Over the last few years, the Oscar for best adapted screenplay has been dominated by well-executed transformations of gripping fiction. Last year’s winner, Conclave writer Peter Straughan —which turned a high-end airport novel into a delectably cinematic thriller—is a veteran of the form, previously winning awards for screenplays based on the work of John Le Carré ( Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ) and Hilary Mantel ( Wolf Hall ). So is 2023 champ Sarah Polley , whose Oscar for Women Talking came after she earned raves for adapting Margaret Atwood ( Alias Grace ) and Alice Munro ( Away From Her ).

This year’s category should be no different. We’ve got films based on fiction by modern masters including Denis Johnson and Thomas Pynchon, as well as classics by Mary Shelley

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