7. Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy is one of America's most accomplished writers and several of his novels, including No Country For Old Men and The Road, have been turned into acclaimed films. His debut novel Blood Meridian is listed on TIME magazine's 100 best novels from 1923 to 2005 and explored the history of violence in the American old west through the eyes of a teenager who runs away from home. The book has long been considered unfilmable due to its unflinching portrayal of violence, large cast of characters, as well as being a bit of a downer. Many directors have expressed interest in Blood Meridian and Terrence Malick has long been one of the favorites for it. More recently Ridley Scott got close to making an adaptation out of the novel although he keeps deciding to take on other projects.