TV Adaptations Readers Will Love

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
Those unfamiliar with Outlander might’ve taken one look at the adaptation’s wildly attractive leads and pigeonholed it as a period romance. But Gabaldon’s bestselling series is an irresistible blend of romance, historical fiction, and fish-out-of-water time travel tale, with all the innate humor and terror of that setup—and fans have wholeheartedly endorsed the TV version for doing it justice. Claire Beauchamp is a snappy, empowered nurse recently reunited with her egghead husband after World War II; while on holiday in Scotland, she’s zapped to the 18th century by some strange magic from a ring of standing stones. There, she finds bodily protection on a laird’s estate, then legal protection in the form of a possibly bigamous marriage to a gorgeous Scottish soldier. We’re still holding our breath after the midseason cliffhanger—and will be left hanging till its April 4 return.

The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling
Rowling’s first book post-Harry Potter was going to make a splash no matter what. But what fans discovered, after The Casual Vacancy‘s 2012 release, is that Rowling doesn’t need magic to write a compelling tale. Set in the bucolic but deeply divided English village of Pagford, this novel combines pitch-black comedy, an unerring ear for dialogue, and an eye for social strata in a story of what happens after the unexpected death of a village councilman. The miniseries premieres in April on the BBC.

Fresh off the Boat, by Eddie Huang
This funny, provocative memoir by foodie kingpin Eddie Huang, of Baohaus fame, tracks his coming of age as the hip-hop–obsessed, American-born son of Taiwanese parents. Its sitcom adaptation, starring an 11-year-old Eddie, hit ABC earlier this year, to much acclaim. The book’s subversive stance is kept alive on the small screen, in a comedy exploring culture shock, stereotypes, and peer pressure.

Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel
This adaptation of the first book in Hilary Mantel’s astonishing Thomas Cromwell trilogy (including 2012’s Bring Up the Bodies and the forthcoming The Mirror and the Light) stars Mark Rylance as the thuggish, hyperintelligent Cromwell, who uses diplomacy, manipulation, and bullying to cement his status as King Henry VIII’s right-hand man…right up until he loses his head. The events of Wolf Hall center primarily on the machinations required to separate church from state, allowing Damian Lewis’s King Henry to trade first wife Catherine of Aragon (Joanne Whalley) for doomed younger model Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy). Mantel is renowned for bringing to life the sights, smells, and societal minutiae of Cromwell’s day. Her impeccable research informs the beautifully shot miniseries, which aired in January on BBC2.

A Dance with Dragons, by George R.R. Martin
The next book of A Song of Ice and Fire might be a ways off, but the HBO series marches on, and the fifth season looks to cover—and perhaps even move beyond—the events of George R.R. Martin’s fifth novel. The kingdom of Westeros is in upheaval after the events of the season four finale, which left Tyrion on the run for murder, Daenerys and her dragons in command of a freed city of slaves, and Jon Snow and his fellow men of the Night’s Watch weakened and vulnerable to the looming attack from those ice zombies waiting beyond the wall. April 12 can’t come soon enough.

The Expanse series, by James S.A. Corey
This fall, Syfy launches the next great epic sci-fi series. The Expanse, based on a series of four books (so far), is set in our solar system a few hundred years in the future. We’ve colonized the planets and outer asteroid belts, but the vast distances between settlements has resulted in an evolutionary division between “Earthers,” “Belters,” and inhabitants of Mars. A stolen starship, a mysterious alien molecule, and a missing girl threaten to upset a precarious peace between the far-flung factions of humanity. This prestige production features top-notch special effects and has attracted an impressive cast, including Thomas Jane, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Breaking Bad‘s Jonathan Banks.

Raylan, by Elmore Leonard
Over the last five years, the FX Network’s Justified has quietly grown into one of the best dramas on television. Based on a series of novels by Elmore Leonard, it tells the engrossing, funny, sometimes shockingly violent story of Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshal who has returned to his hometown to dispense justice, sometimes straying beyond the law. After taking down a series of ever-badder, ever-bolder criminals and miscreants, Raylan (played to the hilt by Timothy Olyphant) finally hangs up his hat after the sixth and final season, which began airing in late January.

The Slap, by Christos Tsiolkas
Adapted from a novel with eight narrators, all of whom witnessed the titular slap doled out by a man to somebody else’s child, The Slap is the kind of messy, nuanced domestic drama TV viewers eat up like microwave popcorn. It’s a story full of antiheroes, played by a laundry list of award-winning actors including Uma Thurman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Thandie Newton. Starting February 12 on NBC, each episode plays out from a different character’s perspective, depicting a birthday party gone wrong and the fallout from a minor yet transgressive act of violence.

Orange is the New Black, by Piper Kerman
This smart, addictive, female-powered hit series, based on Piper Kerman’s women’s prison memoir of the same name, is back for a third season this summer. While Kerman kept her head down during a sentence that lasted 13 months, her fictional alter ego can’t keep herself out of trouble (to viewers’ delight). Season two ended with a bang, to say the least, and fans have been fed a semi-steady diet of casting news and behind-the-scenes details ever since. We’re particularly excited about the addition of Mary Steenburgen and Mike Birbiglia to the cast, and the return of Laura Prepon to series-regular status.

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman
Quentin Coldwater feels trapped by his cushioned New York upbringing, and has spent his whole life wishing the magic he reads about in children’s fantasy novels was real. Then one day, he finds out it is, when he’s recruited to attend hidden magical college Brakebills. But even as all his dreams are coming true, Quentin is reminded that real life rarely resembles what we find in books. Grossman’s novel has been described as Holden Caulfield goes to Hogwarts, but that one-liner only hints at the wonders of this series, particularly once Quentin and his classmates find a doorway to Fillory, an enchanted other world in need of rescue. There’s no air date for the series, but a bunch of young unknowns have been cast and filming is underway.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susannah Clarke
We’re still waiting to find out when this BBC production will air in the U.S., but judging by early promotional photos, the production has perfectly captured the flavor of this Elizabethan-era novel of manners and magic. We’re especially excited about pictures showing Eddie Marsan as stern, bookish magician Mr. Norrell, and Bertie Carval as Jonathan Strange, his flashy, upstart apprentice. Clarke’s expansive novel revels in period detail, which is a BBC specialty, and we’re particularly looking forward to seeing Marc Warren’s version of the tricksy villain, The Man With the Thistle-Down Hair.
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