Books with the themes of getting what you want at a price or deal with the devil (or insert being) type

[Ben]

Looking for a book that has a similar feel to the webisodse Booth at the end. The show is free on Hulu right now HERE and I highly recommend it.

Here is a blurb from the wiki page that sums up the show. "The series follows the storylines of several characters who visit a mysterious figure in the booth at the back of a diner. Each character has heard rumors that this Man is able to grant desires, provided that a task is performed. Upon receiving the task, the Man's only other demand is that the character continually update him on his or her progress. Once the task is complete, the character's desire is always fulfilled."

The show asks the question "How far would you go to get what you want?". I really liked the show and made it question how far we would go to get what we want. Whether its money, love, to cure somebody, to bring someone back from the dead..etc. How far would you go to achieve it?

I like stories of people making deals/contracts to gain power/wishes/other for a price, but it does not have to be a literal deals. It could be the universe magic/(physics?) system requires some sort of equivalent exchange(like the manga/anime full metal alchemist), so the more power/other you want requires you to sacrifice something of equal value. Something in those veins.

Anything comes to mind?

[Slinkyboy]

I've never read it, but the description of what you're looking for immediately made me think of Needful Things.

[Yue]

As you don't mind manga, Black Butler has a similar premise. Boy makes a contract with a demon; demon has to obey all his commands in exchange of the boy's soul.

[Ben]

I have read Needful Things and watched the anime black butler (and reading the manga). Both are definitely have the right feel for what types of books I am looking for.

[Moloch]

Something kinda similar in the book Happiness: there's a self-help manual that actually works, everyone becomes happy and perfect, only the protagonist finds out that this new reality looks like a nightmare

[Gerd]

Vertigo's 100 Bullets, Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call series maybe?

[Anna]

Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

And I second Black Butler

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

The Mephisto Waltz

[Hillary]

Another Stephen King might work, Pet SemetaryPet Sematary

You get your loved one back from the dead, but at a price.

[Melanti]

There's also Thomas Mann's version of Doctor Faustus.

Actually, there's a whole Listopia of Faustian bargins.

[Ben]

Happiness looks interesting, I have read some of a 100 bullets a while back and that is also definitely in the right direction also. I have also read the original Faust and that is definitely the original trope maker. I think I red pet sematary a very long time ago, but I am not a 100% sure, I definitely seen the movie and sequel; That is also in the right range. I am trying to avoid different versions or retelling of the original work of faustus. Faustus is great, but I want something that feels more original and not just a retelling. If that makes sense. :/

I also agree black butler is awesome and anything similar to that works too. :)

Thank you everyone for you suggestions so far! :)

[Gerd]

Didn't enjoy it as much personally, but this might be something (I found the writing to be great, actually - but I read the German translation, some of the comments for the English version make me not so sure if that holds up as well-, however the story gets quite confusing towards the end):
The Angel's Game

[Ben]

Wanted to mention one other anime. href="http://myanimelist.net/anime/10163/C:... The Money of Soul and Possibility Control is a weird anime. Starts off good with an interesting idea and unfortunately nose dives into a horrible mess...but I digress.

Here is a synopsis of it:

Against a background of an economically collapsing Japan and a deteriorating global economy, the anime revolves around the life of Yoga Kimimaro, a young economics student who yearns for nothing but sufficient financial stability to lead a simple, normal life. Against his will, and especially his disinterest in money, Yoga is one day unexpectedly scouted by a mysterious figure who goes by the name of Masakaki, subsequently dragging him forcibly into the Financial District, an alternate dimension where individuals recruited as Entrés (short for Entrepreneurs) fight each other alongside physical manifestations of their futures called Assets. In this mysterious dimension, money is earned and spent in battles, and any money earned or lost reflects directly in an Entré’s bank account in the real world. Entrés who lose all their money in battle will be declared “bankrupt,” be expelled from the Financial District and consequently experience significant losses with regards to their present life circumstances and futures in the real world.

The anime was interesting because when characters lost battles, it reflected in the real world (and technically vice versa for when they win). For example, one man was doing battles to get money to secure his family. When he went bankrupt, his kids disappeared (nobody remembered them and all evidence him and his wife had kids was removed) and his wife left him soon after.

Like I said, interesting idea, poorly executed later in the anime. Still, something like what I am looking for also.

[Kim]

This doesn't seem to be quite like the show you described, but...

The Outstretched Shadow The basis of one of the types of magic in this trilogy is one of exchange, where the mage has to make a deal with some higher power in order to cast each spell.

[Ben]

Deals with higher powers to get magic or spell count Kim. :)

[Kim]

Deals that allow for the individual, specific use of magic that the mage is asking for every time he/she casts a spell. There's always a price, usually some action that the mage has to take on behalf of those higher powers.

[Abigail]

There are a number of books and short stories with this theme listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deals_wi...

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Melmoth the Wanderer

[Alex]

Ben wrote: "Looking for a book that has a similar feel to the webisodse Booth at the end. The show is free on Hulu right now HERE and I highly recommend it.

Here is a blurb from the wiki page that sums up th..."


A short story (or it might be a novella) by Richard Matheson- "Button, Button"...

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Brimstone but it's part of a series and the theme doesn't extend to the whole series.

[Rosa]

The Devil and Daniel Webster
Twilight Zone episodes "Escape Clause" and "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville."

[Lou]

Pet Shop of Horrors, Vol. 1
XXXHolic, Omnibus 1
Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits

Princess of the Midnight Ball
Devilish
also (view spoiler)[ Howl's Moving Castle (hide spoiler)]

[Tanya]

This theme is present in Rosamund Hodges books: crimson bound
gilded ashes
cruel beauty

They are separate stories all taking place in the same universe with a strange figure who conducts bargains with people all around and the bargains always end in an awful evil way. I think cruel beauty is the one which begins exploring the background of this specific character and how he was forced to take this roll with a bargain long ago. Heads up tho all the books are fairy tale retellings told with an evil twist ...

[Rene2410]

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