The Demonata originally hit bookshops between 2005 to 2009.
(more…)Category: Books
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JK Rowling and 6 other innovative YA authors of the 2000s
WRITTEN by JK Rowling, the Harry Potter novels launched in 1997 and created a phenomenon in the process – in more ways than one.
A 2005 research study from the Federation of Children’s Book Groups (FCBG) revealed 48% of children said Harry Potter was the reason they read more.
Although many know the successful film franchise, Harry Potter had an additional cultural impact: on other authors.
Post-Potter, other imaginative Young Adult (YA) literature found its way to a similar readership.
New trends emerged, such as including darker elements in children-led stories. Much like Rowling’s Voldemort, other writers also created their own sense of danger looming in each successive book.
JK Rowling created a relatable young hero and plucked him from an unpleasant living situation with the Dursleys.
In this case, Harry finds out he’s a wizard.
It’s a foundation that worked wonders for several other writers in the years since.
The characters need to grow up fast because they face very dangerous, life-threatening situations.
Let’s take a look at some examples.
Anthony Horowitz
Adam Scourfield Already an established writer, Horowitz’s Alex Rider novels dominated the 00s YA scene.
The series follows Alex, a 14-year-old boy who becomes a spy for MI6 after his uncle/legal guardian is killed.
Alex discovers his late uncle had been a spy and was training him throughout his life.
To date, Alex Rider has 13 novels spanning from 2000-2020. A 14th novel is due for release in September 2023.
Horowitz’s Alex Rider novels use a ‘floating timeline’.
The books are assumed to be set in the year of publication. So, despite Horowitz writing about Alex for more than two decades, he has only aged a year in that time.
For context: The book series began in 2000.
So, if a year has passed, it would still be the early 2000s, however, Alex uses modern innovations such as Facebook and iPhones.
The first novel, Stormbreaker was adapted as a film in 2006. Alex Pettyfyer played Alex. The film featured Mickey Rourke, Ewan McGregor, Robbie Coltrane and Bill Nighy.
In more recent years, Amazon Prime Video developed a television series based on the books. Otto Farrant stars as Alex.
A third season is in production.
In addition to Alex Rider, Horowitz also wrote the successful Power of Five novels which were published between 2005-2012.
Darren Shan
PR Irish author Darren Shan had his first literary success in 2000 with The Saga of Darren Shan.
Shan had the same agent as JK Rowling, the late Christopher Little.
These books followed a young boy who becomes an assistant to a vampire named Mr Crepsley.
Without giving too much away, Darren finds himself in a situation where he needs to save a friend’s life. Mr. Crepsley is the only one who can help.
Darren is no mere assistant, however, as he also becomes a half-vampire.
If that wasn’t enough, Darren had to fake his death to be able to leave with Mr Crepsley.
Unlike other writers at the time, Shan blurred reality ever so slightly. The books are in the form of a diary, calling into question whether Darren Shan (the author) experienced the events himself.
Of course, it should be noted that Shan’s real name is Darren O’Shaughnessy.
Naming the protagonist after his pen name was a fun way for Shan to capture young readers’ imaginations.
As it happened, Shan also had a second successful YA series beginning in the 2000s: The Demonata.
Dealing with the world of demons, Shan wrote ten books for this series; published between 2005-2010.
Unlike the Saga, which followed one protagonist, three main characters told the Demonata’s story.
The Saga of Darren Shan had a 2009 film adaptation, to mixed reviews. It starred Chris Massagolia as Darren and John C. Reilly as his mentor Mr Crepsley.
Josh Hutcherson, Ken Watanabe, Salma Hayek and the late Ray Stevenson were also among the cast.
Rather than adapting just one book, the film combined elements from the first three novels.
It remains to be seen whether there will be another adaptation, but there has been some demand for one.
Courageous Nerd has previously interviewed Darren Shan, which you can read here.
Michael Grant
Michael Grant Grant published his first GONE novel in 2008. A further 8 books set in the same universe followed up until 2019.
At the time, Grant was already an established writer. He worked extensively with his wife KA Applegate, notably on Animorphs.
In GONE, everyone aged 15 or over in a Californian beach town disappears one day without any warning. Instantaneously vanishing.
A dome then encases those remaining, trapping them with no escape.
