Best of
Adaptations

2018

BoJack Horseman: The Art Before the Horse


Chris McDonnell - 2018
    Set in an off-kilter, cynically spun rendering of modern-day Hollywood, the show follows washed-up horse actor BoJack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) as he attempts to turn his life around. BoJack Horseman: The Art Before the Horse is the official behind-the-scenes companion to this cult-hit series. Part oral history sourced from original interviews with the show’s cast and crew, part art book—including sketches, storyboards, and background art—this book will trace the series from conception to post-production. Beginning with the initial development of creator/ showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg and production designer Lisa Hanawalt’s inimitable aesthetic vision, The Art Before the Horse goes on to reveal all of the moving parts—direction, writing, casting, animation, and music—that come together to form this uniquely bleak, emotionally potent, very funny show.

Emilia


Morgan Lloyd Malcolm - 2018
    It was one of the first published collections of poetry written by a woman in England. The little we know of Emilia Bassano is restricted to the possibility that she may have been the Dark Lady of Shakespeare's Sonnets - and the rest of HerStory has been erased by History.Commissioned specifically for Shakespeare's Globe, and with an all-female cast, this world premiere will reveal the life of Emilia: poet, mother and feminist. This time, the focus will be on this exceptional woman who managed to outlive all the men the history books tethered her to.

Nobody


Alice Oswald - 2018
    Created over 3 years and inspired by each other’s promptings and shared ideas, Nobody is a watery world from which Tillyer and Oswald gave expression to the shared belief that tension is the essence of form, or as Tillyer eloquently describes, ‘Not competing, but traveling side by side; a shared path.’.Their theme is water, which they recreate in a collage of words and images; a rush of selves and other life forms where fluidity is given voice and form. The choice of watercolour is particularly apt, described by Oswald as ‘an absence – as if the thing depicted were already elsewhere and what’s left is merely a tidemark’. In Oswald, this quality is expressed in waves of language where the un-named characters assume the quality described by Oswald as ‘the weather’s or water’s leavings’.‘Nobody’ is an alias of Odysseus, one of his lost selves, adrift and unable to get home. Oswald’s words are his rhapsody, a circling shoal of sea voices which ends where Homer’s epic begins. Caught between The Odyssey and The Oresteia and not knowing either story’s conclusion, the poet goes on speaking surrounded by water. Perhaps he is only an alias of Odysseus, one of his lost selves, unable to get home?This poem is a circling shoal of sea voices, inspired by Homer’s descriptions of the sea – ‘the bodiless or unbounded thing’ which ends at The Odyssey’s beginning whilst the paintings immerse us in a visionary experience of an elusive, almost abstract, lyrical and romantic world. Springing from Tillyer’s belief in the shared essence of all things, the paintings are a tangible accompaniment to Oswald’s poem, explored through paper, water, and pigment, resulting in a single dazzling work of words and watercolour.

The Novel of Ferrara


Giorgio Bassani - 2018
    Now published in English for the first time as the unified masterwork Bassani intended, The Novel of Ferrara brings together Bassani’s six classics, fully revised by the author at the end of his life: Within the Walls, The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, Behind the Door, The Heron, and The Smell of Hay.Set in the northern Italian town of Ferrara before, during, and after the Second World War, these interlocking stories present a fully rounded world of unforgettable characters: the respected doctor whose homosexuality is tolerated until he is humiliatingly exposed by an exploitative youth; a survivor of the Nazi death camps whose neighbors’ celebration of his return gradually turns to ostracism; a young man discovering the ugly, treacherous price that people will pay for a sense of belonging; the Jewish aristocrat whose social position has been erased; the indomitable schoolteacher, Celia Trotti, whose Communist idealism disturbs and challenges a postwar generation.The Novel of Ferrara memorializes not only the Ferrarese people, but the city itself, which assumes a character and a voice deeply inflected by the Jewish community to which the narrator belongs. Suffused with new life by acclaimed translator and poet Jamie McKendrick, this seminal work seals Bassani’s reputation as “a quietly insistent chronicler of our age’s various menaces to liberty” (Jonathan Keates).

