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Welcome back to Worth the Read! Earlier this week, Amazon MGM Studios announced it’s developing a series adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing. And since then, the internet has been in a frenzy for a multitude of reasons. First, Fourth Wing—you know, the spicy fantasy series about an elite military college and dragons—is a phenomenon. Second, everyone’s favorite sinner, Michael B. Jordan, is producing. Third, the romantasy girlies are still reeling from the news that we’re not getting the A Court of Thorns and Roses adaptation any time soon. (Okay, that third point is just my opinion!)

But if we zoom out, I think this upcoming combination of a streaming powerhouse and a mega-bestseller points to something bigger and more interesting—we’re watching a broader shift in the industry take place. Adaptations are no longer surprising add-ons for blockbuster books, and, instead, they’re increasingly expected. When a title becomes big enough, audiences—and studios—now assume a film or TV deal is inevitable. What used to feel like a bonus has started to feel like part of the natural trajectory of a hit book. But is this a good thing or a bad thing for readers? Are adaptations just cash grabs? Or should we be celebrating?

From left: Meredith Averill, Michael B. Jordan, Rebecca Yarros, and Lisa Joy. Credit: Amazon News

You don’t need me to tell you book adaptations are nothing new. Before radio and film, before streaming and binging, written stories were being adapted into operas, ballets, and more. (Hey, Timothée Chalamet, if you’re reading, I’m sorry if this is triggering.) I might even argue that many famous Ancient Greek plays, from Oedipus Rex to Medea to The Oresteia, are proto-book adaptations, considering they were based on pre-existing poems and mythology. And throughout the history of film and television, books have always inspired masterpieces—think of The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and The Shawshank Redemption. In my 35 years on this planet, I’ve seen firsthand how an adaptation can turn a blockbuster into a phenomenon—look at Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Game of Thrones.

So, am I an entertainment purist? Do I think this shows a lack of imagination on the part of film and TV executives? Do I think adaptations are lesser than their written counterparts? After I wrote about Stoicism last week, do you think I’m a snob? 

Nope. I love adaptations, and I’m thrilled we’re getting so many of them. I love getting the opportunity to spend more time with characters I’ve grown attached to, or having the chance to “try out” a story to see if I want to read the book. I’m not ashamed to say I would have struggled to visualize the battle scenes in The Lord of the Rings if I hadn’t seen the movies, or that I’m probably never going to read Dune, but I’ll watch the films. (Are we good now, Timothée?) In my opinion, when we accept that books and their adaptations are similar but separate entities (fraternal twins, perhaps?), we give ourselves permission to enjoy them both on their own terms.

I asked my colleague—and our resident film buff—John Farrar to weigh in on the topic, too. (Bonus: John writes our Worth the Watch newsletter, which you should totally read!) Here’s his take:

Thanks for backing me up, John! Also, we can’t forget the authors. Over the past three years, I’ve interviewed a handful of authors about seeing their books adapted for the screen, and they’ve all said some version of the same thing: there’s something deeply exciting about watching other people step into their world and interpret it for themselves. Seeing actors, directors, and fans connect with their characters and story often helps the authors see the work in a new light, too. (Of course, that’s not to say things can’t go wrong. We all know the horror stories of authors who hated their adaptations, like Rick Riordan, P.L. Travers, and Jodi Picoult, to name a few.) Plus, a successful adaptation can drive book sales like nothing else! (Heated Rivalry, anyone?)

Most importantly, I love how adaptations let us share our favorite stories with each other in a new way. I recently watched Remarkably Bright Creatures with my mom, and we both found ourselves quietly sobbing as the credits rolled. Sure, we’d each read and loved the book, but this was special. We’d gotten to go on this emotional journey together, and everything I’d seen—Sally Field’s tender expressions, Marcellus’s majestic movements, the fog settling over the coastline—I knew for a fact my mom had seen, too, alongside me. Maybe that’s why adaptations feel so inevitable now: when a story truly resonates, we can’t help but want to keep finding new ways to share it with each other.

Credit: Netflix

I’m really curious: What’s your favorite book-to-screen adaptation? Are you a fan of adaptations, or do you think I’ve got it all wrong? Reply here and let me know!

I’m constantly tracking upcoming adaptations, and even so, I still get caught off guard pretty regularly. Release schedules shift all the time, and new trailers seem to drop out of nowhere—usually the second we finish Tuesday’s Book Pix, much to my endless irritation. That’s all to say, these are just the biggest titles on my radar at the moment. I’m sure more must-see releases have been announced as I type this.

Genevieve Nierman is an editor, writer, and interviewer with over a decade of experience in books and publishing, including roles at Little, Brown and Company and Alfred A. Knopf. She is currently Senior Books Content Manager at Pix Media, where she runs the flagship newsletter Book Pix. She lives in New York City with her orange cat, Oscar, and an ever-growing stack of books.

Currently reading: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke