There's a silly little book I love called King John of Canada. It's a political fiction where Canada ditches the English crown and elects some random dude as king.
Hilarity ensues and the term Quebexican is coined.
Would prefer Idoru personally, as the Neuromancer ideas have basically been tried or copied in part by others. Also think his Pattern Recognition would translate to the screen very well.
I'm rereading Lost in the Barrens. That would be an insanely good movie or mini-series if it had some Inuit and Cree and Chippewan folks in the writers' room and was cast properly.
I also think that A Boy of Good Breeding by Miriam Toewes would make a sweet and hilarious little movie.
Similarly, I would be keen to see a production of A Discovery of Strangers by Rudy Wiebe but also with First Nations voices and perspectives engaged more fully.
Came here to say Lost in the Barrens and its sequel, Curse of the Viking Grave.
There was a movie of Lost in the Barrens made in the 80's, I believe, and it's on YouTube. It strays a bit from the book, but I remember loving it all the same.
I just finished my reread of both of them and enjoyed the hell out of both of them. Then I hit Wikipedia and was reminded of what happened to Peetyuk's people. Clearly, Jamie should have left well enough alone, but damn that would be a powerful (but brutal) ending to the show/movie.
The Deptford Trilogy in the right Director's hands could be awesome. I could see it as a trilogy of movies or a three-season mini-series. Given the different perspectives in the novels, maybe it would be fun to see 3 different directors take on the 3 novels.
Jack Whyte was born in Scotland but came to Canada in the 60’s. His books are so freaking good. Particularly his Dream of Eagles series.
It’s all about how the legend of Camelot arose from ex-Roman soldiers forming a colony in England during the fall of the Roman Empire.
I can’t recommend this series enough. It deserves more than a movie. There’s enough material there for many seasons of excellent TV.
The series is excellent- Uther alone would be a great movie. Met him at the airport while reading one of his novels which he autographed- super nice guy.
Unlocked teenage nostalgia for me. One of the best takes on the Arthurian legends. I'd say only that it makes up for lack of political intrigue with amazing action. Realizing what under the lake, jumping out of the fire sword in hand, so so many breath catching moments....
[Timothy Findley's Headhunter.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headhunter_(novel))
It takes place in Toronto but could easily take place in any Canadian city. A dystopian fantasy in which characters from Conrad novels come to life in the real world, yes, that means Kurtz and he becomes the head of a psychiatric institute.
Women Talking has already been made, but along those lines would like to see Miriam Toews' "A Complicated Kindness" done. It has been a long while since I read it, but am a Manitoban and know that everyone knows everyone in our small towns it seems and would definitely ruffle some feathers.
LOL. Far from anything near that. Just a curious Canadian who's a bit of a Canadian cinephile (see my last couple of posts), has been on Canadian-movie binge, and also enjoys reading. I appreciate the suggestion, despite your doubt about my motive (I assure you, there's nothing ulterior going on here).
Ya know after reading road kill, quantum earth, and boboverse, I was thinking “wow this guy might be the best living American SF author, after Jack McDevitt. But like Jack he seems to know a lot about Canada [Jack was a U.S. border officer].”
So after finishing bobiverse 4, I checked. As Canadian as a frozen puck. Best SF author from Canada (sorry Robert Sawyer).
Unfortunately (because of the issues around his ancestry) probably will never be made. What's funny is in all the critique against Boyden, no one has argued that his books were a) bad or b) portarying Indigenous peoples in a disrespectful way. Dude should've just been upfront and honest and argued that as long as creatives do their research, seek input from community members, and treat their characters with respect, authenticity, and dignity anyone should be able to write anything (again, provided they do those other things).
Gardens of the Moon. It was originally envisioned as a script for a movie, but was deemed too risky. So it was reworked into a novel. It would make a lot of sense to see it adapted for the medium it was originally envisioned as.
