History Main / TakenForGranite

* In Season 2 of ''Animation/FlowerFairy'', while An'an's gang is in Otherspace, Shuxin is made to play a game of life-sized chess with a fairy, with the repercussion that Shuxin slowly turns into stone as her time limit runs out.

* The animated ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'' has Agent K turned to living stone by an alien amplifier device in one episode, which Agent J lampshades at the end.

There is often some ambiguity as to whether the petrified person is completely turned to solid stone, or whether they are merely 'encased' in a thin layer of stone in a manner similar to HarmlessFreezing. You can often see this ambiguity when a character is only partially petrified - they will seem only to be lightly encased in stone, and can sometimes still break out. This is probably to avoid the circulatory problems that would arise from having a completely petrified limb.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': One of the tie-in novels featured Buffy's friend from the film, Pike, who got a spell cast on him and was slowly being turned to stone, until Buffy found out how to stop it.

** The witch in Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' does this. Unusually, it isn't fixed when she dies; rather [[CrystalDragonJesus Aslan]] breathes on everyone to change them back.
** ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'': One uninhabited island has a pool of water which turns anything which touches it into gold. A golden statue of a man lies at the bottom of it, which puzzles the heroes for a few minutes before they discover the properties of the water. They're appropriately horrified as the realization sinks in. Caspian names the island Deathwater, and forbids travel to it.

* ''Magazine/{{Dragon}} #038'', has a story ''The Cup of Golden Death''. Its beauty attracts those to touch and embrace the shining golden cup, and ultimatly causes them to turn into a statue of gold. It turned the tratorous companion into a gold statue, along with an entire camp of bandits. Niall was informed of the nature of the cup, and kept it in a blanket. High priest Hurazin attempted to invoke the true nature of the cup to claim a God, only to be captured.
* The ''Literature/DilvishTheDamned'' series begins when the eponymous hero is petrified by an evil wizard, only reverted back after several centuries, with his soul sent to Hell for the duration.

* ''Literature/DragonBones'': Basilisks are normal predators, that don't turn their victims into stone - after all, they wouldn't be able to eat them, if they did. However, they do make their victims unable to move, with a kind of hypnosis. [[spoiler: When the heroes have to fight one such beast, Oreg decides to turn it into stone, as someone else had done, before the villains revived it.]]

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': In ''Literature/SummerKnight'', [[spoiler:Aurora, one of the Queens of the Summer Court, transferred magical power into a person and then turned her to stone to keep the magic from being detected by anyone else. She gets better.]]
* Creator/PatriciaCWrede's ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'':

** In ''Dealing With Dragons'', Cimorene meets a prince who's been turned into a living, moving stone statue, having rather hilariously [[TakeAThirdOption messed up]] a standard fairy-tale scenario.

* Creator/MercedesLackey's ''{{Literature/Firebird|Lackey}}'': Princes and heroes who challenge the EvilSorcerer Katschei are turned into statues and posed in his gardens. He takes his kidnapped maidens for daily walks among them to remind him of his power and dominance. There are rumors that they [[AndIMustScream can still see and hear]]; mindful of this, Ilya makes sure to apologize when he bumps into one, and promises to free them. [[spoiler:Accordingly, they hail him as a great hero and pledge their friendship when [[NoOntologicalInertia the Katschei's death restores them]].]]

* In ''Literature/GodsAndMonsters'' the main character Ari is a descendant of Medusa, and had the ability to turn people into stone by touch. When she turns twenty-one, she will become a full-blown Gorgon and will be able to turn people into stone by looking into their eyes, just as Medusa did.
* Creator/LSpragueDeCamp and Fletcher Pratt's ''Literature/HaroldShea'': The heroes of ''Incomplete Enchanter'' at one point encounter an evil wizard who has punished his apprentice for spying for the good guys by paralyzing him into a nude, flesh and blood statue. Of course, this being written in the 1940s, there's no suggestion that the wizard... does anything else... to his young victim.

* In the final book of Creator/RobinJarvis' ''Literature/{{Hagwood}}'' trilogy, after [[BigBad Rhiannon]] has taken possession of the key to [[SoulJar the casket containing her heart]] and destroyed it, all seems hopeless. That is, until [[spoiler:Gamaliel]] decides to wergle (shapeshift) his finger into a replacement key. It opens the casket and Rhiannon is subsequently defeated, but there is no way to reverse the spell on [[spoiler:Gamaliel]] and he slowly turns into a gold statue.
* In the novella "I Like To Watch", the protagonist turns her restless adventurer sister into stone by watching her thoroughly. It's some sort of a an ultimate "you're better home" statement from the protagonist, who spent her whole life in their childhood home, watching things rather than doing them.
* One of the short stories in ''Literature/TheKingInYellow'' has a sculptor and dabbler in science discover a new element which changes objects to marble, [[spoiler: temporarily]]. He keeps a swimming pool full of the stuff in his house, which is kind of asking for trouble.

* ''Literature/LandOfOz'' series:

** In ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'', Unc Nunkie and Dame Margolotte are turned into marble by the Liquid of Petrifaction.