Grant’s characters have a need to grow up more than any others on this list. They essentially have to rebuild their own society, while contending with some developing mutated superpowers.
The books are very graphic and written cinematically. There’s scope for an adaptation – with a long-running push for a TV series underway.
GONE utilises similar elements to Harry Potter. Like The Boy Who Lived, Grant’s Sam Temple finds himself in an unwanted spotlight.
Both are pushed into leadership positions, which made not have been natural at first.
However, they differ in how the authors tell their backstories. Harry’s upbringing is largely told early on, while Sam’s background is drip-fed throughout the original books.
Courageous Nerd has interviewed Michael Grant, which you can read here.
Robert Muchamore
Chieska Fortune Smith As the famous story goes, Muchamore began writing CHERUB after his tween nephew complained he had nothing age-appropriate to read.
CHERUB – standing for Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit B, follows an organisation of young spies employed by the British Government.
After all, most adults would not suspect a child of spying on them.
CHERUB was the first series after Alex Rider to successfully innovate the young spy genre.
Although not immediately obvious, CHERUB also uses a similar structure to Harry Potter.
Like Harry, James Adams is an orphan only though he only becomes one near the beginning of The Recruit.
Much like Hogwarts saves Harry from the Dursleys, James spends a brief time in a children’s home.
Rowling uses school years to advance her characters’ ages while Muchamore’s characters are usually a few months-a year older with each mission.
Muchamore adopted similar approaches to JK Rowling and Darren Shan by putting elements of himself into his lead character, James Adams.
While blonde blue-eyed James is not a physical match to Muchamore, he shares his creator’s love of Arsenal.
Muchamore had James be from Tufnell Park in North London where he grew up.
In fact, James’ middle name is Robert and the character legally switches his forename and middle name around when the books initially ended.
Similarly to Shan and Grant, Muchamore also does not shy away from the adult situations characters find themselves in.
His agents face life-or-death situations while also growing up at a fast pace.
Derek Landy
Gary Ashe/The Sun Dublin Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant books feature a teen protagonist using magic, but the Potter comparisons end there.
While JK Rowling wrote about a boy wizard, Landy conjured up a girl sorcerer named Valkyrie Cain.
Unlike Harry who attended Hogwarts, Valkyrie lived a double life. To her family, she was still ordinary Stephanie Edgley.
In fact, unlike many YA protagonists, Valkyrie is not an orphan/without parents. Both her mother and father are alive throughout the series, just unaware of what she is up to.
Since becoming a partner to skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant, they use magic to face various threats throughout each of the books.
Similarly to other characters, Valkyrie’s journey begins with bad circumstances.
Her uncle, renowned writer Gordon Edgley died and was later discovered to have been murdered.
It transpires Gordon’s books were based on adventures he had with Skulduggery.
Like many of the others listed, Landy does not use a floating timeline.
Valkyrie/Stephanie grows up in each book, transforming from a young girl to a powerful young woman.
To date, there has been no Skulduggery Pleasant adaptation.
Warner Bros had the rights at one point – Landy, who is also a screenwriter, later bought them back.
Eoin Colfer
Colfer’s Artemis Fowl novels were among the first to immediately follow Harry Potter.
Coincidentally, JK Rowling and Colfer were both teachers in their former lives.
A total of 11 Artemis Fowl books have been published to date, across two cycles.
Colfer’s protagonist differs from others on this list. He is a child prodigy and criminal mastermind, unlike the others, who are generally heroic from the outset.
Like Harry Potter, the series includes a fantasy element, with elves, pixies, centaurs and dwarves among the main cast.
Artemis also ages throughout the series, being 16 years old by book ten.
In 2020, Disney+ released an Artemis Fowl film adaptation starring Ferdia Shaw as Artemis.
Its theatrical release had been cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19.
Directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, the film also featured Judi Dench, Colin Farrell and Josh Gad.
Overview
JK Rowling’s success with Harry Potter inspired other authors.
Without JK Rowling and Harry Potter‘s impact, the YA landscape would not be the same.
However, none of these examples are carbon copies. They used elements that worked and incorporated them into their own premise.
In the end, readers got to experience a variety of different worlds and characters — everyone wins.
