a lot of these books are squarely aimed at adults - just look at some of the subject matter.

I personally had the Junior Novelization of Jurassic Park, I was obsessed with that movie. But I also had the real book and read it at that time and even then I could tell the JN version was stupid.

Although I was always an avid reader from a young age and read beyond my peer level so maybe I'm an exception.

In Jurassic Park's case, wasn't the movie based on the book?

 

[HotHamBoy]

The Alan Dean Foster Alien film novels are excellent.

Any reason why? Should I actually read them?

In Jurassic Park's case, wasn't the movie based on the book?

Yes. I assume the Junior Novelization was written because the original book is totally inappropriate for kids.

 

[Fury451]

Some novelizations are secretly better than the movies they're adapted from, so that alone justifies their existence.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

The novelization of Revenge of the Sith is actually really good. It came out before the movie did, and it explained things so much better/had better dialogue that I was genuinely disappointed when I saw the movie because it does so little of what the book does.

I actually really recommend it.

I believe it's actually a pretty traditional marketing tactic, a way of building anticipation before a film is even out, with the film effectively promising the novel being brought to life (even though the novel is, of course, not the source material). Even the original Star Wars also had a novelisation, published the November before the movie's release.

 

[studyguy]

You know what's worse? Audiobook adaptions with movie casts of novels that already had audiobooks.

Very rarely do they seem to end up any better. They remade it for the American Gods series and jesus Christ it's awful.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I believe it's actually a pretty traditional marketing tactic, a way of building anticipation before a film is even out, with the film effectively promising the novel being brought to life (even though the novel is, of course, not the source material). Even the original Star Wars also had a novelisation, published the November before the movie's release.

Seems particularly counter-intuitive considering Spoiler Culture today.

 

[bengraven]

Because you want more of something you love?

As a kid I collected paperbacks of movies I loved and would re-read them all the time.

- Back to the Future 2 (and 3)
- Home Alone
- Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
- Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones
- Worlds of Power game books

I remember buying Ang Lee's Hulk book because I needed something to read.

 

[polyh3dron]

I'm really fascinated by some of these.

"Teach him a lesson, Sea Bass!"

I am DYING at this rn

 

[HotHamBoy]

Because you want more of something you love?

As a kid I collected paperbacks of movies I loved and would re-read them all the time.

- Back to the Future 2 (and 3)
- Home Alone
- Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
- Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones
- Worlds of Power game books

I remember buying Ang Lee's Hulk book because I needed something to read.

But there's like a million Hulk comic books you could read...

 

[DrunkShogun]

I'll third(?) this.

I usually am not compelled to buy novelizations of films, but when I want more of the story than the films are able to give me, I find novelizations can often be very satisfying at addressing things that were disappointments in the films they're about.

Guess I will be the fourth. Better than the movie. Added reasoning and thought behind the characters. Count Dooku was a character and not just a cameo.

 

[pokeystaples]

When I was in middle school I read the Clueless novelization. It was...better than the movie, surprisingly.

 

[HamPster PamPster]

I'm currently reading a Eureka novel (the syfy tv show from a few years ago)

I've read several superhero movie novelizations and I enjoy them because there are few (if any) superhero books. They genre is almost exclusively in comics. DC turned a few of their comic storylines / events into books and I read those as well. Batman: Knightfall and The Death and Life of Superman being my favorites.

 

[PillarEN]

I read Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2. It was fun to relive the games like that actually. Wonder if 3 and 4 were ever made.

I don't know why I didn't read another book instead though in all honesty.

 

[adj_noun]

But there's like a million Hulk comic books you could read...

I bet none of those go into the details of the weird jellyfish.

 

[Strax]

 

[admiraltaftbar]

The novelization of Revenge of the Sith is actually really good. It came out before the movie did, and it explained things so much better/had better dialogue that I was genuinely disappointed when I saw the movie because it does so little of what the book does.

I actually really recommend it.

I'll argue Episode 1 book is much better for this reason too. It gives more focus to Anakin making him the real main character and avoids all the issue of poorly delivered lines that the movie has. The added thoughts of the different characters give the whole story a boost in terms of now everything kind of makes sense. That said it doesn't turn episode 1 into a masterpiece or anything but it makes for an okay story and is much better than what we got with the movie.

 

[Sectorseven]

"Teach him a lesson, Sea Bass!"

I am DYING at this rn

In fairness, it's possible the book was based on an earlier draft of the screenplay or maybe that line was ad libbed.

 

[TheXbox]

I have one for 2001 a Space Oyssey. Pretty cool and it's a first edition apparently.

It's not a novelization. Kubrick and Clarke worked side-by-side on the story.

 

[Ultima_5]

They're for kids for the most part. I liked them when I was littlw

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

I'm pretty sure I had the T2: Judgement Day novelisation and I definitely have the OG Metal Gear one lying around somewhere

 

[blakdeth]

I recently read the novelization for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The reason I did this is because my wife, also a Star Wars fan, suffers from migraine associated vertigo making it very difficult for her to see movies in the theater. I opted to read the novelization rather than see the movie without her. When Rogue One was available for streaming, we were able to enjoy it together. This is an uncommon situation, I will grant you that.

 

[Straight Edge]

I'm pretty sure I had the T2: Judgement Day novelisation and I definitely have the OG Metal Gear one lying around somewhere

They edited out his gun!

 

[shiftplusone]

The novelization of Revenge of the Sith is actually really good. It came out before the movie did, and it explained things so much better/had better dialogue that I was genuinely disappointed when I saw the movie because it does so little of what the book does.

I actually really recommend it.

Same. I haven't read it since it released, but I remember the description of Yoda during the palpatine fight wasn't "two guys throw fuckin pods at eachother" but about his internal realization that he and everyone around him were failures and are dead or would be dead soon. Something about how the jedi fucked up by staying so staunchly devoted to their code, and how it was all a waste of time

 

[Pau]

The only one I've ever bought (and read) was X-Men 2 when I was 11. I was really impatient for the movie. They changed Jean's death to going blind and breaking her leg though as to not spoil it.

 

[SpaceWolf]

EDIT: Misread, disregard.

 

[LinkSlayer64]

I assume this started before VHS market. Still, novelizations have some use cases, I imagine reading one aloud to a blind person is easier than reverse engineering screenplay based on footage.

Since there are millions of other things to read, why would you write anything (fictional)?

Actually, descriptive audio is on the rise nowadays - not an extreme rise, but it is getting better. Little_Kuriboh of Yugioh Abridged fame did the Descriptive audio for Rouge One (which got me to look into it.) You can watch it on Netflix with the descriptive audio.
Even pornhub is releasing videos with descriptive audio. Say what you will, I'm sure someone will appreciate it.
However, yes, novelizations are probably still the most reliable way for someone blind or visually impaired to experience a film.

 

[Staccat0]

My friend has a shelf in his house with every 90s Batman film novelization. It's very funny.

 

[nded]

I have one for 2001 a Space Oyssey. Pretty cool and it's a first edition apparently.

There's a novelization based on the movie based on the Clarke novel?

Edit: Ah, the novel and the film were developed concurrently. Both are based on an earlier Clarke short story.

 

[adamsappel]

I used to want to write these. I doubt they pay much, but they are a quick, easy gig. Alan Dean Foster is very good at it. They are often better than the movies because they are based on screenplays rather than the film, so they'll have scenes that help with plot or characterization that are cut from the movie for whatever reason, or the author can add those. I cannot truck with novelizations based on movies based on books, though. Philip K. Dick was offered the novelization of Blade Runner for a large sum and he turned it down.

 

[prepaidtacosalad]

I tell you when I was a kid I would get novelizations from the library all the time, Spider-Man 2 in particular I checked out and read a few times, The Exorsist novelization scared the shit out of me as a kid to the point where I never saw the actual movie.

 

[Booker Dewitt]

I believe it's actually a pretty traditional marketing tactic, a way of building anticipation before a film is even out, with the film effectively promising the novel being brought to life (even though the novel is, of course, not the source material). Even the original Star Wars also had a novelisation, published the November before the movie's release.

I remember getting a paperback of all three Star Wars novelizations, and never finishing A New Hope. The writing seemed a too much, like a whole paragraph devoted to the burnt charred hole left from a blaster bolt.

 

[itwasTuesday]

It's because of the section of glossy stills from the movie in the middle of the book.

 

[Alcotholic]

The only one I've ever bothered to read was:

Because a book based on a film based on a short story was something I had to check out.

And Piers doesn't get a chance to get creepy iirc.

This looks like it would be a disaster.
Anything by Piers is bound to be a fascinating read.

 

[Brakke]

When I was a kiddo my parents wouldn't let me watch Alien but JOKE'S ON THEM I bought the novelization of that at Border's, I hid it in a stack of other paperbacks and when I got home I cut off the cover and swapped with another book cover.

 

[kiguel182]

Worth it for this alone.

I always assume this is for kids too. Just something easy to read.

 

[cr0w]

I bought and read the Dracula one when it was out. I'm a Dracula nerd so it being written by Fred Saberhagen, who did some of my favorite Dracula spinoff books, was a big selling point. I was curious as to how it was different from the actual book.

 

[kewlmyc]

The only one I've read is the Scooby Doo 2 novelization when I was a kid and it's better than the movie.

 

[Astral Dog]

I prefer Novel Movielizations

 

[Karu]

I bought Dead Poet Society recently, was shocked to fined out the movie was the original one of the two.

 

[VeryGooster]

What's a bit fascinating about novelizations is sometimes you actually get certain plot points filled that the actual movie does not address (or were scenes cut out of the movie) because (dunno how often) novelizations are taken from earlier drafts of a movie script.

 

[bennywhatever]

Star Wars Ep 3 was incredible. Way better than the movie. Also, I recommend the audiobook version because Jonathan Davis does the narration and he's freaking amazing at it.

I also really liked Independence Day's novelization.