* Creator/CharlesStross uses the carbon-silicon transition version in ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles''. Bob Howard wields a "basilisk gun" in several books of the series, and the short story "The Concrete Jungle" concerns the origin of the technology [[spoiler:and its installation in [[BigBrotherIsWatching Britain's extensive CCTV network]]]]. In the books, the origin of the "Gorgon stare" is an extremely rare variety of brain tumor; it's also hinted that said tumor is a multi-species thing, and responsible for the myths about gorgons (when it occurs in humans), basilisks (snakes) and cockatrices (chickens). In keeping with the series' general ethos, it does so by converting 1% of the carbon molecules in the target body into silicon... which, in addition to petrifying it, makes it very hot and faintly radioactive, as that excess atomic energy has to go ''somewhere''.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Trolls in Middle-earth are petrified if they're exposed to sunlight. In ''Literature/TheHobbit'', Bilbo and his dwarven friends are captured by trolls, but Gandalf provokes an argument between them so that they won't notice the sun rising. In ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin stumble upon the very spot where that happened as they're rushing from Weathertop to Rivendell. The trolls under Sauron’s army, the Olog-Hai, were bred to remove this weakness so as to be even more efficient in combat.

* In ''Valiant'', the second book in Holly Black's ''Literature/ModernFaerieTales'', the protagonist actually uses this to [[spoiler: her troll-friend/love-interest's advantage when he is dying from injuries. Val exposes him to sunlight, turning him into stone and buying him some time.]] Notably, the effect is temporary and only lasts until nightfall.

* When Drizzt, Dahlia and Barrabus assault the home of [[spoiler: Draygo Quick]] in ''Literature/TheNeverwinterSaga'', they encounter a Medusa that [[spoiler: successfully petrifies Dahlia and Barrabus]]. They spend the next year as statues somewhere in the cellar of the house, until [[spoiler: Jarlaxle bails them out when he is rescuing Drizzt]].

* ''Literature/{{Percy Jackson|and the Olympians}}'':
** In the first novel, Percy and his friends encounter a masked lady who has a garden full of stone animals, stone people, stone satyrs... It's the real Medusa. And since Percy is the son of Poseidon and his friend Annabeth is the daughter of Athena, Medusa wants a lot of payback. [[spoiler:Her head gets used to give Gaby, Percy's stepdad from hell who even beat his mom Sally, some very well deserved karma.]]
** In ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'', Midas does this, too.
*** And further in ''Literature/MagnusChaseAndTheGodsOfAsgard'' where it happens to any dwarf exposed unprotected to natural sunlight. It is in fact exploited to stop the dwarf in the party from dying until they get the cure. You can't [[spoiler:bleed to death]] as stone, can you?

* Galadriel Higgins from ''Literature/TheScholomance Trilogy'' develops a taste for one of these spells. While (like most of the spells [[InstantExpert she masters most readily]]) it is ''intended'' for use by an EvilSorceror it does not actually do physical harm on its own (indeed the additional durability provides considerable protection from injury), is readily reversible (a determined mage of above average strength can erode themselves free if left to their own devices), and it takes a while for psychological trauma to set in. [[NotTheIntendedUse Perfect for rescuing others or shutting down fights non-lethally]].

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'' story "Literature/ShadowsInTheMoonlight" [[DreamingOfTimesGoneBy Olivia dreams]] of how the statues were men turned to statues for having murdered.

* The statue in ''Literature/{{She Fell Among Thieves|1964}}'' [[spoiler:is Lot's wife, who was turned into salt for looking back towards Sodom]]. The men mistake the solid white material for marble.
* In Creator/RayBradbury's ''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes'', Jim and Will are at one point under a spell that renders them walking statues. When they are left motionless in the [[HallOfMirrors Mirror Maze]], visitors mistake them for more of the wax figures there, not noticing the wetness in one "statue"'s eyes.

* In ''Literature/TheStoneheartTrilogy'', The [[BigBad Walker]] looks on the face of the {{Medusa}}. Guess what happens. But it's okay, 'cause he was the bad guy.
* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' Jasnah gets rid of a thug by Soulcasting him into a quartz statue. Also, the corpses of slain lighteyes are frequently Soulcasted into statues to preserve them.

* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': In ''Literature/TheImmortals'', basilisks have the ability to turn people into stone to defend themselves. Tkaa does this to Numair, who is a powerful enough mage, however, that he can get out of it in seconds.

* ''Literature/TheWitches'' by Creator/RoaldDahl has an anecdote about a boy who was turned into stone. [[NightmareFuel The process was apparently slow.]]
* Within ''The Wizardry Cursed'', the third book of Rick Cook's ''Literature/WizBiz'' series, the protagonist devises a unique defense method, a set of rings that, upon detecting mortal danger, slow the wearer's timestream to a halt, making them almost indestructible until the danger passes. The problem is, their inert bodies are taken to the BigBad's lair and the ring continues to consider them in danger...

