Welcome to a new blog series that shows you books that are based from another form of media. This could include the novelization of a movie, movies that were originally books, or in this case, books that are based on video games.

There are more and more books coming out that come from video games. As video games get more intricate plots, players want to know more about the characters. What motivates the villain or hero? What happened before or after the game? Books can answer these questions and are released faster than a game, which usually takes a year or more to develop.

Here are some recent books based on video games:

Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden

Uncharted is one of the top game series out there today. Each game is like a new Indiana Jones movie. This book will not spoil anything that takes place in the games.

This book takes series hero Nathan Drake around the world as he tries to find the secret that got one of his friends killed. Before I started reading the book, I was worried that it wouldn't "feel" like an Uncharted game. Series fans know that Drake and his mentor/friend Sully have a very natural feeling, sarcastic rapport. The characters in this book are true to their video game roots. While the book does not have the long climbing and shooting sequences like the games, there is a good amount of fast-paced action and enough history to make a Dan Brown fan happy.

This book is a great read for fans of the series, and it is easily accessible for people who have never heard of it.

Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley

The two Bioshock games take place in an underwater city called Rapture. It was built in the 1940s and 50s as a place where the best and brightest could live away from the prying eyes of the government. The games take place after the city has fallen into neglect. Most of the inhabitants have become Splicers, mutants who will attack you throughout the game.

While the game gives clues and information about Rapture's origins and what went wrong, it does not cover everything. That is where this book comes in. The author does a great job of explaining the motivations for, and complications with, creating a city underwater in the middle of nowhere. It also does a good job of explaining how things went from being an underwater paradise to the rundown nightmare of the first game.

Bioshock: Rapture fills in many of the questions that players of the first two games may have. While people who haven't played the game before may enjoy the book, it doesn't have the same appeal.

Want more? See also Jenny's blog post: "Reading Recommendations for Video Game Players"