SPIN-OFF BOOKS THAT BEGAN LIFE IN THE FICTIONAL TALES OF OTHERS
▶ Bit-part details on screens or pages are often expanded into published works – and take fans even deeper. Maan Jalal reports
Sometimes the details that help make fictional stories so immersive take a life of their own beyond the pages they were born on. For example, books read by characters in a novel are often spun off later and become stories of their own, allowing fans to take an even deeper journey into imaginary worlds.
Here are 14 published after beginning life as a bit-part role in another story.
Argylle Elle Conway
This is a thriller novel about a spy agent, Argylle, whose mission is to recover the Amber Room, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. But all is not as it seems.
The book has apparently been adapted, according to its marketing materials, into a film starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Dua Lipa, which is screening in cinemas now.
However, here’s the twist – the supposed author of the novel is merely a fictional character in the film’s story.
The book was instead published before the movie to make it appear that Elle Conway and her novels really exist. Ultimately, it is a clever piece of promotion for the film, which becomes an enjoyable way to engross yourself in director Matthew Vaughn’s madcap world after you’ve seen the movie, or before.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them JK Rowling
The Harry Potter books are full of details that bring the world of magic to life. One of those is the variety of books Hogwarts pupils study. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is one that not only captured the imagination of readers but one that writer JK Rowling actually wrote and released in 2001.
The encyclopedic guide to the magical beasts of the wizarding world by the fictional author Newt Scamander was then adapted into a film franchise.
The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer Jennifer Lynch
TV drama Twin Peaks enjoyed huge success in the 1990s. Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, the first season centred on FBI agent Dale Cooper investigating the murder of high school pupil Laura Palmer.
Spin-off novel The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer was published between seasons one and two to give fans more insight into the world of Twin Peaks and the psyche of Laura. It was written by Lynch’s daughter, Jennifer Lynch, and featured on The New York Times’ bestseller list.
Bad Twin Gary Troup
James Ford, also known as Sawyer, was the anti-hero of the supernatural TV series Lost. He was also a vivacious reader. In one episode, he reads a manuscript for the pulp noir mystery novel, Bad Twin, written by Gary Troup, a fictional author who was also a passenger on the plane that crashed on the island the characters are stuck on.
The novel follows the story of private investigator Paul Artisan, who is hired to find a man’s identical twin but finds himself in a complex world of conspiracy theories.
Bad Twin was published in 2006 and written by ghostwriter Laurence Shames.
Murder, She Wrote Jessica Fletcher
Dame Angela Lansbury’s character Jessica Fletcher from
Murder, She Wrote was a retired English teacher and amateur detective who wrote several novels under the name of JB Fletcher in the popular series.
More than 50 original novels have been written and published under the name of her character. While these novels, written by several ghostwriters, weren’t featured in the series, they are extensions of the show where Fletcher is simultaneously writing about the crime she is attempting to solve.
A Woman First: First Woman: A Memoir Selina Meyer
Flawed, ambitious and hilarious, Selina Meyer is a fictional character portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in HBO’s political satire series Veep.
Meyers is a politician and vice president of the US who, along with her team, attempts to create a legacy but often finds herself immersed in the absurdities of the inner workings of government. Meyer’s memoir is a first-person account where she shares with readers more of what they loved about her and her time in office.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard JK Rowling
Harry Potter fans first learn about The Tales of Beedle the Bard in the final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is a collection of children’s fairytales and one of the stories in it, The Tale of the Three Brothers, is central to the plot of the book and the films. This spin-off was published in 2008.
Carry On Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell’s popular novel Fangirl is a story about the world of fan culture. It focuses on the protagonist Cath Avery’s obsession with Harry
Potter, which spawns a fan fiction series called Simon Snow.
Rowell published Carry On in 2015, a stand-alone novel based on the story of Snow and his magical adventures.
Charlie the Choo-Choo Beryl Evans
Who would have thought that Stephen King, the master of horror, would turn to children’s books? Writing as Beryl Evans, King produced Charlie the Choo-Choo, which is a novel mentioned in The Waste Lands.
While the series is menacing with dark themes, it tells the story of Engineer Bob and his best friend Charlie, a train that has been brought to life.
Fire and Blood George RR Martin
Fire and Blood is a novel that recounts the history of House Targaryen. It is referenced several times in the original A Song of Ice and Fire books, which spawned the hit Game of Thrones TV series. Characters and events from the book are also mentioned in the original TV shows. Fire and Blood was published in 2018.
The Bro Code Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn
Barney Stinson, played by Neil Patrick Harris, is an unforgettable character from the sitcom How I Met Your Mother.
He often refers to his personal philosophy also known as “the bro code”. Fans can refer to his witticisms in his manifesto.
Ghosts from Our Past Erin Gilbert, Abby L Yates and Andrew Shaffer
Ghosts from Our Past is by two fictional authors from the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters.
Abby L Yates and Eril Gilbert (played by Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig) and real-life author Andrew Shaffer have written an updated version of the paranormal book, which includes personal experiences of the supernatural.
Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America Leslie Knope
Comedian Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope in the satire Parks and Recreation.
This book acts as a guidebook exploring the history, culture and landmarks of the fictional town of Pawnee in Indiana, building on many jokes from the popular show.
Look Out for the Little Guy! Scott Lang
No, this isn’t a memoir of actor Paul Rudd. It is a fictional
In his memoir, Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man) shares how he balances being a real superhero and a divorced father
memoir of his Marvel character Scott Lang, also known as Ant-Man. In his memoir, Lang shares how he balances being a real superhero and a divorced father while recounting what happened with the Avengers and Thanos.