“I’m almost pathologically welcoming of changes in the adaptation process,” said St. John Mandel.
At BookCon 2026, authors discussed book-to-screen adaptations.
For book fans, such adaptations can lead to issues with changed endings and miscastings, but authors aren’t as precious about them. In the final panel of BookCon 2026, authors Andy Weir (Project Hail Mary, The Martian), Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven), May Cobb (The Hunting Wives), and Robinne Lee (The Idea of You) were joined by moderator Jason Blitman to discuss the joys and limitations of bringing a book to the screen.
Blitman opened with the ultimate question: What makes a successful adaptation? Weir’s Project Hail Mary and Cobb’s The Hunting Wives had mostly faithful adaptations, while The Idea of You and Station Eleven were larger departures from the original.
St. John Mandel commented on Station Eleven’s adaptation, “They changed every single plot, but they did retain the spirit of the original.”
Lee added, “How can I be true to what readers fell in love with and still create something appealing to a wider audience?”
All the authors shared a lack of preciousness toward the adaptations, though they were enthusiastic about supporting these projects. “There are things you can do in a visual medium that are very difficult to do in a narrative medium,” said Weir.
In adaptations, when there’s less need to describe scenes, there’s more room to expand characters. Cobb noted the husband from The Hunting Wives “is now running for governor.”
Lee compared a book to a baby, with adaptations seen as distant relatives. “When you go to that adaptation, other people are taking it over.”
While fans often view adaptations adversarially, authors enter with open minds. St. John Mandel said, “I feel welcoming of changes in the adaptation process.”
Cobb recalled her meeting with The Hunting Wives producer Rebecca Cutter, who pitched changes to the story and received Cobb’s excitement.
Weir mentioned having a list of changes ready for his book Artemis when it moves to adaptation, identifying areas to improve.
BookCon 2026 was the final panel of the event, which will return on April 10 and 11, 2027.