# What's the weirdest novelization or tie-in product you have seen for a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [November 10, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245 "2020-11-10T20:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/1 "2020-11-10T20:42:26Z")
Inspired by my post in another thread about the novelization to the 1993 Jean Claude van Damme film _Hard Target_ [https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Target-Movie-Robert-Tine/dp/0425138615](https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Target-Movie-Robert-Tine/dp/0425138615) I was wondering what the weirdest novelization or tie-in product you have seen for a movie and/or TV show? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/2 "2020-11-10T21:43:12Z")
MLB put a spider web on the bases for a day or 2 to promote one of the Spiderman movies ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/3 "2020-11-10T21:56:21Z")
It’s obvious to anyone who saw the movie why they did it, but despite Guardians of the Galaxy being a 21st-century movie, they released the soundtrack on cassette tape. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/4 "2020-11-10T23:10:07Z")
GotG sdtrk on cassette is a GREAT idea! I was making a version of _13 Reasons Why_ for a friend… dubbing the audiobook onto cassettes and sending them in a shoebox with a walkman, and a map. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/5 "2020-11-10T23:20:31Z")
Surely that time the Red Bull F1 team were sponsored by Star Wars [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/13/07/fe130732fc515d562fcc725fad35954c.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/13/07/fe130732fc515d562fcc725fad35954c.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/6 "2020-11-10T23:24:13Z")
There’s literally a Spaceballs novelization. I can guarantee it’s nowhere near as funny as the actual film. Despite the name, the James Bond films Moonraker has absolutely nothing to do with the Ian Fleming Novel Moonraker, so they wound up having to make a novelization of the film under the title “James Bond In Moonraker” to prevent confusion with the previous book. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/7 "2020-11-10T23:33:02Z")
The king of bad movie tie-ins has to be the time Dr. Suess’s “Lorax” was used to promote an automobile: > **[Remember That Time Mazda Used "The Lorax" to Promote Its New SUV? - The News...](https://thenewswheel.com/remember-that-time-mazda-used-the-lorax-to-promote-its-new-suv/)** > > Mazda's decision to partner with Illumination's 2012 animated film "The Lorax" quickly became a PR nightmare, as it declared its CX-5 model Lorax-approved ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/8 "2020-11-11T03:16:46Z")
I have the novelization for Snakes on a Plane and I read it while on a plane. Much more effort went into the book than into the movie. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/9 "2020-11-11T03:27:13Z")
All Nippon Airways painted three of their jetliners in Star Wars livery a few years ago: [![](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c38a14e73685214087850410643b7bec9f20fdb6/c=8-0-1914-1077/local/-/media/2015/08/18/USATODAY/USATODAY/635754809683007823-SW-01.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp) ](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c38a14e73685214087850410643b7bec9f20fdb6/c=8-0-1914-1077/local/-/media/2015/08/18/USATODAY/USATODAY/635754809683007823-SW-01.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp) Then, last year, United did the same: [![](https://www.travelandleisure.com/thmb/UzCQ62mFpokG6Hrp5jpWDbTt4H0=/1200x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/star-wars-plane-united-d06c4d0c7e864de49912ed9fcfd84e31.jpg) ](https://www.travelandleisure.com/thmb/UzCQ62mFpokG6Hrp5jpWDbTt4H0=/1200x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/star-wars-plane-united-d06c4d0c7e864de49912ed9fcfd84e31.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/10 "2020-11-11T07:39:38Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > There’s literally a Spaceballs novelization. I can guarantee it’s nowhere near as funny as the actual film. But they made up for it with Spaceballs The Flame Thrower. The kids love this one. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/11 "2020-11-11T08:22:58Z")
Smurf gelato. I had it in Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/12 "2020-11-11T08:27:39Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Smurf gelato. I had it in Italy I’ve _got_ to ask: What does Smurf taste like? ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/13 "2020-11-11T09:01:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@kitap](#): > > > > Smurf gelato. I had it in Italy > > _got_ to ask: What does Smurf taste like? It was Smurf blue and weirdly tasteless; my _guess_ is they were going for marshmallow. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/14 "2020-11-11T22:19:20Z")
