8 Best Fantasy Books of the 1990s that Should Have Been Movies

Many fantasy novels from the 1990s have already been turned into movies, but not every great story has yet had the chance to get the Hollywood treatment. Like it or not, movies have a much larger audience than books do, and it is only through converting these novels to movies that the nineties' best works will be able to command the sheer number of audience it deserves.

Homeland

R. A. Salvatore's famous Dark Elf Trilogy started in 1990 with Drizzt Do'Urden's origin story. Set in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons and Dragons, the book is perfectly suited for a movie, and despite a YouTube trailer hoax and a host of fans clamoring for a film in forums online, no one has yet stepped up to the plate to make the film.

The Brothers' War

The Artifacts Cycle of the Magic: the Gathering books started with The Brothers' War, setting longtime favorite planeswalker character Urza against his brother Mishra. Players of the game looked forward to this novelization for years. If any Magic: the Gathering themed movie deserves to be made, then this is it.

Rhapsody: Child of Blood

Elizabeth Haydon's famous fantasy romance series, The Symphony of Ages, began with Rhapsody: Child of Bloods, and would present a unique opportunity for prospective movie makers. Never before has a high fantasy romance been seriously tried in movie format; personally, I think it would really have a great chance to take off.

Outlander

Far more likely to get a romance movie deal is Outlander, Diana Gabaldon's romance novel that barely earns its fantasy genre. Unlike many fantasy worlds where multiple things differ from reality, the only change in Outlander is that someone from our timeline is able to travel back to eighteenth century Scotland.

A Woman of the Iron People

Eleanor Arnason's first contact story, A Woman of the Iron People, is sometimes considered soft science fiction, but in truth it has enough fantastic elements to warrant its inclusion in the genre. The story is mainly that of anthropology, and the effects of first contact between alien cultures. These kinds of stories are difficult to convey in a short film, but this book would be ideal for a mini-series that had enough time to flesh out the ideas.

Alvin Journeyman

Orson Scott Card may be rumored to be a terrible human being, but he is a fantastic author. His Tales of Alvin Maker series is especially brilliant, and Alvin Journeyman, as the fourth in the book series, deserves special treatment on the big screen.

The Magic of Recluse

The first in L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s Saga of Recluse series is true hard fantasy, and would be the first hard fantasy movie adaptation ever to occur if Hollywood picked it up. The series has characters which can wield magic, but that magic is well explained, even to its minutiae. This would be the ideal book to turn into a movie if you're going to pick a hard fantasy title.

The Dark Lord of Derkholm

Diana Wynne Jones' Dark Lord of Derkholm describes a parody of traditional high fantasy, but does so satirically without resorting to mere humor instead. Jones has already had some of her fantasy works immortalized in film (Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Air), so it isn't outside the realm of reality that The Dark Lord of Derkholm could also get put up on the big screen.

Other Novels

This list shouldn't be seen as saying that other novels from the nineties' shouldn't be turned into movies. There are many great additions to the fantasy canon from that decade that deserve the honor. But hopefully list will help to bring a little attention to a few novels that well warrant the treatment.