Extended Universe Novels For Television Shows

Books have long inspired movies and vice versa, but there are also plenty of television shows that have made the leap from the small screen to print. Although a few of these books are straight adaptations of the show you'll also find a few that expand the lore of the series with new stories. Being freed from the restraints of a television budget also allows some of these books to tackle more ambitious plotlines. Check out some of these extended universe novels for television shows to see which ones are worth reading for fans.

Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Daggers

by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

Anyone who watched television between 1984 and 1996 should be familiar with Jessica Fletcher, the mystery writer turned amateur detective of Murder, She Wrote. Not only was it one of the longest-running television shows in history with a total of 264 episodes, but it was also one of the most successful. Gin and Daggers is the first of many novels that are based on the television series and sees Jessica Fletcher giving a keynote address at a London mystery writers convention. Her trip takes a turn for the worse when her mentor, Marjorie Ainsworth, is murdered and Jessica considered the prime suspect. Fans will want to grab the 2000 republished version of the novel, which corrects most of the inaccuracies of the original release.

Tales of the Slayer

by Nancy Holder, Mel Odom, Yvonne Navarro, Christie Golden, Doranna Durgin, and Greg Rucka

Buffy the Vampire Slayer started out as a film before receiving a television series that lasted seven seasons. Fans couldn't get enough of Buffy Summers, the young vampire slayer and her circle of loyal friends. The popularity of the show led to the creation of the "Buffyverse" or "Slayerverse" that encompasses comics, video games, and novels. One of these novels is Tales of the Slayer, which features stories of past Slayers fighting evil everywhere from ancient Greece to 1920's Munich. The book takes place before the events of the television series, but there are also plenty of other novels set during the events of the show.

Star Trek: Signature Edition: Worlds in Collision

by Judith Reeves-Stevens

Out of all the television shows in history, few can come close to Star Trek in terms of tie-in fiction. In total there are close to a thousand novels, short story anthologies, omnibus editions, and novelizations that have been published. Worlds in Collision features two stories, Prime Directive, and Memory Prime, which many fans consider to be amongst some of the best. Prime Directive features Captain Kirk trying to intervene when nuclear war threatens Talin IV but leaves him and his crew having to deal with the devastating consequences. Memory Prime is about Pathfinders, artificial intelligences that assist Federation personnel.

Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read

by William Rabkin

Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to read by William Rabkin is an all-new mystery that is based on the popular television series. The novel features the same character as the show, including Shawn Spencer, the amateur detective who managed to convince everyone that he is psychic. Shawn has set up his own detective agency, PSYCH, but is humiliated by his high-school nemesis, Dallas Steele, who hires Shawn only to discredit him. Then Dallas is found murdered and the primary subject claims that it was Shawn who used his psychic powers to take control of her mind and forced her to commit murder.

Being Human: The Road

by Simon Guerrier

Being Human was a television series about a ghost, a werewolf and a vampire trying to deal with the complexities of being a supernatural creature in a world of humans. The show featured an interesting blend of drama, action, and even comedy, which made it a hit with fans. The Road is part of a series of novels that are set within the same universe as the television show and features the lead characters. The primary focus of the book is the ghost, Annie, who is dealing with the arrival of Gemma, another ghost. Her presence in the house causes a disruption for the other occupants, but there is also a new hospital administrator causing grief for Mitchell and George at work. Throw in an inquisitive reporter and you have a story that feels just like an episode of the show.

Grimm: The Icy Touch

by John Shirley

For six seasons the adventures of Detective Nick Burkhardt, a Portland homicide detective who also happens to be a Grimm, kept viewers enthralled on NBC. Grimms are guardians who are tasked with keeping the delicate balance between humanity and Wesen, mythological creatures who can change their appearance to look like humans. The blend of police drama with Grimm's Fairy Tales made for an interesting mix and a lot of fans were sad when the show left television screens in 2017. A few novels were written based on the show, with The Icy Touch by John Shirley being the first. It opens with a torched body found in an underground tunnel, so Nick Burkhardt and his partner, Hank Griffin, is tasked with the investigation. Nick is not surprised to discover that Wesen are involved, but he also has to deal with The Icy Touch, a criminal organization notorious for murdering those who refuse to join their operation.