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Splice: The Novelization
Geneticists Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast are on the verge of a revolutionary breakthrough when they are forced underground by a closed-minded world, fearful of tampering in God's domain. There in the shadows they create Dren, a hybrid born of beast and man whose potential exceeds their wildest dreams...but Dren becomes their worst nightmare when she grows too strong to contain, too smart to control, and too seductive to resist.From the subversive imagination of Vincenzo Natali, SPLICE is a story about human the universal qualities that bind us, and the aberrations that set us apart. This Frankensteinian fable of freak science and found family explores the pain of difference, while revealing our surprising kinship with the uncanny.
- GenresHorror
200 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2024
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24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 20, 2024
Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/08/20/splice-the-novelization/
Splice: The Novelization is a vivid story written by Claire Donner and based on the phenomenal screenplay by Vincenzo Natali, Antionette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor. Whether you have seen the cult classic movie or not, you’re going to love this book.
I appreciate and enjoyed how well the author stayed true to the screenplay and movie. In fact, in the Forward, written by creator Vincenzo Natali himself, Natali gives the book a very eloquent stamp of approval that, in itself, is a truly noteworthy recommendation. What Donner has done is attentively delve into and expand on the characters—their histories, motivations, thoughts, feelings—in ways the big screen can’t.
This new character depth adds dimension without altering the brilliant original story or its inherent tension. Indeed, the addition of Dren’s perspective adds its own tension and suspense. But Donner doesn’t skimp. The other gene-spliced lab creations are given perspective as well, and that is one of my favorite things about this novelization. That detailed attention to the depth and nuance at the heart of this story enables the reader to experience Natali’s original creation in a new disturbing and evocative way.
Splice is a fantastic story in any medium, and Claire Donner’s novelization is wonderful way to enjoy it.
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/08/20/splice-the-novelization/
Splice: The Novelization is a vivid story written by Claire Donner and based on the phenomenal screenplay by Vincenzo Natali, Antionette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor. Whether you have seen the cult classic movie or not, you’re going to love this book.
I appreciate and enjoyed how well the author stayed true to the screenplay and movie. In fact, in the Forward, written by creator Vincenzo Natali himself, Natali gives the book a very eloquent stamp of approval that, in itself, is a truly noteworthy recommendation. What Donner has done is attentively delve into and expand on the characters—their histories, motivations, thoughts, feelings—in ways the big screen can’t.
This new character depth adds dimension without altering the brilliant original story or its inherent tension. Indeed, the addition of Dren’s perspective adds its own tension and suspense. But Donner doesn’t skimp. The other gene-spliced lab creations are given perspective as well, and that is one of my favorite things about this novelization. That detailed attention to the depth and nuance at the heart of this story enables the reader to experience Natali’s original creation in a new disturbing and evocative way.
Splice is a fantastic story in any medium, and Claire Donner’s novelization is wonderful way to enjoy it.
August 23, 2024
When I started this book I didn't know anything about this story as I've never seen the film. By reading the synopsis I knew it was something I'd enjoy and I have to say that both the plot and the writing exceeded my expectations immensely!
This novelisation could have gone in so many ways but I'm glad the author decided to go beyond the mere aberration and mad scientist trope.. this is so much more. This story is a deep exploration of human hubris at its finest, highlighting how small humans are in their quest to conquer and control nature, going to the extreme of creating a new species through DNA splicing. What enrages me the most is the utter incomprehensible human response when the protagonists understand that nature (even one created) behaves differently to what they expected (and sadly this is how us humans are).
I experienced so much more than I bargained for as I started leafing through page after page.. even after the story ended I feel a hole in my stomach. I loved Dren to bits, suffering with her throughout the book. I thank the author for depicting her in such depth!
Thanks to Encyclopocalypse Publications and BookSirens for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
This novelisation could have gone in so many ways but I'm glad the author decided to go beyond the mere aberration and mad scientist trope.. this is so much more. This story is a deep exploration of human hubris at its finest, highlighting how small humans are in their quest to conquer and control nature, going to the extreme of creating a new species through DNA splicing. What enrages me the most is the utter incomprehensible human response when the protagonists understand that nature (even one created) behaves differently to what they expected (and sadly this is how us humans are).
I experienced so much more than I bargained for as I started leafing through page after page.. even after the story ended I feel a hole in my stomach. I loved Dren to bits, suffering with her throughout the book. I thank the author for depicting her in such depth!
Thanks to Encyclopocalypse Publications and BookSirens for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
August 20, 2024
Robin’s Review
5 Star Rating
Splice: The Novelization by Claire Donner dives deeper into the film’s story about geneticists Clive and Elsa, who secretly create Dren, a powerful and dangerous hybrid. The novel enhances the movie with more detailed character development and explores Dren's perspective.I loved it and I highly recommend it.
