25 modern book-to-screen adaptations that didn’t let us down

Outlander

Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series is another huge book series — both in terms of page count and fanbase — to see a television adaptation in recent years, and it’s been well received by most of her readers. In both cases, we follow Claire Randall, a former World War II nurse who finds herself suddenly and inexplicably transported back in time.

While Claire is accustomed to her 1945 world, she’s sent back to 1743, when Scotland was being ravaged by invading border clans. As you can imagine, that sets the stage for plenty of conflict between groups, and the Starz series delivers on the drama front. The acting and writing allow viewers to easily slip into Claire’s shoes, experiencing the danger and fear that she does when she’s thrown into this new time period.

Outlander is also well-loved for its romance plot, and the adaptation likely wouldn’t live up to the book series without successfully delivering that. Claire is forced to marry a man named Jamie Fraser in order to ensure her own safety, and their relationship is one that fans frequently rave over. Thankfully, the show captures the chemistry between the two of them — along with the guilt and internal conflict Claire feels being torn between two different lives — incredibly well.