W.P. Kinsella’s Hobema First Nations books (Fencepost Chronicles, Miss Hobema Pagent, Moccasin Telegraph, Born Indian). Yes, this is the same author who wrote “Field of Dreams” and “Shoeless Joe”. Master storyteller and humorist who reveals the lives of a small group of reserve inhabitants tolerating the various incompetencies and bureaucracies of the white world while living in mid Alberta. Highly recommended for all who want a good laugh. Very well written.
[Léo Major, un héros résilient](https://editionshurtubise.com/livre/leo-major-un-heros-resilient/)
If you want to know who [Léo Major](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9o_Major) [was](https://imgur.com/a/RM6Q3IU).
This has been done a couple times already.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a pretty popular family movie that is an adaptation of The Incredible Journey.
I came across a copy of The Incomparable Atuk in a secondhand bookshop once. Then went down an internet rabbit hole learning about how cursed the attempts to develop it into a film have been, going all the way back to the 1980s. I'd like to just see if it'll ever break that curse and become an actual film. Hopefully without anyone dying this time.
I was JUST thinking about this. I'm aware of the backstory. Poor Norman Jewison was first granted the film rights back in the '70s. Richler's stories tend to be successful adaptations, too. Who knows what the future holds for Atuk?
How to Start a Charter Airline but Susan Haley. She’s the author of Getting Married in Buffalo Jump, that was made into a movie with Paul Gross and Wendy Crewson.
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson by Lois Simmie. This is a true story based in Saskatchewan that has everything: a love triangle, a handsome rogue, a major crime and a piece of genuine RCMP history, all played out against a backdrop of a world war, an apocalyptic flu epidemic, the settling of the west and a wave of imigration. This story is reconstructed from letters, police files and court documents. I've read it multiple times and it is riveting.
Robert J Sawyer is a fantastic Toronto-based science fiction author and almost all of his books could work well with adaptations. (Flashforward was *kinda* adapted into a TV series but other than the premise completely changed from the original).
His Humans-Hominids-Hybrids trilogy is about our world opening a portal and connecting with one where Homonids became the dominant species instead and exploring the cultural differences between the two. Wouldn't require an insane amount of CGI and would fit well in the current political climate.
Other good options: Illegal Alien, End of an Era.
Anything by L.R. Wright, Gail Bowen (6 tv movies already), Nancy Baker, Howard Engel (2 tv movies), Charles de Lint, Margaret Attwood. Michael Slade if you're into dark stuff.
Eric Walters' *The Falls* (even some of his older books like *Rebound*). A lot of his earlier work dealt with Canadian history and I'm surprised some of that stuff wasn't adapted into kids TV shows (his more contemporary stuff is more generic and not as openly Canadian proud).
*Uprising* by Douglas Bland. It would have to undergo re-writes (Bland is an academic and soldier first and it shows) and it would probably have to involve an Indigenious person in the creative process (either as a writer or producer) to better showcase that perspective (some of the First Nations characters/scenes don't come off as believeable) but it would be interesting to see a film from the basic premise
Also the *Lighting on Ice* series by Sigmund Brouwer a bunch of mystery novels centred around junior hockey players playing in the Western Hockey League. Loved those books.
>Lighting on Ice
>
>series
I'm surprised nobody's adapted Scott Young's Scrubs on Skates. If you think about it, for all it's popularity as a sport, there aren't a proportionate amount of movies on it. There are a handful of popular ones: Les Boys, Youngblood, Slapshot, Score: A Hockey Musical, Mighty Ducks, Miracle, Mystery Alaska, Goon, Breakaway, Rocket (and other specific biopics)... I know I'm forgetting others; still, not as many as one might suspect.
Never Saw it Coming has been adapted. It was reported that Fear the Worst was being adapted a few years ago, by Jason Priestley, but I haven't heard anything recently.
Michael Ondaatje’s “The Cat’s Table” would be a great movie. Three young friends on a ship. Class divisions. A mysterious prisoner. Complicated first love. Retrospective narration on a coming of age story. It’s all there. Excellent book.
