what's a sci-fi book that you always wanted to be made into a movie?

[RIP Paul]

(assuming we lived in a world where adaptations were perfect)

 

[BAYLOR]

The House on The Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
The High Crusade Poul Anderson
City by Clifford Simak
Typewriter in the Sky by L Ron Hubbard
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
More then Human by Theodore Sturgeon
Magus Rex by Jack Lovejoy
Ghost by Piers Anthony

 

[Ray Pullar]

The High Crusade has appeared as a German film in 1994 starring John Rhys-Davies. Apologies if you meant a serious, good one.

 

[BAYLOR]

The High Crusade has appeared as a German film in 1994 starring John Rhys-Davies. Apologies if you meant a serious, good one.

I didn't know it was adapted.

 

[K. Riehl]

The Amber series by Roger Zelazny. As soon as I saw Avatar I knew they could now make the movies.

 

[Vince W]

Dune
Ringworld
Rendezvous with RAMA
Neuromancer
Foundation
Starman Jones
Space Cadet
Any of the Conan stories
Any of the Culture books
The Elric Saga

and oh so many more...

 

[psikeyhackr]

The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P. Hogan

I think the whole idea of trying to make human robots is nonsense. Two Faces is realistic practical AI.

psik

 

[John Thiel III]

The House on The Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
The High Crusade Poul Anderson
City by Clifford Simak
Typewriter in the Sky by L Ron Hubbard
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
More then Human by Theodore Sturgeon
Magus Rex by Jack Lovejoy
Ghost by Piers Anthony

House on the Borderland was a little turgid for a movie, though I'm glad to see someone who has read it and finds it recommendable. The author of that one died in combat, but left a legacy of fantasy literature. It seems to me I recall a movie a whole lot like Typewriter in the Sky, with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in it. Hollywood started to make The Demolished Man, but they ran into an obstacle they could not overcome and scrapped it. I think More Than Human could better be presented on television than be a movie.

 

[John Thiel III]

I'd go for What Mad Universe. I'd like to see what Hollywood could do with the Nighters.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

None. I'd prefer SF & F written specially for the screen.

 

[galanx]

Neuromancer, though maybe too dated now- it would have to be some kind of AH

I remember Jane Fonda many years ago suggesting Stranger in a Strange Land with Peter Fonda as Michael, Henry as Jubal Harshaw, and herself as Jill- kind of incestuous, to say the least.

 

[BAYLOR]

House on the Borderland was a little turgid for a movie, though I'm glad to see someone who has read it and finds it recommendable. The author of that one died in combat, but left a legacy of fantasy literature. It seems to me I recall a movie a whole lot like Typewriter in the Sky, with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in it. Hollywood started to make The Demolished Man, but they ran into an obstacle they could not overcome and scrapped it. I think More Than Human could better be presented on television than be a movie.

Hodgson's short story A Voice in the Night was the basis for the 1963 film Mantango A K A Attack of the Mushroom People . If they ever did The House on the Borderland my choice for producer and director would Guillermo Del Toro.

 

[BAYLOR]

Neuromancer, though maybe too dated now- it would have to be some kind of AH

I remember Jane Fonda many years ago suggesting Stranger in a Strange Land with Peter Fonda as Michael, Henry as Jubal Harshaw, and herself as Jill- kind of incestuous, to say the least.

At one point Tom Hanks was supposed to Do Stranger in a Strange Land .

 

[2DaveWixon]

I remember Jane Fonda many years ago suggesting Stranger in a Strange Land with Peter Fonda as Michael, Henry as Jubal Harshaw, and herself as Jill- kind of incestuous, to say the least.

Somehow, that seems kind of appropriate for that book...

 

[2DaveWixon]

If they ever did The House on the Borderland my choice for producer and director would Guillermo Del Toro.

Excellent choice!

 

[2DaveWixon]

Dune
Ringworld
Rendezvous with RAMA
Neuromancer
Foundation
Starman Jones
Space Cadet
Any of the Conan stories
Any of the Culture books
The Elric Saga

and oh so many more...

The single title I have fastened on with such thoughts is also the first sf novel I ever read -- and the one I seem to have imprinted on, so perhaps that's why it's my choice for this category: Double Star by Robert Heinlein. When I was (much) younger, I would imagine myself being asked to play the lead (Lorenzo)... -- and I even worked on a screenplay for it. (Not something I'm good at, apparently).

 

[Vince W]

The single title I have fastened on with such thoughts is also the first sf novel I ever read -- and the one I seem to have imprinted on, so perhaps that's why it's my choice for this category: Double Star by Robert Heinlein. When I was (much) younger, I would imagine myself being asked to play the lead (Lorenzo)... -- and I even worked on a screenplay for it. (Not something I'm good at, apparently).

Another good choice. I've often wondered why Hollywood has never really discovered Heinlein.

 

[2DaveWixon]

Another good choice. I've often wondered why Hollywood has never really discovered Heinlein.

Of course, we have no way of knowing whether there have been attempts to film RAH books, that didn't succeed for one reason or another... I can tell you that in the years since Cliff Simak died, his Way Station has been under option for film rights almost constantly -- from people or companies that apparently like the book enough to pay for the option for a time; but somehow, the projects always die (but there's always someone else hanging around who's interested...)

Is it possible, do you think, that film writers and producers simply find that they have to struggle to "adapt" books that are already so well written? that they feel that they can't do it unless they can put their own "spin" on it?
I don't think people in film get turned on by the idea of simply reproducing the book as closely as possible...

 

[Vince W]

Of course, we have no way of knowing whether there have been attempts to film RAH books, that didn't succeed for one reason or another... I can tell you that in the years since Cliff Simak died, his Way Station has been under option for film rights almost constantly -- from people or companies that apparently like the book enough to pay for the option for a time; but somehow, the projects always die (but there's always someone else hanging around who's interested...)

Is it possible, do you think, that film writers and producers simply find that they have to struggle to "adapt" books that are already so well written? that they feel that they can't do it unless they can put their own "spin" on it?
I don't think people in film get turned on by the idea of simply reproducing the book as closely as possible...

That would explain pretty much everything in Hollywood.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I've often wondered why Hollywood has never really discovered Heinlein.

Certainly I've read "Starship Troopers" and vowed NEVER to watch the Cinema version!

They'd spoil Waystation and most SF &F titles. You should read what Ursula Le Guin says about Earthsea.

I'll stick to "written for Cinema" titles.