With HBO’s Game of Thrones hitting screens this weekend, we started to think what other big fantasy and science fiction books should also be translated to the screen. And it wasn’t hard to come up with at least ten different series for this list. From space epics, hard science, to Lord of the Rings-style fantasy; there’s something on here for almost everyone.
Ender’s Game
Despite your personal feelings towards Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game is an undeniable sci-fi masterpiece that deserves to be seen on the big screen. The movie has been in and out of development hell for years, but it’s one that definitely needs to be made. Even those who have read the book and know they “twist” would still love to see Ender’s story turned into a movie; as long as it’s handled well.
Kim Stanely Robinson’s Mars Trilogy
A few years ago the SciFi Channel announced that it was working on a miniseries of Red Mars. It never materialized. The book is the first part of a trilogy, consisting also of Green Mars and Blue Mars, that tells the story of the terraforming of Mars over many generations of families. The books are “hard sci-fi”, which means they’re written from the scientific point of view and grounded more in realism, but it’s an epic story and one that would translate well to the screen.
The Wheel of Time
We have Lord of the Rings, and we’re now going to see A Song of Ice and Fire on HBO; it’s time for Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time to be adapted. Due to its length, a miniseries would probably work out better; so maybe Showtime will step to the plate to compete against HBO?
Foundation
Issac Asimov’s Foundation has also been in development hell for years. At one point, Will Smith was going to star in it to complete his trifecta of classic sci-fi novels. As the Foundation books are mostly made up of smaller stories, it would fit a movie well; if someone could just get it off the ground once and for all.
Ringworld
The only risk with brining Larry Niven’s Ringworld to the screen now is that there is a generation of kids who grew up on Halo and would probably see it as a rip off, despite it actually being the other way around. It’s an epic science fiction adventure, and its scope is perfect for a big screen adaptation.
Temeraire
The good news is that Peter Jackson has the rights to do this series and wants to make it into a miniseries. The bad news is that Peter Jackson has the rights to the series and is kind of tied up for the next few years in Middle-Earth. The Temeraire series is an alternate history fantasy set during the Napoleonic Wars where each nation has an air force – of dragons. It’s as awesome as it sounds.
The Legend of Drizzt
We had two really bad Dungeons & Dragons movies, one in theaters and a direct-to-video sequel that actually wasn’t as bad as the original. It’s time someone makes a good one and RA Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt is the perfect series to pull from. Drizzt is a hugely popular character, and his adventures would appeal to the Lord of the Rings audience. Do it.
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is another series that deserves a good screen representation. Every bit as good as, and in some ways better than, the Drizzt books; the series saw a crappy animated version a few years ago and should be given the chance as live action.
The Death Gate Cycle
The Death Gate Cycle is a seven-book series from the authors and creators of Dragonlance. The first four books each take place on unique worlds with a central character meeting new people in each one. In the last three books, characters from the first four worlds start to interact. It’s a great series that would probably work best as a mini-series.
The Man-Kzin Wars
The Wing Commander movie was crap. Time to try again, only this time Larry Niven’s The Man-Kzin Wars should be adapted. It has a much more epic scale than Wing Commander, but the basic premise of mankind fighting a war in space against a race of cats is similar.
April 15, 2011
#1
Either “Moon is a Harsh Mistress” or “Friday” woud be a couple great movies. Robert Heinlein is long over-due to be treated fairly by Hollywood….
April 15, 2011
#2
They should make the Thrawn trilogy, but only if they don’t allow George Lucas any where near it
April 15, 2011
#3
enders gm is freaken awesome and needs to be done immediately
April 15, 2011
#4
Mad props from mention Drizzt, Dragonlance, Foundation and Enders. Been waiting a long long long time for any of these movies. Even then they green light them, then its hoping they dont screw them up.
April 15, 2011
#5
Hyperion. I’d love to see the Shrike on the small or big screen screen…as long as Will Smith is in no way involved.
April 15, 2011
#6
The Coldifire trilogy would be good too. Gerald Tarrant is bad mofo.