A compelling read for fans of sci-fi and horror, it offers a richer experience than the film. 📚🔬👾 #Splice #ClaireDonner #SciFiHorror #BookRecommendation #MovieTieIn
5 Star Rating
Splice: The Novelization by Claire Donner dives deeper into the film’s story about geneticists Clive and Elsa, who secretly create Dren, a powerful and dangerous hybrid. The novel enhances the movie with more detailed character development and explores Dren's perspective.I loved it and I highly recommend it.
A compelling read for fans of sci-fi and horror, it offers a richer experience than the film. 📚🔬👾 #Splice #ClaireDonner #SciFiHorror #BookRecommendation #MovieTieIn
Read
January 16, 2025I’ll be the first to admit that over the last few years, I’ve not read many novelizations. Actually, that might better be stated as I’ve not read any. I can’t think of a single one, nor do I see any on my Goodreads page. I’ve read a lot of books that became movies, but movies that became books? Zero. And I’m not counting books like ‘William’ by Mason Coile or ‘All the Fiends of Hell’ by Adam Neville etc. Those books that started life as a screenplay only to become a novel in their own right after not being filmed for whatever reason.
When Encyclopocalypse Publications announced this one I was equal parts excited and intrigued. ‘Splice’ has long been one of my personal favorite movies. Released in 2009, I went in blind, and was completely blown away by the strange story that unfolded. And I’m not ashamed to admit that the movie has stuck deep in my subconscious and influenced a number of my own books. ‘Mastodon,’ ‘Jane: The 816 Chronicles,’ and ‘The Stranger’ all have come from various aspects of ‘Splice’ that resonated with me and pushed my mind in one direction or another.
With the news of this one arriving, I was excited to see the nuances that film can’t demonstrate play out, but I was also intrigued to see how the visuals my mind had stored translated onto the page.
After I bought the book, I tossed around the idea of re-watching the movie before reading it, but ultimately I decided to wait, wanting the book to hold up on its own merits and now have me comparing it unfairly as I read.
If you’ve not seen the movie before, beware as there may be some spoiler-ish stuff ahead!
What I liked: The story follows geneticists Elsa and Clive, who are also a couple. They’re trying to synthesize a protein that would allow them to unlock the secrets of pharmaceuticals. If they’re successful, the company they work for would be able to create a whole lot of products that would aid the wider world.
As they progress, setbacks mount and with the pressure of a huge presentation looming, nerves get frayed and failures arise. It’s within that framework that they create a new species – a mix of science and genes – that rapidly grows into a humanoid creature.
Donner does a wonderful job of keeping the story engaging, even through the beginning ‘science’ based scenes. These could’ve easily dragged or stalled any forward momentum the story had, but Claire deftly gives us the building blocks of Clive and Elsa’s characters, their relationship and a few secondary characters too.
Once the new creature arrives, Donner kicks things into overdrive and as this creature grows – and given the moniker ‘Dren’ – we see the subtleties of Clive and Elsa’s worlds collide and those things unsaid come bubbling to the surface.
It made for some harsh moments, some introspective questions for the reader and ultimately sets the book up for the last quarter when the shit hits the fan. Donner does this perfectly, fleshing out the surface-level aspects of the script and giving it wonderful depth and masterfully brings the images on the screen into vivid HD level descriptions.
The ending remains as powerful, poignant and repulsive as ever and if you read through the closing moments – or watch/re-watch it – and don’t squirm, kudos to you.
What I didn’t like: The only jarring thing I found from reading this was that the Clive and Elsa characters mood shifts between how they start to how they finish felt very abrupt, very quick and not teased out and then occurring. It could be a case of sticking closer to the screenplay in those areas than others, but I just found it to occur very, very rapidly.
Why you should buy this: This is a must buy/must read if you’re a huge fan of the film. The movie takes you to some very uncomfortable places and the book easily goes there and then steps over the line with the descriptions of things we don’t see on film.
Donner’s writing is pristine, the characters sparkle and Dren comes to life on the page lovingly and terrifyingly.
All in all, if you’re a fan of thoroughly engaging Sci-Fi/Horror done perfectly, ‘Splice: The Novelization’ should absolutely be a book you read, sooner than later.
When Encyclopocalypse Publications announced this one I was equal parts excited and intrigued. ‘Splice’ has long been one of my personal favorite movies. Released in 2009, I went in blind, and was completely blown away by the strange story that unfolded. And I’m not ashamed to admit that the movie has stuck deep in my subconscious and influenced a number of my own books. ‘Mastodon,’ ‘Jane: The 816 Chronicles,’ and ‘The Stranger’ all have come from various aspects of ‘Splice’ that resonated with me and pushed my mind in one direction or another.
