Some of our favorite TV shows of all time started as books (Game of Thrones, we’re looking at you). This fall, the TV lineup has even more really great shows based on books old and new, and there’s still time to read the books before the shows premiere.
The book-to-TV crossover is a winning recipe because it ensures that a new show will already have a fan base, which bodes well for the studio producing it. For streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu, the need for new content is at an all-time high, and developing shows from books is a no-brainer.
Books by classic writers like Joseph Conrad and Shirley Jackson are getting shows, along with books by contemporary crime writers like Tom Clancy and John le Carré. The king of horror, Stephen King, is getting a show inspired by the dark themes, characters and locations in his books, creating endless storylines similar to the chilling tales we know and love. Click through this slideshow to see what to load onto your Kindle or download from Audible right away.
‘The Haunting of Hill House’
Check out Shirley Jackson's classic tale of gothic horror about a dysfunctional family set in a terrifying haunted house before watching this new series around Halloween. Look for The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix Oct. 12.
‘The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’
Brush up on the supernatural comic books by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa before watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a new show starring Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) as Sabrina, a young witch from a magical family. This dark coming-of-age series is another good one to watch this Halloween. Look for it on Netflix Oct. 26.
‘The Miniaturist’
Read The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton before watching this gorgeous limited series set in Holland in the 1600s. Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) plays Petronella Brandt, a young woman who receives a miniature house that's a replica of her new home as a wedding gift from her wealthy husband. When Petronella hires a mysterious miniaturist to create furnishings for the toy house, eerie things begin happening. The show began airing on PBS on Sept. 9, but after you read the book, you can stream the episodes you missed to catch up, then watch the rest on your local PBS station.
‘You’
If you haven't already read Caroline Kepner's best-selling erotic thriller, the time is now. You is about a young man's (Penn Badgley) obsession with a beautiful woman (Elizabeth Lail), leading to deadly consequences. Though the series began airing on Lifetime on Sept. 9, you can stream the pilot, then catch up with the rest of the episodes as they air live on Sunday nights.
‘The Rook’
In The Rook, set in London, a young woman wakes up surrounded by dead bodies in a park. She has no memory of her previous life, but she finds that she's part of a secret agency that protects people from dark supernatural forces. The TV show will air on Starz in early 2019, so you have plenty of time to read the book by Daniel O'Malley.
‘Hilda’
Your children will love reading these fanciful graphic novels by Luke Pearson about Hilda (voiced by Bella Ramsey in the show), an adventurous blue-haired girl who lives in a magical world with elves, giants and the exciting city of Trolberg. The show hits Netflix on Sept. 21.
‘The Little Drummer Girl’
The Little Drummer Girl is John le Carré's novel about a British actress who gets recruited for the role of her lifetime when she becomes a spy. Florence Pugh and Alexander Skarsgård star in the TV series, which is set to start airing on AMC Nov. 19.
‘My Brilliant Friend’
In My Brilliant Friend, set in Italy in the 1950s, Elena and Lila rely on each other as they grow up on the tough streets just outside Naples. HBO is adapting the book by Elena Ferrante as a TV series set to air this November.
‘Catch-22’
The classic World War II story Catch-22, set in Italy, is getting a star-studded (George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Christopher Abbot) limited series on Hulu in early 2019. If you missed reading Joseph Conrad's book about a sinister paradox for one terrified soldier, you have time to catch up.
‘Angel of Darkness’
We couldn't be more thrilled that this year's sleeper hit, The Alienist, is getting a second season, again starring Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans and Daniel Brühl. Because the TNT network viewed the first season as a limited series, the second season, based on the second book in the trilogy by Caleb Carr, will be called Angel of Darkness. Get the trilogy of books, then binge-watch The Alienist, a gritty crime drama set in New York at the turn of the last century, and you'll be ready to watch Angel of Darkness in 2019.
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