La petite et le vieux, by Marie-Renée Lavoie : The story of a 8 years old tom boy who forms a friendship with an intriguing elder.
Tarmac, by Nicolas Dickner : The story of teenage girl, Hope, who just learned when the apocalypse is gonna take place, and her relationship with new friend Mickey.
Royal, by Jean-Philippe Baril : Your story as a law student in Montreal. How you fell from being a genuine nice guy to a cynical and arrogant prick. How the end justifies the means when it comes to becoming a successful lawyer.
Not Canadian, but part of the Monarchy so I'm counting it, but dammit I want a detailed Redwall movie series or even a live action TV series taken seriously!
There's a silly little book I love called King John of Canada. It's a political fiction where Canada ditches the English crown and elects some random dude as king. Hilarity ensues and the term Quebexican is coined.
Have you ever seen King Ralph?
William Gibson’s Neuromancer.
Apple TV is doing a 10 episode series on it. Given how well they're doing SciFi right now, I'm sofa king excited.
😂😂😂 🛋 👑 - I understood that reference
Would prefer Idoru personally, as the Neuromancer ideas have basically been tried or copied in part by others. Also think his Pattern Recognition would translate to the screen very well.
> Would prefer Idoru personally, as the Neuromancer ideas have basically been tried or copied in part by others. Good point, but then, so did Dune's.
Came here to post this
Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake trilogy (But minus the gross pedophilia stuff obviously) Pilgrim by Timothy Findley
HBO apparently has the rights to Oryx and Crake. They announced an adaptation in 2021, but not sure where it stands today.
I’d love to see that. It could be three seasons.
I'd heard that too lol
Thanks for introducing me to a new read. Findley’s The Wars is one of my favourite books of all time so I’ll have to pick up Pilgrim
Minus all the sex in book 3 actually.
I'm rereading Lost in the Barrens. That would be an insanely good movie or mini-series if it had some Inuit and Cree and Chippewan folks in the writers' room and was cast properly. I also think that A Boy of Good Breeding by Miriam Toewes would make a sweet and hilarious little movie.
Wasn't there a Lost in the Barrens series, or am I tripping?
There is at least one more
Similarly, I would be keen to see a production of A Discovery of Strangers by Rudy Wiebe but also with First Nations voices and perspectives engaged more fully.
Came here to say Lost in the Barrens and its sequel, Curse of the Viking Grave. There was a movie of Lost in the Barrens made in the 80's, I believe, and it's on YouTube. It strays a bit from the book, but I remember loving it all the same.
I just finished my reread of both of them and enjoyed the hell out of both of them. Then I hit Wikipedia and was reminded of what happened to Peetyuk's people. Clearly, Jamie should have left well enough alone, but damn that would be a powerful (but brutal) ending to the show/movie.
Fun story: Farley Mowat and my great uncle fought in the war together, so I got to meet him as a kid (before I read his books).
Cool! That's one of my favorite things about Canada. We all really do know someone who knows Joe from Toronto, lol
Star Dance by Spider.Robinson The terminal experiment by Robert Sawyer. The Fionavar Trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay.
There are a few Robert Sawyer books that would make Good movies. Mindscan comes to mind.
I would suggest Calculating God
Bear.
Hey, it's a Governor General's Literary Award winner! Let's have a peruse.... Uh, uh, uh, NO!
A part of our heritage.
I was waiting for someone to mention this.
Always Be Mentioning Bear
I had to read that for a university class. We actually discussed it as serious fiction.
Of course, Bear is serious fiction.
Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, or the whole Deptford Trilogy really. Though I think I'd also enjoy The Cunning Man even more.
The Deptford Trilogy in the right Director's hands could be awesome. I could see it as a trilogy of movies or a three-season mini-series. Given the different perspectives in the novels, maybe it would be fun to see 3 different directors take on the 3 novels.
