What If The Show Had Originally Been A Book Series?

[3005 332]

So, close your eyes for a second (or don't lol) and imagine this... 

 

In the year 2010, an incredibly creative author creates and publishes a novel titled "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic." However, this is not just some other book. This novel is highly innovative, with beautiful pages, custom and detailed drawings of each of the characters on a lavishly decorated cover, and a unique story regarding six ponies living in a fantastical world. The book is lauded and unexpectedly garners an enormous and thriving fan base who have been changed by the book and the stories in it. It sells millions of copies and joins the ranks of Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games as some of the few books that have achieved the title of "blockbuster." Several more novels are published in the series. 

 

Would you say that that hypothetical scenario is accurate? Do you believe the MLP:FiM series could've done just as well in book form (with very detailed and innovative pages, cover, etc. without being a graphic novel) as it has done in an animated form? Would you still love the series in a literary format? How different do you think the fanbase would be had the series been a book series instead of a television show?

[YuiNyan 41]

i would read the books even i don't even read many books... actually.... i hate books ( don't hate me )

 

but if there was an book series of it i would read everything!

 

i think that the fandom would  be the same.. but less people....

[Freewave 1,145]

I think the visuals are a key part of the show although an in depth novel could be more mature in scope then what we currently have. Also you really couldn't do background ponies either in novel form. I just haven't seen many novels with sentient animals before so it just seems a bit unlikely. Of couse this would give plenty of ammo to the whole "the book was better then the movie phenomena" although i think Harry Potter has done quite well despite.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

I'd imagine I'd have gotten into the show much sooner, although a slice of life cartoon might not translate as well to a book series. It would probably be more centered around adventure, so it might not appeal as much to me. To be honest, I don't think the fanbase would be as big if it had been a book series, or at least it wouldn't consist of the same people. I also doubt as much fanart/music/animations would be created.

 

Also @@~Chaotic Discord~ hates reading, so I'd probably have to find someone else to be amigos with/pester for avatars. :(

Edited April 13, 2013 by DashForever

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,399]

It seems that books just do not shoot straight into the mainstream quite like movies/TV shows. Honestly, I would not have found it anywhere else as quick, but I feel that it may not have been *as* appealing. The other books that you mentioned have tons of drama and action sequences as far as I know, while MLP is much more simple, which is one of my favorite things about it and it probably would not have translated well in a literary format. That is just my opinion though and I could be completely wrong. I honestly do not read books, much, at all, really, so....it would have taken me muuuuuuch longer to find the series if it were books.

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

D;

 

But the songs,

 

Pinkie's amazing heart-warming songs D;

 

and the voices

 

Pinkie's adorable high pitched voice DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD;

 

I do like reading, I probably would have read it, probably would have been just as big as a fan too :3

[TyHopkinson 42]

If it was originally a book series, then we would have a feature film akin to the twilight series complete with horrible acting and terrible storytelling. It would be called the motion picture event of the year.

[Zenuth98 1]

If the show were to change from a cartoon to a book right now I would read it, however I don't think that it would be at the same place it is right now if it had started out as a book. I'm assuming that each one of the episodes would be somewhere between 1-3 chapters but It would really change because it would likely lack the songs and the awesome voice cast of the show.