* ''Series/{{Goosebumps}}'':
** A book in the series was called ''BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor'' and showcased the trope of this name. In the ending of the TV adaptation, which differed considerably from the book, a girl wishes that "wherever I go, people will come to admire me" - and instantly turns into a statue.
** In the TV adaptation of "Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes", Major [=McCall=] (Mr. [=McCall=] in the book) is turned into a lawn ornament at the end.

** Earlier, the whole team[[note]]minus Kili, who was busy elsewhere[[/note]] is petrified when accidentally looking at a gorgon. Sarin, the [[CatchPhrase total magical badass]], immediately de-petrifies herself and solves the problem.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': In the second arc, [[Franchise/TeenTitans Trigon]] turns every hero and villain in the battlefield to stone. Fortunately, one of them resists the transformation for long enough to summon ComicBook/TheSpectre, who deals with Trigon and undoes his spell.

* In ''ComicBook/GrimmFairyTales Photoshoot Special 2016'', ComicBook/RobynHood fights fights a villainess called Madame Medusa, who uses a gorgon's eye to petrify actresses and models and turn them into [[WaxMuseumMorgue exhibits for her private gallery]]. She tries to do this to Robyn.

* In a ''Comicbook/{{Fables}}'' SpinOff featuring [[Comicbook/TheSandman Thessaly the witch]], the eponymous witch falls into this trap when she notices that she's surrounded by odd statues wearing [[AndIMustScream horrified expressions]]. Her last thoughts before she gets turned to stone are exasperated self-recriminations for falling into such a stupid trap.
* This was one of Doom's earliest plots while facing the ComicBook/FantasticFour. "I'll turn you all to statues, with ''liquid titanium steel''!"
* Paige Guthrie, aka Husk (a founding member of ''ComicBook/GenerationX'' who now appears occasionally in other mutant titles) can turn her own body into ''anything'' - iron, stone, diamond, adamantium, you name it - and not only move easily, but gain some degree of super-strength and invulnerability.

* Once while fighting the ComicBook/XMen, Doctor Doom had ComicBook/{{Storm}} turned into a decorative statue. Particularly nasty since she was aware, and such an AndIMustScream moment would have been horrifying for someone who ''isn't'' extremely [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes claustrophobic]].

* In the ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' between [[Franchise/DragonBall Vegito and Gogeta]], this is is ultimately how [[spoiler:Gogeta dies. Gogeta charges through Vegito's Kamehameha with a Stardust Breaker, and his attack connects, but the damage he took ultimately leads to Gogeta turning to stone a la Vegeta's Final Explosion against Buu. A heavily wounded but ultimately victorious Vegito then sends the petrified Gogeta off with a fist bump, causing the Metamoran fusion to crumble to dust.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:We'd ask whether that hurt, but it seems the fox was too petrified to answer.]]

* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' magic there are a two versions. Flesh to Stone turns the target entirely into stone or metal and Partial Petrification works piece by piece, specifically so that the target can be tortured.
* In ''TabletopGame/InNomine'', some angels serving David, Archangel of Stone (Daniel in [[TabletopGame/InNomineSatanisMagnaVeritas the original game]]) have the ability to temporarily convert their enemies into stone, the unfortunate victim remains aware, but unable to do anything until it wears off (which for weaker foes could take a while).

* In ''TabletopGame/PrometheanTheCreated'', this is an inherent problem of the villainous Pandorans. Without the innate alchemical energy of a Promethean, they're stuck as inanimate objects -- they thus hunt Prometheans for this energy. Additionally, the innate human reaction to seeing a Pandoran is disbelieving horror that forces them back into this state. Unusually for this trope, they normally ''don't'' appear as just a statue of themselves. This does happen sometimes... but more typically, they become something more innocuous -- an "ordinary" statue, a piece of driftwood, a rock, or similar.
* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' game setting:

** According to the [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Adventure_Comics_389_5296.jpg cover]] of ''ComicBook/AdventureComics'' #389, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} did this to her ex boyfriends with a touch. In truth, this was a ruse she used to expose a criminal who was working for ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}, who had hit on her.

[[caption-width-right:350:We'd ask whether that hurt, but it seems the fox was too [[{{Pun}} petrified]] to answer.]]

* ComicBook/EmmaFrost can turn her own body to diamond at will, and she's able to move around in this form. She can't use her PsychicPowers in this form though.

[[caption-width-right:350:We'd ask whether that hurt, but it seems the fox was too [[[{{Pun}} petrified]]] to answer.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:We'd ask whether that hurt, but it seems the fox was too [[Pun petrified]] to answer.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:We'd ask whether that hurt, but it seems the fox was too petrified to answer.]]

* ''Animation/{{Gandahar}}'': The invading Metal Men use energy weapons that petrify their targets.

[[caption-width-right:350:We'd ask whether that hurt, but we're afraid the fox is a little too [[{{Pun}} stoned]] to answer.]]

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS39E4VillageOfTheAngels Village of the Angels]]", if someone gets touched by a Weeping Angel again after being sent back in time, the victim turns to stone and crumbles away. Also at the end of the episode, [[spoiler: '''''THE DOCTOR HERSELF''''' [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie gets turned into a Weeping Angel]]!]]