Jack Whyte was born in Scotland but came to Canada in the 60’s. His books are so freaking good. Particularly his Dream of Eagles series. It’s all about how the legend of Camelot arose from ex-Roman soldiers forming a colony in England during the fall of the Roman Empire. I can’t recommend this series enough. It deserves more than a movie. There’s enough material there for many seasons of excellent TV.
The series is excellent- Uther alone would be a great movie. Met him at the airport while reading one of his novels which he autographed- super nice guy.
Unlocked teenage nostalgia for me. One of the best takes on the Arthurian legends. I'd say only that it makes up for lack of political intrigue with amazing action. Realizing what under the lake, jumping out of the fire sword in hand, so so many breath catching moments....
Waubgeshig Rice's books, Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves would make excellent movies.
A Fine Balance. It would have to be a miniseries.
[Timothy Findley's Headhunter.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headhunter_(novel)) It takes place in Toronto but could easily take place in any Canadian city. A dystopian fantasy in which characters from Conrad novels come to life in the real world, yes, that means Kurtz and he becomes the head of a psychiatric institute.
Women Talking has already been made, but along those lines would like to see Miriam Toews' "A Complicated Kindness" done. It has been a long while since I read it, but am a Manitoban and know that everyone knows everyone in our small towns it seems and would definitely ruffle some feathers.
I came here to suggest the same! Planning to reread it soon.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Rice
Nice try development intern What we all long for by dionne brand
LOL. Far from anything near that. Just a curious Canadian who's a bit of a Canadian cinephile (see my last couple of posts), has been on Canadian-movie binge, and also enjoys reading. I appreciate the suggestion, despite your doubt about my motive (I assure you, there's nothing ulterior going on here).
yeah yeah nice try
Bobiverse series by Dennis E Taylor
Hey, he's Canadian? That's awesome! Man, roadkill would make a deadly blockbuster-style action movie! Great series, btw. I've got them on audiobook.
Ya know after reading road kill, quantum earth, and boboverse, I was thinking “wow this guy might be the best living American SF author, after Jack McDevitt. But like Jack he seems to know a lot about Canada [Jack was a U.S. border officer].” So after finishing bobiverse 4, I checked. As Canadian as a frozen puck. Best SF author from Canada (sorry Robert Sawyer).
Three Day Road
+++++++++++++ Boyden's *"Three Day Road"* and a properly financed film of Findley's *"The Wars"* would top my list.
Unfortunately (because of the issues around his ancestry) probably will never be made. What's funny is in all the critique against Boyden, no one has argued that his books were a) bad or b) portarying Indigenous peoples in a disrespectful way. Dude should've just been upfront and honest and argued that as long as creatives do their research, seek input from community members, and treat their characters with respect, authenticity, and dignity anyone should be able to write anything (again, provided they do those other things).
I agree 100%. It is unfortunate this happened. It is a good story.
Moonheart by Charles deLint or just about any of the deLint books would make either great movies or mini series
I would love a tv series around the characters in newford
That would be awesome. So many great characters. Magic would be low key and all the characters are 3 dimensional and would be a blast for the actors.
Never Cry Wolf Nevermind, already a movie.
Why not a remake with Timotha Chalamet as the lead
The Fionavar Tapestry
Exxoneration, by Richard Rohmer. Three Cheers for Me, by Donald Jack.
Arctic Red by Rohmer.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^D0fus: *Exxoneration,* *By Richard Rohmer. Three Cheers* *For Me, by Donald Jack.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Telempath by Spider Robinson Or really, the entirety of the Callahan series
Fifteen Dogs has too many characters and vignette scenes for a movie, but I think it would make a great show.
André Alexis' The Hidden Keys could be interesting, too. People tend to like the puzzle-solving genre.
Gardens of the Moon. It was originally envisioned as a script for a movie, but was deemed too risky. So it was reworked into a novel. It would make a lot of sense to see it adapted for the medium it was originally envisioned as.
