I’ve been meaning to post a review of how complex it is to deal with literary adaptations for cinema or TV for a few days. In general, authors get frustrated, as do the purist fans I talk about so much here at Miscelana. However, on rare occasions, authors enjoy what they see on the air. In 2024, on the same platform – MAX – we can see the differences so directly opposite with two great successes: Dune: Prophecy and House of the Dragon.
George R. R. Martin’s “trauma”
George R. R. Martin is already known for openly complaining when he doesn’t approve of what he sees on the air. For 13 years, promising to end the Game of Thrones saga in the books, he saw the series surpass its books and end the story the way it should have. House of the Dragon aired two seasons and is about to start filming the third, and another spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will premiere in 2025. Nothing about the final book, but several posts on his blog being completely open about how much he deeply dislikes the changes in HOD.
I must confess that – as a purist – I agree that even though it is sensational, House of the Dragon would be even better if it were more faithful to the book. Of the changes that were made, none of them seemed to me to alter the plot for the better, nor to simplify it. Sometimes, it is even the opposite, such as, for example, placing the burden of knowledge of a prophecy that GOT did not explore properly on the heir to the Iron Throne. And, worst of all, is in the part of Helaena Targaryen’s story, which is more impactful on the pages.
“I’m probably one of the few people in Hollywood who still thinks that when you adapt a work of art, a novel, a short story, you have to do a faithful adaptation,” he told The Hollywood Reporter when discussing another project, the short films he produced adapting the works of his friend Howard Waldrop. “[That] really irritates me because they change things and I don’t think they usually improve them.”
It’s been taken as a reference to his spat with showrunner Ryan Condall in September 2024. For now, he’s full of praise for Ira Parker, who leads A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but I always suspect he starts out that way only to get irritated later.
Like Stephen King before him, Martin complains about scripts, and since he started out as a screenwriter, you’d think he’d know what he was talking about, but before he launched himself as a fantasy author, he wasn’t the showrunner of choice in Hollywood.
The team adapting Rings of Power is also facing a barrage of complaints about having taken liberties with Tolkien’s books, because a good adaptation has never been made in the cinema without a considerable number of people complaining. It’s hard to please.
Brian Herbert’s support contrasts Martin’s criticism
In the face of the usual whining from dissatisfied authors and fans, Brian Herbert‘s positivity about Dune: Prophecy stands out. Since its debut, even before, the author, who wrote the literary material on which the series is based and is the son of Frank Herbert, the author of Dune, has shared his approval of what is being done.
“While watching the premiere of Dune: Prophecy, I thought of my parents, Frank and Beverly Herbert, who were the first to set foot in the fantastic universe of Dune. This new series is full of intrigue and suspense. I am very pleased with it, and my parents would be too,” he shared in November 2024.
The series is not entirely faithful to what Brian wrote. For example, there’s no Desmond Hart in the book, but he still approves. “They’re getting important details right. When Kevin and I wrote the novels, and when we later advised on the script, we were careful to emphasize that anyone who came into Other Memory couldn’t use it at will. Instead, it’s random and chaotic,” he explained.
And what about the flashback episode? “It’s great to see how closely the series follows what Kevin and I wrote in SISTERHOOD OF DUNE, about the mysterious and lethal combination of Valya Harkonnen and her loyal sister, Tula. They’re a dangerous duo with an intriguing backstory,” he praised.
Are happy authors a good sign?
Obviously, pleasing the creators of the story is important, after all, we should thank their imagination for the universe that is presented on screen and in books, but each medium has its own particularities.
Books can be detailed and complex, especially since they rely on the very particular vision of the reader. Films and series need to transport imagination and description to a specific screen size, with all possible difficulties to achieve this. Not to mention that they are restricted by the hours that almost force a summary of the plot, precisely the trap of contradiction.
Like Brian Herbert, writers such as Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale), Diana Gabaldo (Outlander) and Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games) are some writers who liked how their books were adapted. Dune: Prophecy has already reached the halfway point of its season, will the support continue?
As for Martin, the biggest expectation from fans is still about the conclusion of The Winds of Winter, in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga. “That’s still a priority,” he insisted in the interview with THR. “A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They’re saying] ‘Oh, it’ll never be finished.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive now! I look pretty vital!”, the only thing missing is focus!
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