6 Novels and Graphic Novels That Continue Beloved SF/F TV Shows

Star Wars: Dark Disciple, by Christie Golden
Want more Star Wars: The Clone Wars (especially since you still have a few months to wait before The Force Awakens)? Dark Disciple‘s story is based on scripts for unproduced episodes, and follows former Sith apprentice-turned-bounty hunter Asajj Ventress as she unites with Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos to take down her former master, Sith Lord Count Dooku. Golden is also the author of several of the decanonized-but-still-worthwhile Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi novels, and successfully creates an absorbing tale sure to please picky franchise fans.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8, by Joss Whedon et al.
The enormously popular Season 8, which is certainly at least partially responsible for the current trend in continuing novelizations/graphic novelizations, is a Buffy-lover’s dream. Picking up shortly after the events of the television finale, it follows the Scoobies to Scotland as, unhindered by budgetary constraints, they battle new evil, train hundreds of baby Slayers, and fire lightening-fast quips on every glorious page. A must-read for every Buffy fan, period.
Fans of other Whedon shows, never fear: other continuations include Dollhouse, Volume One: Epitaphs, Angel: After the Fall, Volume 1, and Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories, among others.

The X-Files: Season 10, by Joe Harris et al.
With an X-Files revival scheduled to premiere at the beginning of 2016, there’s never been a better time to reacquaint yourself with Mulder and Scully. Picking up after the events of the 2008 movie, this 25-issue comic book series follows the dynamic duo as they uncover new conspiracies and court new and exciting kinds of danger. Nominated for two Diamond Gem awards, including Best New Comic Book Series, Season 10 delivers everything you loved from the original show. The revival premieres January 24, so you have almost exactly seven months to get caught up.

Charmed: Season 9, by Paul Ruditis et al.
What happens after you’ve defeated the source of all evil? If you’re the Halliwell sisters, rather a lot. This bestselling graphic novel continuation of the long-running television show picks up about a year and a half after the series finale, with Paige, Phoebe, and Piper all now mothers. But parenthood doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of baddies to vanquish, and the three Charmed ones meet all challenges with their trademark humor, loyalty, and style, producing a charming (ahem) read that will delight fans. Oh, and one more thing…you may see one more familiar face than you expect to.

Fringe: The Zodiac Paradox, by Christa Faust
When Fringe aired its last episode in January 2013, fans around the world were devastated. Fortunately, there are still more stories to be told in the Fringe universe multiverse, and Fringe: The Zodiac Paradox is one of them. Set before the start of the series, it follows Walter Bishop as he works with William Bell and discovers Cortexiphan and the alternate universe. And once you’ve read Walter’s tale, you can get stories from Olivia and Peter as well, in Fringe: The Burning Man and Fringe: Sins of the Father.

Life on Mars: Blood, Bullets and Blue Stratos, by Tom Graham
Life on Mars (we’re talking about the U.K. version here) has had a complicated afterlife: the original series ran from January 2006 to April 2007, and then there was a 2008-09 American adaptation, a 2009 Spanish adaptation, and a 2012 Russian adaptation, while a U.K. sequel, Ashes to Ashes, aired from 2008 to 2010. Unfortunately, despite there being a lot of different incarnations of the series, there’s still just not that much of it (blasted BBC!). Which is where Tom Graham’s four enjoyable continuations pick up: Blood, Bullets and Blue Stratos is the first, followed by Life on Mars: A Fistful of Knuckles, Life on Mars: Borstal Slags, and Life on Mars: Get Cartwright.
What series do you wish would be revived in print?