Top 10 Amazing Books that Don't Actually Exist

#10: “The NeverEnding Story” “The NeverEnding Story” franchise (1984-1994)

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Based on a German novel, these films chronicle the story of a boy who finds a fictional book of the same name that is both a plot element and the setting for much of the action. Set in the fantasy world appropriately named Fantasia, ‘The Neverending Story’ is, as its title states, eternal. However, it is limited by people’s imagination. Thus, the villain, who is called “the Nothing,” is representative of the unwillingness to believe in the fantastic and in one’s dreams. Though it may be our first entry, “The NeverEnding Story” is unique in that its world is likely the most vast and wonderful of all the entries that follow.

#9: “Family of Geniuses” “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001)

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Wes Anderson is attentive with every detail of his films, especially when it comes to what the French call ‘mise-en-scène’ – and literary material is often a big part of the setting and surroundings in his movies. While there’s a veritable library of made-up fiction and non-fiction to choose from in “The Royal Tenenbaums,” let alone the rest of Anderson’s filmography, our pick had to go to this tell-all memoir by the matriarch of the Tenenbaum clan, Etheline Tenenbaum. It’s no secret that a majority of the family’s dysfunction is derived from the favoritism and neglect practiced by her estranged husband, Royal. But Etheline’s own high expectations for her children, of which her book is emblematic, have also contributed to their various neuroses, and contribute to this book’s significance.

This film is based on a series of books in which we find the fictional book for which the entire franchise is named. ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ is an electronic guidebook that features contributions from many field researchers, such as Ford Prefect. It’s primarily used as a way of explaining things about the bizarre locales of the universe, and the people that the series’ protagonist, Arthur Dent, encounters. In the film, these explanations are brought to life in the form of creative animations as well as voiceovers narrated by Stephen Fry. In a world where things like space travel can result in you becoming a sofa, a little explanation – especially when it’s entertaining - goes a long way.

#7: “Isle of Naboombu” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971)

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“The Isle of Namboombu” is a children’s story, which sets up the memorable middle portion of this musical fantasy that brings together live-action and animation. Found by Paul in Professor Emelius Browne's house, it details the existence of the mysterious titular island that Miss Price, Browne, Paul and his siblings travel to while in search of the medallion that's supposedly inscribed with a spell. But this isn't any ordinary children's book, as it appears to be prophetic and depicts events that happen to the group. It also contains the spell they were looking for all along, which suggests that it may have some magic of its own.

The only pop-up book on our list, this mysterious children’s story introduces us to the title monster, the Babadook, and sets the stage for the psychological horror flick. Like several of our other entries, this book is “alive,” but not exactly in in the same way as the rest. The pop-up monster torments anyone who becomes aware of its existence, grows stronger the more someone tries to deny that it’s real, and is capable of possession; making for a surprisingly scary and inventive horror creature. Critics have also claimed that the Babadook is representative of grief, since the protagonist, a widowed mother, shuns reminders of her husband’s death, which adds to the book’s complexity as a symbol in the film.

Fiction of all kinds can elicit fanaticism. “Misery,” a film based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, is one such example. In both the book and the movie, Paul Sheldon is the writer of a series of romance novels starring a character named Misery Chastain. Annie Wilkes is his deranged number one fan that ends up “rescuing” him from a car wreck. Using her power over him in his injured state, she forces the novelist to write a return for Misery, whom Paul killed in his latest novel. Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning depiction of Annie’s obsession has ensured that the ‘Misery’ series will remain a cautionary example of fandom gone too far.

#4: “The Philosophy of Time Travel” “Donnie Darko” (2001)

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Written by ex-teacher Roberta Sparrow, who – during the timeline of the film – is an apparently doddering old crone, ‘The Philosophy of Time Travel’ is a book detailing – surprise surprise – time travel, which is integral to “Donnie Darko”’s plot. After reading the book, Donnie comes to understand why so many strange things are happening to him, which allows him to eventually accept his fatal destiny. However, very little of the book’s contents are actually revealed to the audience in the theatrical cut. But the director’s cut, which came out 3 years after the movie’s release, contains excerpts of the philosophy and science-heavy text, and makes the supernatural psychological drama significantly easier to understand.

This guide for spirits, ghosts and other beings new to the afterlife appears upon Barbara and Adam Maitlands’ return to the their former home, which they’re now destined to haunt following their deaths. However, the book is not exactly user friendly, as the Maitlands soon discover. Many of the couple’s struggles in the film are due to the book’s impenetrable instructions and the generally problematic bureaucracy of the afterlife. However, the denseness of its pages becomes the least of the Maitlands’ problems when an unfortunate living person attempts to materialize them using directions found in the book, the unintended side effect of which is the rotting of their spiritual forms. As fate would have it, their only hope becomes the manic charlatan that gives the film its name.

An almanac seems like an odd thing to drive a film’s plot, but drive it this one does – and not always on roads. The sports almanac in question contains sports statistics and scores from 1950 through 2000, which, in one timeline, allows the McFly family’s nemesis, Biff Tannen, to become a gambling kingpin who turns their town into a dystopian hellhole. Though we were tempted to include ‘A Match Made in Space,’ the cheesy sci-fi novel written by Marty’s dad, that book was more a result of the film’s plot, rather than the object around which it revolves. By contrast, it’s only by destroying the almanac that Marty and Doc are able to set things right, which demonstrates its importance in “ Part II.” Before we reveal our top spot, here are a few honorable mentions: “The Number 23” “The Number 23” (2007) “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1” (2010) “The Book of Dragons” “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010)

#1: “Necronomicon Ex-Mortis” “Evil Dead” franchise (1981-)

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Bound in human skin and inked in human blood, this grimoire, or book of magic, is the source from which much of the titular “evil dead” of this franchise originates, and is likely inspired by the similarly named fictional book invented by H.P. Lovecraft. Reciting from the Book of the Dead usually results in terrors being unleashed upon the unsuspecting reader, or even anyone listening to a recording of someone reading it. With the face-like impressions on its cover, you could safely say that the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis – also known as the Naturom Demonto - has a bit more personality than most of the entries on our list. Given that it’s the catalyst for nearly every event in the “Evil Dead” universe, as well as one of modern cult horror’s most notorious antagonists, then it should come as no surprise that’s it’s also our number one pick. Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite fictional book from film? For more Top 10s “booked” daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.