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The Battle Of Hogwarts: In Memoriam
On May 2 in fictional history, a major event occurred in the Harry Potter universe. As of writing in 2020, it has been twenty-two years.
This was the Battle of Hogwarts, which served as both the culmination to Harry’s omnipresent battle against Lord Voldemort as well as the finale to the series as a whole.
In this battle, a great number of witches and wizards on both sides lost their lives.
While it would be impossible without JK Rowling’s help to name all of them, there were a few who had a big role in Harry Potter.
Raise your wands for those lost.
Colin Creevey
Sixth year Colin Creevey, a muggle-born Gryffindor, was one of many fatalities in the Battle of Hogwarts.
One year below Harry Potter, Colin joined Dumbledore’s Army in his fourth year and became a loyal member, sneaking back to battle after previously being turned away because of his age.
Colin’s body was later recovered by Neville Longbottom and Oliver Wood. His killer remains unidentified.
Lavender Brown
Lavender, a seventh-year Gryffindor and classmate to Harry Potter, was mauled by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback during the Battle of Hogwarts.
An ex-girlfriend of Ron Weasley, she shared a dormitory with his future wife Hermione Granger for the six years that the latter attended Hogwarts.
Her best friend was Parvati Patil and favourite teacher was Sybill Trelawney, both of whom survived.
Crabbe/Goyle
Depending on whether you read the Deathly Hallows book or watched Deathly Hallows Part 2, your knowledge of this slot may differ.
While Crabbe died in the book, it was Goyle who perished in the 2011 final film in the eight-part series.
Although neither were very bright and tried to kill the main characters, both were part of the stories since Philosopher’s Stone, the very beginning.
Either way, Draco Malfoy lost one of his longtime henchmen.
Nagini
Known to many as Lord Voldemort’s loyal pet snake. However, Nagini was once a human woman with an affliction (Maledictus) that cursed her to transform into a snake.
Considering she appeared in Crimes Of Grindelwald which takes place in 1927 and the fact that the Battle of Hogwarts is set in 1998, Nagini lives for more than seven decades after the events of the prequel series.
Her long and tortured life came to an end when Neville Longbottom, in his act of heroic glory, slayed Nagini as she was a Horcrux.
Nymphadora Tonks
Wife to Remus John Lupin and mother to newborn Teddy Lupin, Auror Nymphadora Tonks met her end in the Battle of Hogwarts at the hands of her own aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange.
Due to both her profession and membership in the Order of the Phoenix, Tonks was no stranger to putting her life on the line for an honourable cause.
It is a shame that despite Tonks’ heroic actions, her son will grow up without a mother.
Bellatrix Lestrange
Deranged Death Eater, fanatical follower of Lord Voldemort and murderer of beloved characters (Sirius Black, Dobby, Tonks), Bellatrix Lestrange’s reign of terror came to an eventful close during the Battle of Hogwarts.
In what can be seen as an unlikely defeat, Bellatrix was bested in battle by Molly Weasley, who showed she was much more than just a housewife and mother.
With her death, the countless people whom she killed as well as those whose lives were ruined by her actions, now have justice.
Fred Weasley
Inseparable from his twin brother George. Fred Weasley, at twenty years of age, fought and died in the Battle of Hogwarts. His other siblings are Bill, Charlie, Percy (with whom he’d reconciled with during the Battle), Ron and Ginny.
Fred was also the future brother-in-law to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger through their marriages to his siblings, though he did not live to see this.
As one of the main sources of comic reliefs in Harry Potter, breaking up the twins permanently was one of the most devastating losses in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Remus Lupin
Werewolf. Marauder. Husband. Father. Former Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Remus Lupin was all of these things and more.
A close friend/mentor to Harry Potter, Remus fought alongside his late friends’ son on multiple occasions including at the Department of Mysteries.
Remus’ death sadly leaves Edward ‘Teddy’ Lupin an orphan. However, the boy has Harry Potter watching over him, so he will probably be fine.
Lord Voldemort
Not only did Lord Voldemort die in the Battle of Hogwarts – the last remnants of Tom Marvolo Riddle were destroyed alongside him.
For the previous seventeen years, he had been facing downfall after downfall at the hands of a powerful young man, Harry Potter.
In the end, his quest to kill The Boy Who Lived ultimately failed, with Voldemort’s long life filled with evil came to a dramatic end.