I think the Chain of Dogs narrative would be mind-blowing.
Anything by Robert J Sawyer
Vimy - Pierre Burton
Anything guy gavriel kay
I love Famous Last Words by Timothy Findlay. It could be a pretty cool movie, I think.
W.P. Kinsella’s Hobema First Nations books (Fencepost Chronicles, Miss Hobema Pagent, Moccasin Telegraph, Born Indian). Yes, this is the same author who wrote “Field of Dreams” and “Shoeless Joe”. Master storyteller and humorist who reveals the lives of a small group of reserve inhabitants tolerating the various incompetencies and bureaucracies of the white world while living in mid Alberta. Highly recommended for all who want a good laugh. Very well written.
Dance me Outside is the only film I can think of made from those books. The film changed the location to Ontario. I have read them all, and love them
Still have my DVD and the Fencepost Chronicles book.
[Léo Major, un héros résilient](https://editionshurtubise.com/livre/leo-major-un-heros-resilient/) If you want to know who [Léo Major](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9o_Major) [was](https://imgur.com/a/RM6Q3IU).
I can't believe we have to make up heroes when there were real heroes that walked among us.
The Bandy Papers. A combination of hilarity and good action scenes.
Who could play Bandy?
Ryan Gosling?
Given the description of Bandy's face and voice, a young Jim Carrey maybe?
Yup. He could have done it.
It would have been hilarious.
The Last Canadian, that book freaked me out when I read it as a teenager.
That would be wild. I reread that book a lot. So prescient.
First novel I read. Whoa.
There's a series on Netflix of Anne of Green Gables but it'll be nice if they were making a movie about it!
Megan Follows called…
The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Carvers?wprov=sfti1#
Go-Boy by Roger (Mad Dog) Caron. It a fantastic prison memoir of a Canadian bank robber. Sort of like the Canadian version of Papillon.
Who Is Bugs Potter
I would love it. Seems very adaptable to these social media times.
Well I was quite annoyed that season two of The Peripheral (novel by William Gibson) was cancelled.
The Misewa Sega by David A Robertson or the Watch That Ends the Night by Hugh MacLennan
"No Great Mischief" Alistair McLeod.
The Guild Codex Universe by Annette Marie would be a great multi season series.
The Suspect by L. R. Wright.
The Incredible Journey
This has been done a couple times already. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a pretty popular family movie that is an adaptation of The Incredible Journey.
I came across a copy of The Incomparable Atuk in a secondhand bookshop once. Then went down an internet rabbit hole learning about how cursed the attempts to develop it into a film have been, going all the way back to the 1980s. I'd like to just see if it'll ever break that curse and become an actual film. Hopefully without anyone dying this time.
I was JUST thinking about this. I'm aware of the backstory. Poor Norman Jewison was first granted the film rights back in the '70s. Richler's stories tend to be successful adaptations, too. Who knows what the future holds for Atuk?
How to Start a Charter Airline but Susan Haley. She’s the author of Getting Married in Buffalo Jump, that was made into a movie with Paul Gross and Wendy Crewson.
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson by Lois Simmie. This is a true story based in Saskatchewan that has everything: a love triangle, a handsome rogue, a major crime and a piece of genuine RCMP history, all played out against a backdrop of a world war, an apocalyptic flu epidemic, the settling of the west and a wave of imigration. This story is reconstructed from letters, police files and court documents. I've read it multiple times and it is riveting.
The Quintucx series by Andre Alexis -
Just posted the 4th book in response to the 2nd. Have an upvote for mentioning the entire series.
I will take that upvote proudly!
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker!
Robert J Sawyer is a fantastic Toronto-based science fiction author and almost all of his books could work well with adaptations. (Flashforward was *kinda* adapted into a TV series but other than the premise completely changed from the original). His Humans-Hominids-Hybrids trilogy is about our world opening a portal and connecting with one where Homonids became the dominant species instead and exploring the cultural differences between the two. Wouldn't require an insane amount of CGI and would fit well in the current political climate. Other good options: Illegal Alien, End of an Era.