With the news of this one arriving, I was excited to see the nuances that film can’t demonstrate play out, but I was also intrigued to see how the visuals my mind had stored translated onto the page.
After I bought the book, I tossed around the idea of re-watching the movie before reading it, but ultimately I decided to wait, wanting the book to hold up on its own merits and now have me comparing it unfairly as I read.
If you’ve not seen the movie before, beware as there may be some spoiler-ish stuff ahead!
What I liked: The story follows geneticists Elsa and Clive, who are also a couple. They’re trying to synthesize a protein that would allow them to unlock the secrets of pharmaceuticals. If they’re successful, the company they work for would be able to create a whole lot of products that would aid the wider world.
As they progress, setbacks mount and with the pressure of a huge presentation looming, nerves get frayed and failures arise. It’s within that framework that they create a new species – a mix of science and genes – that rapidly grows into a humanoid creature.
Donner does a wonderful job of keeping the story engaging, even through the beginning ‘science’ based scenes. These could’ve easily dragged or stalled any forward momentum the story had, but Claire deftly gives us the building blocks of Clive and Elsa’s characters, their relationship and a few secondary characters too.
Once the new creature arrives, Donner kicks things into overdrive and as this creature grows – and given the moniker ‘Dren’ – we see the subtleties of Clive and Elsa’s worlds collide and those things unsaid come bubbling to the surface.
It made for some harsh moments, some introspective questions for the reader and ultimately sets the book up for the last quarter when the shit hits the fan. Donner does this perfectly, fleshing out the surface-level aspects of the script and giving it wonderful depth and masterfully brings the images on the screen into vivid HD level descriptions.
The ending remains as powerful, poignant and repulsive as ever and if you read through the closing moments – or watch/re-watch it – and don’t squirm, kudos to you.
What I didn’t like: The only jarring thing I found from reading this was that the Clive and Elsa characters mood shifts between how they start to how they finish felt very abrupt, very quick and not teased out and then occurring. It could be a case of sticking closer to the screenplay in those areas than others, but I just found it to occur very, very rapidly.
Why you should buy this: This is a must buy/must read if you’re a huge fan of the film. The movie takes you to some very uncomfortable places and the book easily goes there and then steps over the line with the descriptions of things we don’t see on film.
Donner’s writing is pristine, the characters sparkle and Dren comes to life on the page lovingly and terrifyingly.
All in all, if you’re a fan of thoroughly engaging Sci-Fi/Horror done perfectly, ‘Splice: The Novelization’ should absolutely be a book you read, sooner than later.
August 19, 2024
A tale as old as time evolves when science takes the leap into God territory in Splice a novelization of the movie released in 2010.
Geneticists Elsa and Clive have successfully created an animal/hybrid species but when it comes to using human DNA their sponsors forcefully disagree causing the two into continuing their research in secret.
Their unsanctioned decision soon turns into a nightmare of epic proportions as the boundary between altering life’s natural order delivers a disturbing and thought provoking story.
I found the narrative to be written well as it delved into the motivations and psyche of the two lead protagonists, dare I say mad scientists, and their human/animal hybrid Dren.
There is violence, SA, morality issues and a deeper depth of story than can be told in a close to 2 hour movie, and for horror aficionados this entertaining read is the queasy stomach story you never knew you needed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Geneticists Elsa and Clive have successfully created an animal/hybrid species but when it comes to using human DNA their sponsors forcefully disagree causing the two into continuing their research in secret.
Their unsanctioned decision soon turns into a nightmare of epic proportions as the boundary between altering life’s natural order delivers a disturbing and thought provoking story.
I found the narrative to be written well as it delved into the motivations and psyche of the two lead protagonists, dare I say mad scientists, and their human/animal hybrid Dren.
There is violence, SA, morality issues and a deeper depth of story than can be told in a close to 2 hour movie, and for horror aficionados this entertaining read is the queasy stomach story you never knew you needed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 16, 2024
⚧️ 🫣😲Rather extraordinary!
At the beginning there was nothing, or rather everything.
The umbilical cord was cut now.
Oxygen saturation was dropping...
Then everything got worse...
<<<<<<<<
This is a rather extraordinary read which tells the incredible adventure of a couple of scientists and their creation.
The very beginning of the novel was a bit disappointing and left me perplexed.
Then interest came little by little as the plot progressed.
The second part of the book is full of events and emotions.
The very end of the novel is totally unbelievable and unpredictable.
A great read.
I highly recommend.
At the beginning there was nothing, or rather everything.
The umbilical cord was cut now.
Oxygen saturation was dropping...
Then everything got worse...
<<<<<<<<
This is a rather extraordinary read which tells the incredible adventure of a couple of scientists and their creation.