Severus Snape
Perhaps the most complicated character in the entire Harry Potter series, Snape was murdered by Lord Voldemort for control of the Elder Wand, before the final battle between the Dark Lord and Harry Potter.
As revealed in Deathly Hallows, Snape had a long, passionate love for Lily Evans, Harry Potter’s mother, which he retained even in his dying moments.
While Snape was no saint – he was also not as evil or heartless as you may have once believed him to be. He loved someone who didn’t (or couldn’t) love him back.
Of course, we lost Alan Rickman, the actor who played Snape in all eight films, to cancer in 2016. Rest in peace to Rickman most importantly, as the only real person on this list.
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Who Are Engage, The Company Producing Gone TV?
Since first being published in 2008, Michael Grant’s GONE books have had a back and forth journey in adapting the novels for television.
After the rights were initially acquired by SONY, the responsibility now lies with Engage, a UK-based production company.
But who are Engage? And how did they even get involved in the first place?
The process of GONE finding its way into Engage’s hands started with a young woman named Imogen Hennell.
Imogen, a fan of the books, heard from her father Ian that he had invested money into Engage Productions. She later attended a party which BAFTA-winning producer AJ Riach was also present at, although the two did not speak.
After speaking with her father, Imogen contacted Michael Grant on Twitter and found out there were no imminent plans to adapt GONE. She passed this on to her father, who spoke with AJ Riach and the latter subsequently acquired the rights after reading the books.
Since Engage bought the rights, a teaser was shot for marketing purposes in late 2019, featuring a combination of professional actors and fans playing five major characters from the novels – Sam Temple, Edilio Escobar, Albert Hillsborough, Dekka Talent and EZ.
What happens next in the process remains to be seen. You can follow Michael Grant on Twitter here, Engage here and Imogen Hennell here.
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Harry Potter: How Hermione Was Important To The Trio (and the series)
Along with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, Hermione Jean Granger is one of three main characters in the Harry Potter series.
She was played by Emma Watson in all eight films, growing from an 11-year-old Muggle-born first year to a young woman and powerful witch.
Hermione is the favourite character of both author JK Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted seven of the movies.
One of Hermione’s most defining traits is her intelligence. From very early on, it is clear that she excels when compared to her classmates by quite a mile.
In fact, this intelligence almost led to her being Sorted into Ravenclaw, the Hogwarts House which values this quality.
When she was younger, this intelligence came across as being stuck-up or bossy, which often rubbed people the wrong way. Thus, Hermione found it difficult to make friends.
Although introduced almost immediately after Harry boards the Hogwarts Express for the first time, she enters his life as a friend much later compared to Ron.
As ardent Potter fans will remember, the two boys befriended Hermione after they survived a troll attack together.
From then on, Hermione’s intelligence became a great asset to the group. Whether it was something small to helping with homework… to much later, when it was a matter of life or death.
Although petrified into unconsciousness at the time, it is Hermione’s research that helps Harry figure out that a Basilisk was roaming Hogwarts’ pipes during Chamber of Secrets.
In Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione’s time-turner helps save two innocent lives; Sirius Black, who had been wrongly imprisoned for murder over a decade earlier and the hippogriff Buckbeak, who was being unfairly sentenced to death.
In Order of the Phoenix, it was Hermione who had the idea for what later became the Dumbledore’s Army, a group that played an important role in the fall of Lord Voldemort.
Finally, in Deathly Hallows, it is clear that Harry and Ron would have struggled on the quest for Horcruxes had Hermione not been there whether it be sourcing shelter, healing splinching or getting out of dangerous situations.
While typically listed third (i.e. Harry, Ron, Hermione), Ms. Granger was ultimately an invaluable part of Harry Potter’s life, on some occasions saving him as well as being a true friend.
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What Are The Supporting Cast Of Harry Potter Doing Now?
You remember Harry Potter, right? Anyone who read children’s literature and watched films during the late 90s to early 2010s will surely recall the thrilling adventures of the Boy Who Lived and his friends in the Wizarding World.
After seven books and eight movies, Harry and his friends bid farewell (at least cinematically) in 2011, after a decade-long run of near annual run of a new Harry Potter film being released.