the ACC BB tourney for men had a theme song around 10 years ago. “Shawty Get Loose” by Lil Mama. It was rap and they kept playing it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/15 "2020-11-12T14:52:17Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Despite the name, the James Bond films Moonraker has absolutely nothing to do with the Ian Fleming Novel Moonraker, so they wound up having to make a novelization of the film under the title “James Bond In Moonraker” to prevent confusion with the previous book. They had already done the same thing for **The Spy Who Loved Me**. Both novelizations were written by Christopher Wood, who wrote the screenplays for both movies. These are easily the two most puerile and awful of the Bond films. But I have to give the novelizations credit – they’re better than you’d expect, and better than the movies. But still not very good. There have been a lot of pointless novelizations, where you’d think re-releasing the source novel or story would have been enough. **The Thing** – novelization by Alan Dean Foster. You’d think they could just reprint a collection of John W. Campbell stories featuring this one. **Total Recall** – Piers Anthony wrote a novelization. They could have just published a collection of Philip K. Dick stories highlighting _We Can Remember it for you Wholesale_. In fact, some company did just that. But the mass-market edition was Dick’s. Reportedly awful. Personally, I think they should have just published Robert Sheckley’s _The Status Civilization_ (from which they stole a lot of the film) instead. **The Island of Dr. Moreau** – My recollection is that they issued a completely new novelization as a tie-in for the release of the 1977 Burt Lancaster - Michael York - Richard Basehart version, but I can’t bring it up on the internet right now. **Doctor Strangelove** – Peter Bryant completely rewrote his novel _Red Alert_ as a tie-in form the film so it would more closely resemble the movie **Marooned** – Martin Caidin did the same with his novel _Marooned_ when the movie came out. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/16 "2020-11-12T15:08:37Z")
The weirdest tie-in product I can think of (at the moment) is the _Alien_ facehugger [plush toy](https://www.amazon.com/ThinkGeek-Alien-Facehugger-Plush-Toy/dp/B004RCVZLA). “Cute and cuddly, poseable fingers, he just wants to give you a kiss!” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/17 "2020-11-12T15:10:32Z")
**Forbidden Planet** by W.J. Stuart (really mystery novelist Philip MacDonald) is one of the weirder novelizations I’ve read. The movie is based on Shakespeare’s _The Tempest_ (with very significant changes – it’s not really an adaptation, as I’ve argued many times), so there was no original. Stuart’s novelization is interesting because it differs markedly from the movie, which is weird in a business where they usually try to make the tie-in match the movie pretty closely. Nor do I think this is a case like the Dell and Gold Key comic tie-ins where the creators of the tire-in were given a copy of an early draft of the script, and things changed during production. “Stuart’s” changes seem to be done in the service of making the story more logically consistent for him. (Similar to the way Isaac Asimov’s novelization of _Fantastic Voyage_ differs from the film because the good Doctor wanted to correct their scientific and logical errors). In Stuart’s novel, for instance, the animals aren’t “real”. The film explains that the Krel visited Earth and brought back biological specimens (hence the Tiger). But in the novel a monkey gets run over by the crew’s utility vehicle, and when Doc Ostrow dissects it he finds mostly random tissue inside with a few features, but not a functional anatomy. The monkey isn’t something brought back by the Krel, but must be a product of the Krel Id Machine taking its cues from Morbius’ mind to construct sort of living animatronic animals. There are other such differences. The novelization was published by Bantam at the same time the film was released in the fifties, with a (slightly wrong) painting of Robby on the cover, and with a photo from the movie on the back cover. It’s been republished several times since (the Internet Speculative Database lists at least six American editions, with still more foreign editions, the most recent in 2005) [http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?990240](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?990240) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/18 "2020-11-12T15:11:42Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > The weirdest tie-in product I can think of (at the moment) is the _Alien_ facehugger [plush toy](https://www.amazon.com/ThinkGeek-Alien-Facehugger-Plush-Toy/dp/B004RCVZLA). > > “Cute and cuddly, poseable fingers, he just wants to give you a kiss!” My wife and I used to make fun of this, saying in a dog-lover’s style: “Who’s a cute little Face Hugger? YOU are! Yes, you are!” ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/19 "2020-11-12T15:32:05Z")
And then there are the Cthulhu plush toys. That’s just _ **wrong** _. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245/20 "2020-11-12T15:57:14Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > And then there are the Cthulhu plush toys. That’s just _ **wrong** _ . 😡 I agree. I own two of them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-weirdest-novelization-or-tie-in-product-you-have-seen-for-a-movie/925245.md?page=2)