11 Times Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books Were Adapted into Graphic Novels with Gorgeous Results

Kindred, by Octavia Butler (adaptation by John Jennings and Damian Duffy)
Butler’s best-known novel, which follows Dana, a 20th century African-American girl, as she travels back in time to the era of slavery in the U.S., is one of those works of sci-fi that seems to become more relevant and urgent with each passing year. Any adaptation of it risks boiling away the passion and rage that imbue every word, with the end result being a kind of commonplace time travel knot of a story. Damian Duffy and John Jennings capture that energy with the jittery artwork, however, conveying visuals that seem to be just barely contained on the page as the raw emotion of Dana’s story leaks out of every line, letter, and splash of color.

A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. Martin (adaptation by Daniel Abraham and Tommy Patterson)
You might say that with Game of Thrones spending millions of HBO’s money each year, no other adaptation could compete, but even HBO has to cut a few corners in order to pay for the big scenes every year. There’s no such problem with these graphic novel adaptations, which can be as leisurely as they want, capturing all the little details of Martin’s universe and sparing no expense when it comes to the big moments.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs (adaptation by Cassandra Jean)
Riggs story of a school for “gifted” children plays out like a pint-sized version of the X-Men, with a gothic twist. Naturally, it only adds to the story to be able to see what all of the unusual students might look like—and these adaptation captures every detail to gothic, gloomy perfection.

The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman (adaptation by Joe Haldeman and Marvano)
It’s telling that Haldeman himself scripted these comic adaptations like a film, supplying all the dialog and blocking. Drawn in a self-consciously comic style that contrasts perfectly with the bleak themes of dehumanization, the end result is like the most beautiful nightmare you can imagine, a striking interpretation of a great book, as visually interesting as it is affecting.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (adaptation by Tim Hamilton)
They made the right call adapting Bradbury’s classic novel: stick closely to the story and not improvise. Instead, Tim Hamilton uses striking visuals to deepen and develop the novel’s key themes. The artwork crushes you, implying walls that close in, shadows that hide threats—somehow conveying the idea of a world that fears imagination and knowledge without spelling that out in words.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer (adaptation by Young Kim)
Considering what a pop culture juggernaut they were a few years ago, it was almost inevitable that Meyer’s novels were adapted into just about every medium. —but what’s remarkable about the manga-influenced graphic novel adaptation is how much dimension the visuals to the story. The bright, color-drenched art by Young Kim underscores the simple, instantly iconic romance at the center of Meyer’s paranormal adventure.

The Gunslinger, by Stephen King (adaptation by Robin Furth, Peter David, Jae Lee, and Richard Isanove)
If there was ever a novel series that cried out for a graphic novel adaptation, it’s King’s Dark Tower series. Marvel’s work is almost a complete reinvention, teasing out details and nuances that were always present in King’s work, but more deeply buried. It’s one of the rare graphic novels that manages to be a wholly new and separate reading experience, despite it similarities to the source.

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle (adaptation by Hope Larson)
When a book has been around as long as L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, it can become a part of your inner world, cherished but no longer remarkable. Bring in a talent like Hope Larson, however, and suddenly the story is fresh, leaping off the page—a joyous exploration of a universe you’re totally familiar with, yet somehow newly surprised by. Larson’s distinctive style is a perfect match for the story, characters, and spirit of this classic.

Wool, by Hugh Howey (adaptation by Jimmy Palmiotti. Jimmy Broxton, and Justin Gray)
Howey’s post-apocalyptic tale makes for an intriguing graphic novel mystery in this adaptation, which covers the first book in the trilogy, which follows the story of what happens after an unspecified disaster forces the remnants of humanity to live underground in retrofitted missile silos. The claustrophobic setting is almost a main character in the story, and I loved seeing the silo come to life on the page.

Rivers of London, by Ben Aaronovitch (adaptation by Andrew Cartmel and Lee Sullivan)
Ben Aaronovitch’s sharp urban fantasy series about an apprentice wizard serving on London’s police force makes a seamless transition to comic book format. The procedural aspects of the paranormal mystery at its center—a rash of demonic possessions, a squabble between ancient gods—provide a stable frame for outsized imagery without going over the top.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (adaptation by P. Craig Russell)
Before Gaiman was a number-one bestseller, he was a cult comics sensation, thanks to his landmark series The Sandman. Thus, it’s only fitting that one of his more recent works—the instant classic gothic YA adventure The Graveyard Book—should become a gorgeous graphic novel. Eisner and Harvey award-winner P. Craig Russell transforms this tale of an orphaned boy raised by ghosts into a thing of dark beauty.