Conventional wisdom would say that tie-ins are rushed and/or have to stick to a script, thus limiting the writer's imagination and sometimes forcing them to stick to the script, which can be bland for most writers. I was wondering are there any books based on a film out there that truly stand out? I'm thinking particularly fantasy or horror but I'd also like to hear about any author who's pulled off a great novelization. Has there's ever been a best-selling novelization? Have you ever read one you think was "high art"?
I doubt it. Most of the ones I read when I was a kid back in the 80's were horrible. I read a lot of them. The best I found was Desperately Seeking Susan - it was a fairly bouncy read and kept a great NY in the 80's vibe. And Laura Palmer's secret diary which was very trashy but somehow also weirdly poetic. Haven't read any recently so I couldn't say if this 'genre' has improved.
Yes to both. Arthur C. Clarke's novelization of 2001: A Space Odyssey, written after the screenplay, was far better than the movie, even though the movie was visually stunning. The movie was loosely based on an earlier Clarke novel, Childhood's End. Very loosely.
I recall reading Aliens, Conan the Destroyer, and Star Wars (the original trilogy) in novel form many years back. They were okay, and added some to the story, but I didn't think them as being spectacular or overly memorable. I did like the part in Return of the Jedi, getting insight through Darth Vader's thoughts--his goal to team up with his son and overthrow the Emperorer, and that while fighting his son (Luke), the thought never occurred to him that he might lose. So, there are some tidbits that might make them worthwhile.
I did like one horror that was better than the movie - Teddy by John Gault which was far darker and better than the movie The Pit which was downright laughable.