April 15, 2011
#7
how was Nine Princes in Amber not mentioned? And props to the poster mentioning Hyperion, The first Uplift Trilogy by Brin would also be fantastic.
April 18, 2011
#8
A great suggestion. I preferred the second, or continuation series featuring Merlin, starting with “Trumps of Doom”. One of the best things I’ve ever read.
April 15, 2011
#9
The Mars Trilogy needs to be a series…five years tops, going from beginning to end. Same thing with Foundation.
April 15, 2011
#10
not that many people have ever heard of it but the absurdist/surreal sci-fi/fantasy/detective/epic series “Armageddon: The Musical” would make for a wonderful mini-series.
April 15, 2011
#11
I have one word for you…….Rama!
April 15, 2011
#12
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and the Malazan Book of the Fallen Series are probably the only two that would be a better choice than Songs of Ice and Fire.
April 15, 2011
#13
agreed, the only problem is that malazan would take a ridiculous amount of time to translate into a complete series. the same is true for thomas covenant, i personally think tad williams’ memory sorrow and thorn should be made into film preferably in movie form.
April 16, 2011
#14
I think the Malazan would work well because the way the story is structured you could easily excerpt bits,
I’ll keep an eye out for those William’s ones if you think they are of similar quality.
April 16, 2011
#15
No way to Covenant. He is a whiny bitch, and the endless whining would not translate well in the long run. The protagonist’s idiotic whining would have to be seriously reduced to make any movie or series viable.
April 16, 2011
#16
haha! True, but Saltheart Foamfollower deserves a platform!
April 15, 2011
#17
Do you know what mini-series means? Suggesting that somebody makes a 14-book (15?) series, Wheel of Time, into a mini-series is just dumb.
April 16, 2011
#18
…another one written for CGI would be Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
April 16, 2011
#19
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. Crushes everything listed here. Look it up. Read it. Science fiction done right.
April 16, 2011
#20
Jack L. Chalker’s Soul Rider Series or Piers Anthony’s Incarnations of Immortality series would be fantastic on the big screen. Excellent blends of science fiction and fantasy in both.
April 16, 2011
#21
I’d put forth the Belgariad/Mallorean (although Eddings is staunchly against them ever being made into films) and Moorcock’s Elric. Agreed on the Drizzt trilogy, although I remember reading they had greenlit it a long time ago and Wesley Snipes was going to play Drizzt (bad choice, imo!).
The WoT would have to be fantastic-ly done in order for that behemoth of a series to get off the ground. Harry Potter was a force to be reckoned with, so as long as they really didn’t screw it up, it was going to be popular. WoT didn’t quite have that media blitz.
April 18, 2011
#22
I was waiting for someone to mention Elric! He is a good deal different from anything mentioned.
Loved the Death Gate Cycle, but pretty long, even for a mini series.
April 16, 2011
#23
Speaking as someone who GMs multiple tabletop systems, we do not need a Drizzt movie.
Excellent character and story, but I’m *already* sick of seeing Drizzt clones everywhere. A movie would just make the issue even worse.
April 16, 2011
#24
How about King’s Dark Tower series
April 21, 2011
#25
a spell for chameleon – piers anthony
April 21, 2011
#26
Gateway – Frederik Pohl
The Forever War – Joe Haldeman
Neuromancer – William Gibson
Vurt – Jeff Noon
Schismatrix – Bruce Sterling
Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
Elric stories – Michael Moorcock
Pern stories – Anne McCaffrey (as a TV series)
Ringworld – Larry Niven
The Forge of God – Greg Bear
Songs of a Distant Earth – Arthur C. Clarke
Glass Houses – Laura J. Mixon
May 5, 2011
#27
The Death Gate cycle was utter trash in my opinion. I agree with newslurker though Neuromancer must be made into a movie.
May 18, 2011
#28
Terry Goodkind’s “Sword of Truth” series should have been mentioned here. They’ve tried to turn these books into a cable TV series already, but the tv series was absolutely terrible. With the right writers/director, these books would make great movies.
May 26, 2011
#29
What about the M.Y.T.H series by Robert Asprin, Or the Callahans Chronicles by Spider Robinson?