The three lead actors; Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) have all had continued success in their acting careers. Likewise, the movements of other cast members such as Tom Felton, Domhnall Gleeson or Robert Pattinson are widely known.
Let us step out of the spotlight for a second and think about some of the other characters and the actors who played them. Not necessarily the centre of attention but still have sizeable roles in the story.
They have a direct connection to the protagonist, Harry in this case, and help him in his journey.
bonnie wright – ginny weasley
Then: Wright played Ginny Weasley, younger sister to Ron and – Spoiler Alert – eventual wife to Harry, in all eight films, with varying screen time in each appearance. Some of her most notable work in the series is in Chamber of Secrets and Half Blood Prince, the second and sixth movies.
Now: Wright graduated with a Bachelor’s from London College of Communication in 2012 and has since moved into directing. Her work in this field includes Separate We Come, Separate We Go which starred Potter co-star David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) and Medusa’s Ankles, with another Potter alumnus, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) making an appearance.
James and oliver phelps – fred and george weasley
Then: Twins James and Oliver Phelps played Fred and George Weasley respectively in all eight films. Fred and George were the resident pranksters and older brothers to Ron as well as close friends of Harry.
Now: Since Potter ended, the Phelps Twins have largely continued to work as duo, in projects such as Danny and The Human Zoo. They also make frequent appearances at Harry Potter related conventions and events.
matthew lewis – neville longbottom
Then: Lewis appeared in all eight films as Neville Longbottom, an endearingly shy and forgetful classmate of the main trio, coming into his own in the later films, especially Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Now: Lewis has starred in multiple television series including The Syndicate, Bluestone 42, Ripper Street and Girlfriends. His film roles include Me Before You and Terminal.
Evanna lynch – luna lovegood
Then: Irish-born Lynch joined Harry Potter in its later years, appearing in the final four films between 2007 and 2011. Lynch had been a superfan of the books, having previously written to JK Rowling.
Now: Lynch appeared alongside the Phelps Twins in Danny and the Human Zoo while also starring in GBF, My Name is Emily and Madness Is The Method.
alfred enoch – dean thomas
Then: Enoch starred in seven of the films (only missing Deathly Hallows Part 1) as Harry’s classmate Dean Thomas, a muggle-born West Ham supporter who later dates Ginny Weasley.
Now: Most notably, Enoch starred in the ABC series How To Get Away With Murder, opposite Viola Davis and produced by Shonda Rhimes. He has also appeared in Sherlock, Broadchurch, Mount Pleasant and Trust Me.
devon murray – seamus finnigan
Then: Murray had an eight-film stint as Seamus Finnigan, an Irish-born half-blood wizard and fellow Gryffindor classmate to Harry and his friends.
Now: Murray has largely stepped away from acting to pursue his interest in rearing animals, though he did appear in Damo and Ivor: The Movie. He has also made appearances at Harry Potter related events.
chris rankin – percy weasley
Then: Rankin played yet another Weasley sibling; third-born, Head Boy Percy, who definitely stood out among his family… not always for the right reasons.
Now: Rankin has worked in production roles on Atlantis, Downton Abbey and Discovery Witches while also attending conventions related to Harry Potter.
joshua herdman – gregory goyle
Then: What you may not know is that Herdman is one of the few cast members to appear in all eight films while portraying the same character throughout. (Dumbledore appeared in all eight played by different actors and Warwick Davis played multiple characters in all the films).
Now: Herdman is still acting, with roles in Marcella and the forthcoming Alex Rider series. He has also embarked on a career as a mixed martial artist.
stanislav ianevski – viktor krum
Then: Ianevski played Bulgarian Seeker and Tri-Wizard champion Viktor Krum in 2005’s Goblet of Fire, making his professional acting debut in the film. He returned for Deathly Hallows Part I, however, his scenes were cut from the final film.
Now: Ianevski has continued acting, starring in films such as Hostel: Part II, directed by Eli Roth.
Clémence poesy – fleur delacour
Then: Poesy played Fleur Delacour, Tri-Wizard Champion from Beauxbatons and later a member of the Weasley family following her marriage to oldest brother Bill (Domhnall Gleeson).
Now: Poesy has starred in films such as 127 Hours and In Bruges while also accruing television credits in War and Peace (2007), Gossip Girl and The Tunnel.