The very beginning of the novel was a bit disappointing and left me perplexed.
Then interest came little by little as the plot progressed.
The second part of the book is full of events and emotions.
The very end of the novel is totally unbelievable and unpredictable.
A great read.
I highly recommend.
August 9, 2024
Thank you to Encyclopocalypse Publications for providing a review copy.
Splice is one of those movies I had always meant to see. The concept is super cool, and I love sci Fi horror. Despite all that, I still haven't seen the movie. This book was so good that I'm even more stoked to see the movie now. It's beautifully written, with the characters' inner lives really explored. My favorite parts were from Dren's perspective. Regardless of if you've seen the movie or not, I highly recommend the book. 5 stars
Splice is one of those movies I had always meant to see. The concept is super cool, and I love sci Fi horror. Despite all that, I still haven't seen the movie. This book was so good that I'm even more stoked to see the movie now. It's beautifully written, with the characters' inner lives really explored. My favorite parts were from Dren's perspective. Regardless of if you've seen the movie or not, I highly recommend the book. 5 stars
April 10, 2024
I had seen the movie a long time ago and this was of course similar but with more detail on how Dren was created. The characters are also fleshed out more and have more room to breathe. I understand when adapting to a movie it is not always perfect, and in this case the book was better. It gave me more than I expected in a surprising way.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
July 22, 2024
Splice was a decent read, it could have been shorter in my opinion. Many terms and references went over my head, scientific and otherwise. I’m fine with scientific terms, however, context clues are integral for understanding. Unnecessarily big words that have nothing to do with the science, are tedious and affect the flow of reading. I’ll Google once out of curiosity but I don’t want to use a thesaurus AND read. I found myself not being able to visualise DREN based on the description, it only got a bit clearer towards the end of the story. Loved the pictures at the end! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks!
August 6, 2024
I am a fan of the film, so I expected to enjoy the novel, if only for the familiarity. I did not expect such a deeply crafted, human story. Donner delves into backstories, inner dialogue, and reasoning that the film couldn't begin to reproduce. This novel stands alone; it is of the movie, but not the same as the movie. Highly enjoyable for sci-fi lovers and human interest lovers alike.
May 6, 2024
Splice The Novelization doesn’t really add much more to the story. It’s pretty much exactly like the movie.
However, there’s been some time since I actually saw the movie, so I enjoyed the novel.
However, there’s been some time since I actually saw the movie, so I enjoyed the novel.
August 5, 2024
I loved this book 😀
August 21, 2024
Thank you, Claire Donner
This is one of the best novelization I have read so far.
Vincenzo Natali gave his sealed approval.
I liked the movie but loved this book.
This is one of the best novelization I have read so far.
Vincenzo Natali gave his sealed approval.
I liked the movie but loved this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2024
Loved it… TBC
March 20, 2025
After watching the movie immediately after reading this, I appreciate the character depth given to Elsa and Clive in the book. I only wish the author would have focused more on painting a vivid picture of the experiment and less time shoehorning in SAT words. Nevertheless is a quick read thats worth your while.
September 1, 2024
I have never seen this movie, but I was aware of it. This book was great. I heard it follows the movie really well. I liked both the science fiction and the horror aspects. The visualizations of Dren were wonderful. Human enough to recognize, yet alien enough to bring about an uneasy feeling. I enjoyed reading this.
September 5, 2024
Really enjoyed this novelization! I should preface that I haven’t seen the movie so comparatively speaking I can’t offer much. Ultimately this was a sad, well paced sci fi horror.
This is a fairly bleak book with somewhat unlikeable protagonists. The characters had dimension and the story went in a direction I never anticipated. Dren was such a neat addition. I loved most of the artwork in the back of the book and it helped me visualize Dren so much more.
The book was well written. Obviously this is a story that’s been done so to speak, but Donner does a great job at bringing the story to the page. I’d love to check out the movie now to see what’s likely a true adaptation. I normally avoid film and tv adaptations until I’ve forgotten the story significantly, but I’d love to see how this compares to the movie considering which came first.
Definitely recommend this to the sci fi horror crowd.
This is a fairly bleak book with somewhat unlikeable protagonists. The characters had dimension and the story went in a direction I never anticipated. Dren was such a neat addition. I loved most of the artwork in the back of the book and it helped me visualize Dren so much more.
The book was well written. Obviously this is a story that’s been done so to speak, but Donner does a great job at bringing the story to the page. I’d love to check out the movie now to see what’s likely a true adaptation. I normally avoid film and tv adaptations until I’ve forgotten the story significantly, but I’d love to see how this compares to the movie considering which came first.
Definitely recommend this to the sci fi horror crowd.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews