Movie novelizations are a truly despised format, more so even than horror novels. They constitute the most slapdash and perfunctory form of writing that exists, being the epitome of hackwork; in the literary world only XXX books (which I’ll be profiling next) are held in lesser esteem. Good things, however, can be had from this format.
There exist some excellent books devoted to movie novelizations, including FILMS INTO BOOKS by Randell D. Larson and THE DIRECTOR SHOULD’VE SHOT YOU by Alan Dean Foster, but there’s no equivalent in this category to PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, meaning a popular text devoted to the subject that’s properly galvanized its followers. For this reason movie novelizations constitute a cult in search of followers, although these books certainly have their share of devotees.
In compiling a selection of movie novelization rarities, I’ve tried to stick to the most difficult to find yet widely desired examples. This excludes titles like LABYRINTH by A.C.H. Smith, BRAIN DAMAGE by Robert Martin and HALLOWEEN by Curtis Richards, as all, after years of obscurity, are easy to come by (online at least), and also MELVIN AND HOWARD by George Gipe and GOD TOLD ME TO by C.K. Chandler, as despite their scarcity those books have yet to accrue the followings they deserve.
One more thing: most of the following publications, you’ll find, are horror and sci fi themed. This isn’t due to any personal preference but, rather, the simple fact that in the world of novels from movies those categories are the most widely read, and sought-after, by far.
9/30/55 by John Minahan
A most unexpected choice. This 1977 book, a novelization of the forgotten James Bridges drama SEPTEMBER 30, 1955, recently attained cult status after being enthusiastically plugged by Quentin Tarantino, who apparently rereads it periodically. I have yet to crack this opus (right now it’s nearly impossible to find online), but from what I gather it’s far more than a mere novelization, with the author making substantial additions to the film’s screenplay a la Dean Koontz with THE FUNHOUSE and Tarantino himself with ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.
CLUE by Michael McDowell
Given the current popularity of the late Michael McDowell (whose reissued 1980s-era novels very nearly keep Valancourt Books afloat), and the cult coronation of the 1985 flick CLUE, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that this McDowell penned novelization has joined bookdom’s most wanted list. I’ve never been hugely enamored with the film but quite like McDowell, so will admit to some minor interest.
COLOR ME BLOOD RED by Herschell
Gordon Lewis
The third and hardest to find of H.G. Lewis’ four self-penned novelizations of his 1960s era cheapies. The first two, BLOOD FEAST and TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, were reprinted in the eighties, while the fourth, MOONSHINE MOUNTAIN, is nearly as scarce as COLOR ME BLOOD RED (but far less worthwhile). The latter is the most sober-minded and straightforward of Lewis’ novelizations, although it’s not—repeat: not—worth the $100-plus fees being asked for it.
That latter fact is something Lewis himself was quite aware of and bemused by, noting in interviews that he “couldn’t give these books away” when they were initially published.
FRIDAY THE 13th 1-3 by Simon Hawke
For some reason these three books, published in 1987-88, a full half-decade after the first three FRIDAY THE 13 th films were released, have become hugely sought-after collector’s items (as has the alternate British-centric publication of FRIDAY THE 13th PART 3 by Michael Avallone). There’s probably a reason for that, although not having read them I have no idea what it might be.
JAWS: THE REVENGE by Hank Searls
As we all know, JAWS: THE REVENGE (1987) was a bust that offered the potential novelizer (and the viewer) very little, so it makes sense that author Hank Searls added plenty of disparate elements into his text that weren’t in the script, including telepathy and voodoo.
Bottom line: it you’re stuck between sitting through JAWS: THE REVENGE and reading this book, I’d say go for the latter (provided you can afford it).
THE LOST BOYS by Craig Shaw Gardner
This 1987 paperback, and its deluxe 1988 UK hardcover edition, have been longtime staples of Most Sought After Out of Print book listings, and used copies tend to sell for absurdly high sums. It’s yet another example, I’m afraid, of a book whose collectability far exceeds its literary value, although for what it is—a hastily drafted rendering of a highly overrated eighties teen movie—it’s not too bad.
MUMSY, NANNY, SONNY & GIRLY by
Brian Comport
Since no novelization exists of Jack Hill’s SPIDER BABY (1967) I guess it makes sense that this book, based on a 1970 film that was thematically quite similar to Hill’s, has gained the substantial cult following it has.
PHANTASM by Kate Coscarelli
Quite simply the Holy Grail of movie novelization collectors. Written in 1979 by the late Kate Coscarelli (PHANTASM writer-director Don Coscarelli’s mother, who with this book commenced a prolific writing career), it was published in Japan a year later, and went out of print extremely quickly. The premiere English-language edition appeared in 2002, in a 500-copy limited edition from Silver Sphere Press that sold out immediately.
There are no reprintings planned that I’m aware of, meaning those of us who didn’t snag one of those 500 copies (yes, I happen to be among those many, many unfortunates) are at the mercy of greedy book dealers who routinely charge upwards of $1,000 for secondhand copies.
THE TERMINATOR by Randall Frakes, Bill Wisher
Not to be confused with the British centric TERMINATOR novelization by Shaun Hutson, this is the all-American version, published a year after THE TERMINATOR made its theatrical bow. Authors Randall Frakes and Bill Wisher, longtime James Cameron associates both (Wisher got an “Additional Dialogue” notice on THE TERMINATOR and a proper screenwriting credit on its sequel), were given special access that Hutson wasn’t, resulting in a novel that feels quite authoritative and true to the vision presented by Cameron. Among other things, Frakes and Wisher render the iconic “I’ll be back” line as it was in the film, and not “I’ll come back,” as it reads in the script (and was thus rendered by Hutson).
THE THING by Alan Dean Foster
This, it seems, is the most collectible of Alan Dean Foster’s many novelizations, and no wonder: among the Foster novels I’ve read it’s very likely the best. It certainly helps matters that the film it novelizes, John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of the fifties classic THE THING, is a bonafide classic of alien horror that evidently inspired Foster to go above and beyond his standard efforts.
VIDEODROME by Jack Martin
Jack Martin is the pen name of the late Dennis Etchison, who “had to eat,” and so penned three novelizations: HALLOWEEN II, HALLOWEEN III and VIDEODROME (in addition to THE FOG, published under his actual name). Having read all three, I can report that none are particularly noteworthy, yet they have nonetheless far outpaced Etchison’s other publications in popularity.
Of the three books I’ve chosen to highlight VIDEODROME, as it’s currently the most difficult (and expensive) to track down (with HALLOWEEN II having been republished and HALLOWEEN III likely to follow suit).
Other worthwhile novelizations? They certainly exist, even if they’re less collectible than those profiled above. Paul Monette’s legendary take on NOSFERATU: THE VAMPYRE is long out of print but still gettable at reasonable prices, as are George Malko’s better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be adaptation of Bernardo Bertolucci’s LUNA, the “Carl Dreadstone” classic movie novelizations (three of which were penned, quite ably, by the great Ramsey Campbell) and John Shirley’s take on CONSTANTINE. So, if you have any interest in such books I strongly advise you to grab while the grabbing’s good.