Have you ever read a novel based on a video game?

[Rhindle The Red]

So, have you ever read a novel based on a video game? I admit that I have read at least one of those "Doom" books. There are others based on Tomb Raider, Halo, Resident Evil... Heck, a whole slew of 'em are out there. Have you ever partaken? Which one(s)? What did you think?

[Lauren Tyler]

The Resident Evil novels were pretty good, especially the first one.

 

I've read part of one of the Tomb Raider novels, and some of StarCraft: Ghost.

 

I need to start reading my Perfect Dark novel.

[Atarifever]

The Halo novels are of two types:

1-- The transparent rip-off of "Ender's Game", just written much, much, much less well. That sucks hard.

 

2-- Written versions of the game. Honestly, when I read a section detailing Master Chief finding a bridge's control panel to turn it on, I decided perhaps buying the boxed set had been a poor investment.

[Atari5200]

The Ninja Gaiden Novel, real old school, i was like in 5th grade when i read it and I still have it, it was excellent.

[+Lynxer2007]

I've read Doom. It was pretty good, but I'd rather play the game it's based on.

 

Edited May 29, 2007 by EMZayas

[Scumdogg]

I have a few of those old "Worlds of Power" books, the Ninja Gaiden one is the best. Other than that, i don't think so...which is an answer that surprises me. I really thought i'd read several video game-based books until i thought about it just now.

[bomberpunk]

The Ninja Gaiden Novel, real old school, i was like in 5th grade when i read it and I still have it, it was excellent.

 

i never read that one, but i used to own and love Megaman 2 from the same series, Worlds Of Power. it was like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, which made it even better!

[Foxsolo2000]

The Resident Evil books were pretty good but the worst I read was Street Fighter 2 which tried to cover every fighter instead of just covering one or two

[Video]

I've read the first three Halo books, they were all pretty good but only one was related to the game (though related games will probably be released for the others)

[BydoEmpire]

I'm embarassed to ask, but here goes. Which came first, Planetfall the book(s), or the Infocom games? Because I read one of the books just a couple years ago.

[Rhindle The Red]

I'm embarassed to ask, but here goes. Which came first, Planetfall the book(s), or the Infocom games? Because I read one of the books just a couple years ago.

The game came first.

[JellE]

I have read the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The book came before the game. (Which I am pretty sure everyone already knew.)

[Rhindle The Red]

I have read the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The book came before the game. (Which I am pretty sure everyone already knew.)

And the radio show came before the book.

[JellE]

I have read the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The book came before the game. (Which I am pretty sure everyone already knew.)

And the radio show came before the book.

 

Yup... forgot all about that.

[SoheiFox]

... you know, the Doom novelizations were good to a point. That point was around when the Mormon dude showed up and the little girl started to get hot for Flynn. It didn't take a genius to see where THAT was going.

[Big Player]

I voted no. The closest I have come is reading the novelization of Tron. And I have read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy but that doesn't count.

 

Other novels that I have read that were made into games.

 

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

 

I never have played these games though.

[+FujiSkunk]

I've read several Star Trek novels, some of which had about as much plot as an early '80s video game, but I guess that's not the same thing.

 

Do comic books or graphic novels count?

Edited May 31, 2007 by skunkworx

[candiru]

Starship Titanic.

Never played the game, but the book, written by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, was pretty awful.

Edited May 31, 2007 by candiru

[zeropolis79]

i've only read novelleas which came with Starglider and Elite back in the 80s.. I've written one myself based on the Spectrum classic Where Time Stood Still. I've since lost it though..

[+remowilliams]

Yeah, forgot about the Planetfall book. I think that's about it though.

 

Hmm, now that I think about it - how about a 'have you played a board game based on a video game' poll?

[Mezrabad]

I read Pool of Radiance (I also think there was a "Curse of the Azure Bonds" and a few of the other gold boxes written into story form), Betrayal at Krondor, Return to Krondor, Tear of the Gods and Baldur's Gate. The Feist novels were pretty good (no surprise there) but the Pool of Radiance and Baldur's Gate paperbacks were pretty weak.

[Rhindle The Red]

Starship Titanic.

Never played the game, but the book, written by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, was pretty awful.

Yes, that was a very strange novel. It was clearly an Adams story, but filtered through Terry Jones, it never comes together.

 

For those who don't know the story of that one:

 

Jones was doing some voices for the video game and he was amazed at the technology behind it all and wanted to do anything he could for the project.

 

"Got anything else that I could do?" he asked Adams.

 

"Want to write a novel?" was the reply.

 

You see, the publishers of Starship Titanic were keen to have a novel to tie into the game (seeing as Adams was a novelist and all), but Adams (as always) had no time to write one. Getting Jones to do it seemed the perfect solution. So you end up with the very strange title of:

 

DOUGLAS ADAMS's

 

STARSHIP

TITANIC

A NOVEL BY

TERRY JONES

[BassGuitari]

I read a novelisation of Mortal Kombat many years ago. I don't remember it being particularly outstanding, but then again I was in fourth grade at the time, so I probably didn't understand a lot of it. I think Jeff Rovin wrote it?

[doctorclu]

I actually played Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Infocom) before reading the book. If it were not for the game, I would have missed out.

 

And then there were the Choose your own adventure type books for the Zork (also Infocom) series.

 

Good stuff.

[Rogmeister]

To the best of my knowledge, I've never read one. I guess I feel if I'm going to read a novel, I'll read a "real" one...