Books to Read Before they Become Movies in 2018

This post is spoiler free.

2018 is going to see two of my most recently favorite books become movies. I would be remiss if I did not give out this Public Service Announcement informing people of how awesome these books are. I’m sincerely hopeful that these movies are as awesome as their source material. But I’m sure we all know that this is a fruitless hope as often as not. So I hope that I can convince some people to read these books and benefit from their amazingness before the movies are released.

Annihilation

Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer is the first book of the Southern Reach trilogy. The movie will be released in 2018 and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Natalie Portman is cast as the main character, the Biologist.

Annihilation is a sincerely intriguing story. It is so very worth your time, if only for the unique nature of the story telling. It is one of the gnarliest books I have ever read, aside from the other two books in the series. It is so bizarre and creepy in the most subtle and unnerving ways possible. It is not a scary story in the traditional sense, there is nothing intrinsically frightening. And yet this book will leave you unnerved, uncomfortable, and creeped the hell out.

I honestly have no idea how they are going to make this movie in the true spirit of the book. It seems such an easy trap to fall into to put in a bunch of scary movie tropes and call it a day, but that is not nearly what the Annihilation experience is all about. If they can pull this movie off and be true to the unique, intriguing and squirm-inducing mood of the story, it is going to be an amazing theater experience.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a modern day science fiction adventure masterpiece. It is scheduled to be released March 30, 2018. If it’s anything like the book, it is going to be an awesome fun filled kaleidoscope of lovable IPs from all across the spectrum of fandom.

Without revealing too much, the story of Ready Player One is set in a future where a virtual reality MMO called Oasis has permeated culture as profoundly as the internet, to the point where children across the world literally attend school within Oasis. Its creator has left an Easter Egg in the game. The person who can find the Easter Egg will receive the creator’s vast fortune. But it has been years since the creator passed away, and no one has even found the first clue. The story revolves around a boy named Wade Watts aka Parzival, who sets in motion the epic MMO worldwide quest for the Easter Egg.

If you consider yourself a nerd even just a little bit, you must read this book. Or revoke the right to call yourself a nerd. In my opinion, this is the best tribute to nerd culture that has ever existed. Anything in the 80s that you could possibly be a fan of is lovingly given homage in this book.

If done right, this movie is going to be on the top of every nerd’s list of all time favorites. Prepare to have your mind blown. If done wrong, it will ruin everything you ever loved. No pressure.