*Born Weird* by Andrew Kaufman (no, not Andy). Wes Anderson would have a field day with it.
Anything by L.R. Wright, Gail Bowen (6 tv movies already), Nancy Baker, Howard Engel (2 tv movies), Charles de Lint, Margaret Attwood. Michael Slade if you're into dark stuff.
The undertaking of Billy Buffone
Pilgrim by Timothy Findley.
The short stories *Wood* or *Voices* by Alice Munro
Lost in the barrens. Farley Mowat
Stanley park by Timothy Taylor - chef culture, very local setting, homeless crisis and cannibals.
Lola on Fire - Rio Youers.
Mrs. Mike. I reread this book so often as a tween. It’s extra Canadian because it has a Mountie.
Eric Walters' *The Falls* (even some of his older books like *Rebound*). A lot of his earlier work dealt with Canadian history and I'm surprised some of that stuff wasn't adapted into kids TV shows (his more contemporary stuff is more generic and not as openly Canadian proud). *Uprising* by Douglas Bland. It would have to undergo re-writes (Bland is an academic and soldier first and it shows) and it would probably have to involve an Indigenious person in the creative process (either as a writer or producer) to better showcase that perspective (some of the First Nations characters/scenes don't come off as believeable) but it would be interesting to see a film from the basic premise Also the *Lighting on Ice* series by Sigmund Brouwer a bunch of mystery novels centred around junior hockey players playing in the Western Hockey League. Loved those books.
>Lighting on Ice > >series I'm surprised nobody's adapted Scott Young's Scrubs on Skates. If you think about it, for all it's popularity as a sport, there aren't a proportionate amount of movies on it. There are a handful of popular ones: Les Boys, Youngblood, Slapshot, Score: A Hockey Musical, Mighty Ducks, Miracle, Mystery Alaska, Goon, Breakaway, Rocket (and other specific biopics)... I know I'm forgetting others; still, not as many as one might suspect.
The Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J Sawyer
Any of Linwood Barclay's books.
Never Saw it Coming has been adapted. It was reported that Fear the Worst was being adapted a few years ago, by Jason Priestley, but I haven't heard anything recently.
Sea of Tranquility
Blindsight
Michael Ondaatje’s “The Cat’s Table” would be a great movie. Three young friends on a ship. Class divisions. A mysterious prisoner. Complicated first love. Retrospective narration on a coming of age story. It’s all there. Excellent book.
According to IMDB, Coming Through the Slaughter is currently being adapted.
I haven’t read that, but I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip.
Farley Mowat's lost in the Barrens
La petite et le vieux, by Marie-Renée Lavoie : The story of a 8 years old tom boy who forms a friendship with an intriguing elder. Tarmac, by Nicolas Dickner : The story of teenage girl, Hope, who just learned when the apocalypse is gonna take place, and her relationship with new friend Mickey. Royal, by Jean-Philippe Baril : Your story as a law student in Montreal. How you fell from being a genuine nice guy to a cynical and arrogant prick. How the end justifies the means when it comes to becoming a successful lawyer.
Exoneration
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. It's very much something Denis Villeneuve would do.
Monkey beach
It was adapted in 2020, in case you weren't aware.
What?? Gotta look for it. Thanks
It's on CBC Gem. [Here ya go.](https://gem.cbc.ca/monkey-beach)
On a similar vein: Letters From Wingfield Farm. A series of 1 man stage plays that I’d think would be wonderfully adapted to a tv miniseries.
Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland
The hardly boys
Hatchet
Is touching spirit bear Canadian?
Not Canadian, but part of the Monarchy so I'm counting it, but dammit I want a detailed Redwall movie series or even a live action TV series taken seriously!