The Big Book of Hap and Leonard


Joe R. Lansdale - 2018
    Williams (The Wire) and James Purefoy (Altered Carbon).Hap Collins looks like a good ’ol boy, but his lefty politics don’t match. His buddy, Vietnam veteran Leonard Pine, is even more complicated: black, conservative, gay . . . and an occasional arsonist. With Hap and Leonard on the job, small-time crooks all on the way on up to the Dixie Mafia are extremely nervous.Everyone's favorite ass-kicking Texan duo are further immortalized in this expanded collection of tall tales, slick nonfiction, and four full-length novellas.Foreword for The Big Book of Hap and LeonardJoe R. Lansdale can be a pain in the ass. That’s why this book exists.Hap and Leonard collected all of the not-so-dynamic duo’s previously published shorter adventures (circa 2016) plus the original story “Not Our Kind,” basically everything that’s not a novel, in one handsome volume. This being the 21st century and all, an ebook edition was required. And therein lies the problem.Seems Joe had promised the digital rights to the novellas “Hyenas,” “Dead Aim,” and the short story “The Boy Who Became Invisible” to another publisher than Tachyon. So we could wait until 2018 for the ebook, when the rights reverted, or figure out something else. We opted for the latter.The ebook Hap and Leonard Ride Again contained all of the material present in Hap and Leonard except for the trio of stories mentioned above. Since the remaining material scarcely made for a book, we added the original short story “The Oak and the Pond,” the Marvin Hanson novella “A Bone Dead Sadness,” Joe’s comic script adaptation of “The Boy Who Became Invisible,” my interview with Joe, and an original remembrance about the creation of Hap and Leonard by Bill Crider, who sadly died while we were putting together The Big Book of Hap and Leonard.When Joe offered us the rights to “Hyenas,” “Dead Aim,” and “The Boy Who Became Invisible,” we decided it was best to combine the two editions into this one super—dare I say big—book you hold in your virtual hands.Sometimes a pain in the ass leads to gold. Not sure if this qualifies as such but if not, it’s damn close.Rick Klaw, editorAustin, TexasFebruary 23, 2018Table of ContentsForeword for The Big Book of Hap and Leonard by Rick KlawAn Appreciation of Joe R. Lansdale by Michael KorytaJoe R. Lansdale, Hap and Leonard, and Me by Bill CriderHyenasVeil’s Visit (co-written by Andrew Vachss)Death by ChiliDead AimA Bone Dead SadnessThe Boy Who Became Invisible (story)The Boy Who Became Invisible (comic book script)Not Our Kind (original e-book publication)The Oak and the Pond (original e-book publication)Bent TwigJoe R. Lansdale Interviews Hap Collins and Leonard PineInterview with Joe R. LansdaleThe Care and Feeding and Raising Up of Hap and Leonard

A Monster Calls: The Play


Adam Peck - 2018
    In this powerful new adaptation from visionary director Sally Cookson, the bestselling novel by Patrick Ness is brought to the stage to tell the stunning story of love, loss and courage anew. Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started that treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. The final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd, developed into an extraordinary and heartbreaking novel by Patrick Ness, and now adapted for an Old Vic production that brings the tale to a new audience.

Gilgamesh Retold


Jenny Lewis - 2018
    With this shift of emphasis, Lewis captures the powerful allure of the world’s oldest poem and gives it a fresh dynamic while creating a fastpaced narrative for a new generation of readers.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri


Martin McDonagh - 2018
    When his second-in-command, Officer Dixon, a mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement threatens to engulf the town.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comedic drama from Martin McDonagh.The film won Best Drama Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes 2018.

Heresy


Melissa Lenhardt - 2018
    Though the newspapers refuse to give them credit, their exploits don't go unnoticed. Now, they've got a rival male gang on their trail and an old score to settle. Margaret Parker and Hattie LaCour never intended to turn outlaw. After being run off their ranch by a greedy cattleman, their family is left destitute. As women alone they have few choices: marriage, lying on their backs for money, or holding a gun. For Margaret and Hattie the choice is simple. With their small makeshift family, the gang pulls off a series of heists across the West. Though the newspapers refuse to give the female gang credit, their exploits don't go unnoticed. Pinkertons are on their trail, a rival male gang is determined to destroy them, and secrets among the group threaten to tear them apart. Now, Margaret and Hattie must find a way to protect their family, finish one last job, and avoid the hangman's noose.For more from Melissa Lenhardt, check out: The Sawbones SeriesSawbonesBlood OathBadlands

October Kiss


Kristen Ethridge - 2018
    Yoga instruction. Pizza making. So far, none of them have seemed like her thing. Still, she doesn’t have to know where her life is headed to live it with enthusiasm.Ever since his wife’s death, Ryan’s thrown himself into his work. Launching a successful new app will secure his children’s future…even if it means he can’t spend much time with them now.As a short-term nanny for Ryan’s children, Poppy brings some much-needed fun and laughter. She’s never been one to commit, so why is she feeling so attached to these children…and even more, to their dad? Could it be she’s found her place at last? This funny, feel-good romance contains a free Hallmark original recipe for Pumpkin Soup with Parmesan Croutons.

The Guardians Collection: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King; E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!; Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies; The Sandman and the War of Dreams; Jack Frost


William Joyce - 2018
    You’ve known them since before you can remember: Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost. But...where did they come from? And what nefarious evil-doer forced to band together to protect the children of the world? Answers are revealed and imaginations unfurl in this treasure trove of a boxed set. This set includes all five titles in the Guardians chapter book series: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth’s Core! Toothiana, Queen of the Fairy Army The Sandman and the War of Dreams Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning

Rick and Morty Book Three: Deluxe Edition


Kyle Starks - 2018
    Poopybutthole on their own adventure through fame and misfortune! All that and more in this oversized collection!This special edition collects issues #21-25 of the main series, as well as the entire Lil' Poopy Superstar miniseries. It also includes a brand-new introduction by Rick and Morty™ show co-creator Dan Harmon, over thirty pages of extras, and an exclusive sound clip voiced by Justin Roiland. Wubba lubba dub dub!

The Gospel of Mark (The Word for Word Bible Comic)


Simon Amadeus Pillario - 2018
     This book has 180 pages. It employs a high view of scripture and the translation used is the World English Bible. It is part of the graphic novel series, The Word for Word Bible Comic. Aimed primarily at adults and ages 12+. The Story Intro: After a brief time of liberty under the Hasmoneans, the people of Israel are once again under the boot of a foreign superpower. The Romans rule and tax every part of their world: water-tax, city-tax, road-tax, house-tax, even a tax on necessities like meat and salt. These fees were often 'harvested' by their own Jewish brothers, who would pay the oppressors and then skim off a little or a lot for themselves. For centuries, the Israelites have clung to the promise of a Messiah, one who would change everything. But this saviour is not what they'd thought he would be. ENDORSEMENTS: "Very interesting. As clear a readable rendition of the Bible as I have seen. Makes biblical teaching more accessible to young and old alike." - John Wagner, Co-creator of Judge Dredd. "Indeed, one might argue that The Word for Word Bible Comic is actually a more authentic presentation of the Bible than our bare printed texts, which invite us to fill a visual vacuum by supplying pictures in our own imagination of people and events." - Rev Dr Christopher R. Smith (Author of "Understanding the Books of the Bible" Study Guides from IVP. Doctorate in Historical Theology and the Bible.)

Cheese in the Trap, Season 4-7


Soon Kki - 2018
    미아-2episode 25. 청춘episode 26. 치즈인더트랩EpilogueAfter returning to college from a long break, model student Seol finds herself caught up with Jung, a senior who's also known as Mr. Perfect. Seol feels like her life took a turn for the worse since Jung came into her life... but is he intentionally turning her life upside down?

Stinkiest!: 20 Smelly Animals


Steve Jenkins - 2018
    Stinkiest! will focus on the smelliest members of the animal kingdom.  Through illustrations, infographics, facts, and figures, readers will see how big each animal is compared to humans, where it lives on the globe, and just how putrid it can be!  With his signature art style, Steve Jenkins' Extreme Animals reader series explores nature's truly superlative animals. These readers are fact-packed and span the globe, detailing the astounding abilities of every shape, size, and species. Each installment focuses on amazing and unusual animals, making these nonfiction readers accessible, informative, and fascinating.