Adapting a massive, dense sci-fi or fantasy novel is never an easy thing to do. For every successful adaptation that’s been done (e.g. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy), there’s always an example of a misfire of equal proportion (e.g. 2017’s The Dark Tower). Readers, consequently, have learned to approach all adaptations of their favorite books with a healthy level of skepticism. As warranted as that is, too, it’s worth celebrating the book-to-movie adaptations that actually work.