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Who Is In Sony’s New ‘Alex Rider’ TV Series? Meet The Cast.
Thirteen years after the previous outing – 2006’s Stormbreaker – there will be another screen adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s successful Alex Rider books, in the form of a television series.
While the film used the story of the first book, the show will instead portray its successor – Point Blanc, set in a mysterious boarding school with questionable intentions.
None of the actors from Stormbreaker will reprise their roles in the new show, so prepare to meet new faces for these beloved characters. Let’s go through some of them.
alex rider – otto farrant
The role of teen spy Alex Rider went to Otto Farrant, who was twenty at the time of his casting. He succeeds Alex Pettyfer in the role.
His previous credits include ‘War and Peace’, ‘Marcella’ and ‘Masterpiece’.
tom harris – brenock o’connor
Best known as Game of Thrones’ Olly, Brenock O’Connor, 19, co-stars as Tom Harris, Alex’s best friend. Tom is a minor supporting character in the novels, but appears to have a larger role in the show.
In addition to Game of Thrones, O’Connor has also appeared in ‘Dickensian’, ‘Casualty’ and ‘Living the Dream’.
alan blunt – stephen dillane
Another former resident of Westeros – Stephen Dillane, who played Stannis Baratheon, takes on the role of spy chief Alan Blunt. This role was portrayed by Bill Nighy in Stormbreaker.
Dillane has been acting professionally for over thirty years, with roles in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’, ‘The Crown’ and ‘Darkest Hour’.
mrs jones – vicky mcclure
Known for playing Kate Fleming in Line of Duty, Vicky McClure stars as Mrs Jones, Blunt’s right-hand woman. Sophie Okenedo played the character in Stormbreaker.
Her additional credits include ‘This is England’ and ‘Broadchurch’.
ian rider – andrew buchan
Andrew Buchan — known as Mark Latimer in ‘Broadchurch’, plays Ian Rider, Alex’s uncle whose death sets the plot in motion. He takes over from Ewan McGregor who played the role in Stormbreaker.
Buchan has also appeared in ‘Party Animals, ‘Genius’ and ‘The ABC Murders’.
jack starbright – ronke ADéKOLUEJO
Alex’s American housekeeper Jack is played by Ronke Adekoluejo, succeeding Alicia Silverstone. She has previously starred in ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Sick Note’ and ‘Christopher Robin’.
In addition, the cast also includes Thomas Levin (Yassen Gregorovich), Haluk Bilginer (Dr Greif), Nyasha Hatendi (Smithers), Ana Ularu (Eva Stellenbosch) and Ace Bhatti (John Crawley).
Per IMDB, Harry Potter actor Josh Herdman (Goyle; all eight films) will play a character named Stan.
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YA TV Adaptations – What Does This Mean For The Fans?
It is currently an exciting time for those who read Young Adult (YA) Literature in the past decade and a half. In recent months, it has been announced that three separate though beloved long-running series of novels were adapted for television audiences.
Reading a book is a unique experience that cannot be compared to other forms of entertainment. While most of the work is done by the writer, the ability and power of their words allows the reader to actively participate in the world that has been created.
Otto Farrant and Brenock O’Connor as Alex Rider and Tom Harris Firstly, we will look at Alex Rider. For those unfamiliar with the story: Alex, a fourteen year old, is pulled into the world of espionage when his uncle/legal guardian is assassinated and his secret life as a spy is revealed.
Unlike the other two series that will be discussed, this one has fully come into fruition with casting, shooting and overall production complete, ready for release.
Of course, most will remember that the Alex Rider novels have been adapted once before – the 2006 film Stormbreaker was based on the first book and starred Alex Pettyfer, Mickey Rourke, Ewan McGregor, Robbie Coltrane, Alicia Silverstone and Bill Nighy.
The film was not a success and the possibility of seeing Alex Rider on-screen again was dead. This changed in 2018 with the series being announced.
It will tell the story of Point Blanc – the second book. Later, there was the revelation of Otto Farrant as the new Alex Rider. He will be supported by Brenock O’Connor (Tom Harris), Vicky McClure (Mrs Jones), Andrew Buchan (Ian Rider) and Stephen Dillane (Alan Blunt).
I am personally very excited to see this new iteration of Alex Rider. While the first outing was not as successful as some hoped, this new show has thirteen years worth of momentum on its side in order to do the books justice.
Author Anthony Horowitz serves as an Executive Producer.
Another prominent Young Adult series on the cusp of television is GONE, written by Michael Grant, which began in 2008 and ended its first cycle in 2013, with spin-offs being released between 2017 and 2019.
GONE depicts the small, fictictious town of Perdido Beach, which falls victim to a strange anomaly when kids start developing superhuman powers and everyone over the age of fifteen mysteriously disappears in plain sight.
A great appeal of the books is its vast, far reaching landscape as well as its widely diverse characters, many of whom we spend a significant amount of time. Although there is a definitive main character (Sam Temple), the stories are not exclusively from his perspective.
In 2013, it was announced that Sony Pictures TV had acquired the rights to make a potential GONE TV series. Sadly, nothing ever developed.
More recently, author Michael Grant has been collaborating with UK production company Engage Productions, led by AJ Riach, after an unbelievable series of events which led to Engage gaining the rights for GONE.
Currently, Grant and Riach are casting for a teaser scene, one that should be very familiar to anyone who has read the opening of book number two — Hunger.
Should the series be made for television, Michael Grant will be penning the scripts.
Finally, we have CHERUB.
Written by Londoner Robert Muchamore, it is well known at this point that he originally wrote the first book (which was published in 2004) for his nephew, who was a reluctant reader.
Since then, there has been a total of sixteen additional books across two series focusing on separate protagonists, as well as a set of prequel books (Henderson’s Boys) that take place during the Second World War.
This series depicts orphaned children working as spies for a secret branch of MI5 – Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit B.
Although the primary characters are minors under the age of seventeen, the series is very graphic and does not shy away from what someone in this age range would realistically do in the dangerous or personal situations that these characters find themselves in.
The announcement of a Sony Pictures TV-Komixx Entertainment collaboration to make this series came in April 2018, although no major news has been released since then.
Overall, bookworms like myself on both sides of the Atlantic will be rejoicing. These novels were relatively close in publication time and as such, it is exciting that now, having entered adulthood, we get to experience the stories and characters once again in a whole new medium.
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GONE TV – Guide To Pleasing All Fans, Old and New
Note – These are just ideas that I am suggesting. While I have had the pleasure of interacting with both Michael Grant and Engage Productions on Twitter, I am (sadly) not directly involved with the making of the show.
It has been eleven years since American novelist Michael Grant (of Animorphs fame) launched GONE, as we were introduced to the FAYZ and met its eclectic inhabitants for the very first time.
Although there were flickers of a possibility regarding a screen adapatation as far back as 2013, the prospect seems much more real now, with the involvement of Engage Productions, a UK based company.
Of course, in the age of widely available technology, people tend to read a lot less than before. Thus, it is possible that some viewers of the potential GONE television series will have not read the novels and are getting their first exposure into the twisted world of the FAYZ.
This creates a question – how to balance the longtime, ardent fans who know every obscure detail with those who are simply tuning into a cool looking TV show?
I will attempt to answer this question.
1 – have exposition, but not too much
With the novels, readers had all the information in their hands through Grant’s non-dialogue writing. Everything that he needed you to know was there on the page.
In Screenwriting, the common policy is ‘show not tell’ – for example, the usual instance would involve actually seeing some unbelievable event occur rather than having Sam or Astrid, for example, in the position of explaining to the other characters and thus the audience.
Yes, fans of the books are aware of Sam and Quinn’s friendship or Little Pete’s autism, which are important parts of the series, but this should be established effectively for anyone in the dark.
2 – keep the characters true to themselves
The freedom that authors have with writing characters in books is that they can be descriptive in any way they choose. They know how the characters look in their minds and that is needed.
For a television series, there is no guarantee that the casting director will find people who look like Sam, Caine, Albert or Drake that also have the ability to act.
Even JK Rowling has admitted she thought the famous casting choices for her Trio — Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, were more attractive than the outcasts in her head.
If talented actors who can embody the literary character are found, then that is the most important thing, regardless if they exactly resemble Grant’s descriptions or not.
The only aspect that is absolutely crucial to retain is race — they were created that way for a reason and that should, with no doubt, remain the same.
3 – don’t be afraid of surprising the viewers
With an adaptation based upon six popular novels, there is element of predictability involved – most of the fan base would already know the story from beginning to end, without watching a single episode.
It goes without saying that certain scenes from the books will definitely be cut or altered, for practical or story reasons. This leaves space open to create new moments without straying too far from the central plot.
4 – Smart casting choices
Engage Productions has recently been interacting with fans on Twitter in order to have an idea of what they want to see from the series.
Casting is an incredibly important facet to the show and could make or break it. Using a recent example like Stranger Things which combined established names in Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine and David Harbour with newcomers Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo.
As GONE primarily focuses on the kids and their survival in this strange new world, the adult characters are mostly supporting and inconsequential. An example of this is Mr. Trentlake, Sam’s teacher at the beginning of the first novel, whose lifespan in the books is not long at all. As a particularly astute fan on Twitter said, potentially casting a relatively well-known actor in that part could be a good idea, to surprise casual viewers when he suddenly disappears.
I would go one step further and find an even bigger name to play Connie Temple – Sam (and Caine’s) mother. While she doesn’t play an active role in the FAYZ, she becomes more prominent later on.
Whatever happens, I will continue to anticipate further updates with my fellow GONE fans around the world.
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Stoker, Shan and Meyer – Different Interpretations of Literary Vampires
Vampires are one of the most written about fictional creatures and while there have been many different interpretations, the basis remains the same. Humanoid looking people who need to drink blood in order to survive.
Perhaps the most famous literary vampire is Count Dracula, who originated in the 1897 novel Dracula by Irish author Bram Stoker. This novel is what established the well-known conventions that exist in vampire stories such as fangs and the ability to turn humans into vampires through biting.
The character story of Dracula has been adapted more than ninety times in film between 1921 and 2019. Notable actors to play the character in various forms include Christopher Lee, Jason Isaacs, Gerard Butler and John Carradine.
Another Irish writer who has popularised vampires is Darren O’Shaugnessy, better known as Darren Shan, who wrote a twelve-book series with a character named Darren Shan joining the vampiric ranks.
Unlike traditional vampires, Shan’s clan are presented as people who have a strange affliction — the need to drink blood. They are honourable fighters and beings who only ‘drink’ (take blood) in small amounts and do not kill humans in the process. They live by certain principles which are strictly enforced.
Full vampires can heal wounds with their saliva, run extremely fast (‘flit’) and trace one another through mental signals.
Much of the violent traits associated with vampires are shown within the rival clan, Vampaneze, who are purple-skinned due to level of blood consumption and always kill their targets when drinking, as the soul is preserved.
Some examples of insane Vampaneze include Murlough and his spiritual successor, Reggie Veggie (RV).
Perhaps the vampire with the most focus in Shan’s book is Larten Crepsley, over two centuries old, who lived an eclectic life before and after joining the creatures of the night. Larten is both Darren Shan’s mentor and the star of his own Saga, appearing in thirteen total books, the most of any character in this universe.
Unlike Dracula, the Saga of Darren Shan has had only one big screen adaptation – 2009’s Cirque du Freak: The Vampire Assistant, which was a flop, to put it lightly. Larten Crepsley was played by veteran actor John C. Reilly while then-newcomer Chris Massoglia played Darren Shan.
Another very famous set of vampire stories are the Twilight series which were published as novels between 2005 and 2008 while also becoming a successful film franchise starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner from 2008 to 2012.
In particular, Pattinson’s character Edward Cullen is the love interest of the female lead Bella Swan (Stewart) and as such is made desirable with traits such as eternal youthful handsomeness and skin that sparkles when in sunlight. With this in mind, they are definitely the most romanticised vampires I have seen in fiction and the probable reason for this being the case across the board.
Similar to Shan’s vampires, Edward’s family are restrained when it comes to feeding on humans. Their traits include superhuman abilities involving strength, stamina and agility.
Of course, these are just three examples of vampires in literature, film and television which are entirely different from each other. There are also many more variations of the genre that I did not include.
Each has different reasons why longtime fans believe that their favourite is the best depiction of the character type. The fact that vampires still have so much mileage and adaptability after all these years is truly remarkable and surely we will meet many more in the years to come.