So what do you all think...

...about books written based off video games/movies/TV shows and the like? We all know about Mass Effect... but I never realized it was so prominent. Until today.

I just spent like five hours at Barnes & Noble looking around and stuff.. also hoping to get a job there. In the fiction section, I saw books for Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Mech Warrior, Warcraft, Star Craft, Shadowrun, Ghost in the Shell, Battle Star Galactica, Star Trek, Stargate Atlantis (and maybe others in that series), Doctor Who, Magic the Gathering (the trading card game), Halo, D&D (actual books, not just the DM's guide stuff), novels for Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man and X-Men (as opposed to comics), Star Wars... which had it's own bookcase..., and of course, Mass Effect. It's ridiculous. I think last time I was there, I saw books for Diablo..

It was just huge. I'm not sure how recent these releases were... like if they were created as a result of the TV show/video game/movie or if they were and te inspiration for electronic media releases. Though most (if not all) of these looked fairly new. Usually it's the other way around. Video gams and the like being made as a result of books.

But hey. If it gets people reading, more power to it, right?

Comments 10

WilltheGreat Jun 21, 2008

They tend to be crap.

Genj Jun 21, 2008

I tend to avoid books like those.

Felix_Arabia Jun 21, 2008

I remember reading the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire book shortly after the N64 game came out. I liked it. I don't think I'd care to read stuff like that today, though.

It's really not too surprising that there are so many literary adaptations to video games. With extreme fan interest for most if not all of those franchises you mentioned, there has to be a few pretty pennies to be made.

We'll know there are too many of these adaptations once we see my childhood dream novel, Star Wars: The Empire Eats a Bowl of Wheaties, get turned into an actual book. I'll sue if that happens.

wolfqueen001 Blogger Jun 21, 2008

Haha. Good to know. Glad I've never taken any interest in them. I've always just considered them archetypal, run-of-the-mill, just-trying to make money-with-the-same-prolificness-as-Stephen-King nonsense.

Instead, I spent my $45 or so in gift cards on some of the classics I need to read because I haven't yet... Shame on me. (Dracula and a Tale of Two Cities, mainly. Never read these in high school. Dunno why.) Also spent it on some more fantasy stuff... which probably isn't much better than these "appeal to the masses" video game/etc books, but which I like because... I like them.

Halon Jun 21, 2008

Haha I'm also like you, I have TONS of books and the only books I read are the non-fiction ones (mostly history/politics and philosophy). I've read maybe five fiction novels since I was 10 years old.

I know I have a few game novels; pretty sure there's a Halo and Starcraft book floating around somewhere but don't recall reading any of them.

EmP Staff Jun 22, 2008

I have two dozen Shadowrun books lying around, but it's worth noting that they're more based on the tabvletop game than the videogames. They vary in quality, but some are very readable. All things Warhammmer are in exactly the same boat.

The myth that all game-based books are naff isn't far off, sadly, but there are some great books out there. Ever since Suskie's run down of the Mass Effect one, I've kept half an eye out for it and will probably pick it up if I see it.

wolfqueen001 Blogger Jun 22, 2008

Heh. Cool. I didn't know Shadowrun was that kind of role-playing game. I knew Warhammer and D&D were, because I've played them

disco1960 Jun 24, 2008

I go to the bookstore to read those all the time! I like to finish them before I leave.

bloomer Jun 25, 2008

The only ones I've read are S D Perry's Resident Evil books. They are quite good by any standard. Some of them are based on particular games in the series, others are originals.

darketernal Jul 1, 2008

I heard they are crap, the RE books. It makes me happy that japanese/anime books are rare to non existant. Honestly, the only ones I ever read was a few Star Wars books. I might get talked into reading a WoW book since I actually know a thing or two about it, despite Blizzard butchering the lore to the point of non recognition. I need a good dwarf story.