"Tradition has it that in the course of time Shahrazad bore Shahrayar three children and that, having learned to trust and love her, he spared her life and kept her as his queen." ~ The Arabian Nights
After the initial translation of The Arabian Nights, in the 18th century by Antoine Galland, the book and its various translations, took off with startling popularity and have been subject to a wide variety of adaptations ever since. These adaptations have come in the form of not only literature but also poetry, music, comic books, television & films, and even video games. The timelessness of the stories is proven out over and over, as each new adaptation brings them to the forefront again, showcasing what they were and what they can be. Listed below is just a small selection of these adaptations and influenced works.
18th & 19th Century
Though there were numerous adaptation in these two centuries, there are some that stand-out:
20th & 21st Century
The 20th century saw an outpouring of adaptations, not only in print media but as technology progressed, in film, television, music, and even games. The adaptations below are those that have made the most impact.
18th & 19th Century
Though there were numerous adaptation in these two centuries, there are some that stand-out:
- Candide or Optimism, by Voltaire (1758) - Bears striking parallels to the story of Sinbad, as well as connections to other stories within, including Khudâdâd and His Brothers, and the History of the Princess of Daryâbâr.
- Vathek, by William Beckford (1786) - A gothic novel that was greatly influenced, not only by The Arabian Nights, but also by Voltaire's work, Candide. It's gothic nature and overriding "oriental" flair have been an influence on numerous authors, including Lord Byron and H.P. Lovecraft.
- New Arabian NIghts by Robert Louis Stevenson (1882) - A collection of Stevenson's short stories that were originally published in magazines between 1877 and 1880.
20th & 21st Century
The 20th century saw an outpouring of adaptations, not only in print media but as technology progressed, in film, television, music, and even games. The adaptations below are those that have made the most impact.
- The author John Barth has made reference to The Arabian Nights in numerous works, notably with the appearance of Scheherazade in his Tidewater Tales and Chimera
- The graphic novel Fables, which focuses on a fairy tale theme, released a prequel called 1001 Nights of Snowfall in 2006, with Snow White acting in the role of Scheherazade.
- Misery by Stephen King (1988) - Throughout the novel King's captive protagonist compares himself to Scheherazade, staving off the mad actions of his captor with his story.
- The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) - A German animated fairytale based on the stories of The Arabian Nights and the oldest animated film still in existence.
- Arabian Nights (2000) - A made-for-television miniseries starring Dougray Scott, Oded Fehr, Jason Scott Lee, and Andy Serkis, among others. The series was well-received and was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards.
- Magic the Gathering: Arabian Nights - The popular card playing game released Arabian Nights as its first expansion in 1993. The expansion was incredibly popular and has been reprinted several times.
- Scheherazade (1888) - A symphonic poem created by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. This symphony has remained extremely popular and was used as the basis for a Russian ballet of the same name in 1910.