Ask HN: Which SciFi novel(s) would you want made into a TV series?
HBO has announcer Asimov's Foundation will be made into a series. What Sci Fi book or books would you want made into a TV series?
57 comments
Snow Crash was originally meant to be a graphic novel--with some clever screenwriting, it could easily be stretched out to 12-13 episodes (or at least a miniseries).
Anything in the Slammerverse could be made into a serial form, again with a little work to preserve continuity. It's already got a lot of material in the anthologies, so it shouldn't be too hard. Hell, if you could get Drake to revisit the Lacy and His Friends universe, it would be rather timely.
A series based on Niven's Gil the Arm protagonist would be fun for a series or two--the writing chops required could be found in anybody with experience writing crime dramas or who-dun-its, with a bit of extra worldbuilding for organlegging and telekinesis.
Maybe something based on The Stainless Steel Rat? Harrison is dead and buried (sadly!) so he wouldn't be too offended.
Honestly, the problem with a lot of science-fiction books is that, once the core ideas are explored and the conflict resolved, it's best to kind of move on.
EDIT:
Actually, a post-apocalyptic series based on Lucifer's Hammer or War Day would be great. Jericho actually had its moments, but went too soon.
Comedy option for HBO: The Stone Dogs.
Even better option: a port of Turtledove's World War alternate history.
Anything in the Slammerverse could be made into a serial form, again with a little work to preserve continuity. It's already got a lot of material in the anthologies, so it shouldn't be too hard. Hell, if you could get Drake to revisit the Lacy and His Friends universe, it would be rather timely.
A series based on Niven's Gil the Arm protagonist would be fun for a series or two--the writing chops required could be found in anybody with experience writing crime dramas or who-dun-its, with a bit of extra worldbuilding for organlegging and telekinesis.
Maybe something based on The Stainless Steel Rat? Harrison is dead and buried (sadly!) so he wouldn't be too offended.
Honestly, the problem with a lot of science-fiction books is that, once the core ideas are explored and the conflict resolved, it's best to kind of move on.
EDIT:
Actually, a post-apocalyptic series based on Lucifer's Hammer or War Day would be great. Jericho actually had its moments, but went too soon.
Comedy option for HBO: The Stone Dogs.
Even better option: a port of Turtledove's World War alternate history.
> Even better option: a port of Turtledove's World War alternate history.
That's something I'd love to see.
That's something I'd love to see.
Good lord, if it was a mini-series, with the kind of production values of Michael Shara's Gettysburg? Where can I sign up to give over my money?
Especially since there is a remarkable lack of WWI era movies after Paths of Glory that were anything like decent.
Especially since there is a remarkable lack of WWI era movies after Paths of Glory that were anything like decent.
You might be thinking of the Great War series; World War is the one where in 1942 aliens invade and humankind has to put aside its differences for the time being to kick them off the planet.
Altered Carbon has gotta be the best cyberpunk novel in a long time. Gritty, not too fantastical - it just nailed the genre perfectly.
I'm also enamored with The Culture. Not any particular story, really. Just the setting of post-scarcity + friendly AI. It's like an inverted Star Trek. Everyone is having a blast, and interference is pretty much a moral requirement. Apart from a sitcom set on some GSV, Special Circumstances provides all the setting necessary for tons of fun.
Both worlds would have ample opportunity for sex, drugs, nudity and violence. (Which is the only reason I bother watching Game if Thrones these days.)
Asimov's Robot books may also be prefect for HBO. Sorta like a hardboiled detective, except robot minds. (I enjoyed those a lot more than Foundation. While fun rides, the basic premise of predicting everything via psychology is just... eh, unrealistic.)
I'm also enamored with The Culture. Not any particular story, really. Just the setting of post-scarcity + friendly AI. It's like an inverted Star Trek. Everyone is having a blast, and interference is pretty much a moral requirement. Apart from a sitcom set on some GSV, Special Circumstances provides all the setting necessary for tons of fun.
Both worlds would have ample opportunity for sex, drugs, nudity and violence. (Which is the only reason I bother watching Game if Thrones these days.)
Asimov's Robot books may also be prefect for HBO. Sorta like a hardboiled detective, except robot minds. (I enjoyed those a lot more than Foundation. While fun rides, the basic premise of predicting everything via psychology is just... eh, unrealistic.)
I'd like to see the Culture's orbitals, drones, etc in a series. The Idiran war from 'Consider Phlebas' would be a rich vein to mine.
Yes ! The Culture would make a totally awesome serie. I really liked "The Players of Games". I had more difficulties with others books (couldn't finish one ), but the universe with it's overpowered AI living among humans would make a wonderful serie. There are a lot of good questions and some humors. I would really like to watch this.
I was in two minds reading Altered Carbon. I really liked the setting, the world building was great and the story worked well but the lead character just came across as too powerful for my liking. He was constantly getting threatened or beaten but would always make it out of impossible situations. That felt a little tedious after a while. However, I think it would make an excellent TV series and I would love to see it.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons would make an /amazing/ miniseries. The narrative structure is apparently based on the Canterbury Tales and so each chapter is fairly self contained with an overarching plot tying the characters together. It's one of my all time favorite books, and as a scifi work it brings a strong literary sense to the genre.
I could definitely see that. And that would be awesome!
The first two Commonwealth novels by Peter F. Hamilton (Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained) would be an very amenable to TV if it wasn't for the required length I think.
It has a enough different plot-lines to interest many different audiences I think.
It has a enough different plot-lines to interest many different audiences I think.
I was going to say this, but I ultimately don't think it'd translate well to even a TV series - it's just too long and too in-depth
Neuromancer by William Gibson, as directed by Chris Cunningham.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cunningham#Neuromancer
TV or film, really. The distinctions between the two have been greatly blurred these days, for better or for worse. Film, I suppose, is still considered a purer medium, though. Unfettered by commercial interruptions, and syndication or serialization concerns...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cunningham#Neuromancer
TV or film, really. The distinctions between the two have been greatly blurred these days, for better or for worse. Film, I suppose, is still considered a purer medium, though. Unfettered by commercial interruptions, and syndication or serialization concerns...
Film, please, only because I think the plot would fit better in a movie. It's like "The Fugitive" - the concept worked better as a movie than a TV show.
I can see Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama working as a one-off TV series, the sort which is 10 or 13 episodes long.
The Laundry series by Charles Stross, though that probably has a better fit on BBC or SyFy.
HBO should give Dune the high production values grand costume drama adaptation it deserves.
HBO should give Dune the high production values grand costume drama adaptation it deserves.
The web serial "Worm" would make an amazing TV series.
Ringworld by Larry Niven to start with. Rest of the works in Known Space as follow ons.
Anything by Larry Niven really. Mote in God's Eye was also fantastic.
A controversial choice, not only because the movie was only out a while ago, but I'd LOVE to see a TV show set in the Ender's Game universe. It's the kind of thing that Netflix could probably do really well.
The movie covered some parts well, and the vision was more or less there, but I still left the cinema annoyed. One movie isn't long enough to cover the book, and there's enough content in the books to make many series without having to pad episodes out.
The movie covered some parts well, and the vision was more or less there, but I still left the cinema annoyed. One movie isn't long enough to cover the book, and there's enough content in the books to make many series without having to pad episodes out.
A few scifi novels that seem filmable and have strong characters.
You could do a fair bit of David Ramirez's Forever Watch with practical effects, and the story has enough twists that you could get a long season out of it. Basically set on a colony ship, where people have strange psychic powers, investigating sudden deaths that the regimented ship's society covers up. It might be better as an anime though.
The First 15 Lives of Harry August by Claire North requires almost no cgi, just period stuff and practical effects. Basically everytime certain people die, they are born again and remember their whole life. Of course someone decides to change the future.
In the Country of the Blind by Michael Flynn is about people who use statistical processes to predict the future, starting before lincoln. It could make good tv, especially with the steam punk element. Nice way to talk about machine learning and big data.
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson. Basically these large sculptures start getting sent back through time something like 40 years, commemorating a warlord's victories. Really strongly written characters, and a good plot.
You could do a fair bit of David Ramirez's Forever Watch with practical effects, and the story has enough twists that you could get a long season out of it. Basically set on a colony ship, where people have strange psychic powers, investigating sudden deaths that the regimented ship's society covers up. It might be better as an anime though.
The First 15 Lives of Harry August by Claire North requires almost no cgi, just period stuff and practical effects. Basically everytime certain people die, they are born again and remember their whole life. Of course someone decides to change the future.
In the Country of the Blind by Michael Flynn is about people who use statistical processes to predict the future, starting before lincoln. It could make good tv, especially with the steam punk element. Nice way to talk about machine learning and big data.
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson. Basically these large sculptures start getting sent back through time something like 40 years, commemorating a warlord's victories. Really strongly written characters, and a good plot.
Chronicles of Amber would make for a good TV series.
Its not SciFi, but Magician by Raymond E Feist (the Riftwar saga) would make a great tv series, there are lots and lots of books.
A good book basically can't work as a TV show, and vice versa. I'd rather the TV people came up with their own stories that will actually work on TV. (Game of Thrones, which I'm sure is the inspiration for this, is an exception because it's basically written as a TV show already.)
Summertide, by Charles Sheffield. There isn't a lot of deep argument to screw up, but the visuals are impressive (2 planets orbiting closely each other in the road to a catastrophic quake/tsunami, alien artifacts from millions of years ago, really weird alien races).
That should be the ultimate criteria, is hard to translate right a deep argument to TV (and sometimes the translation includes "sponsored message" from government and groups of power that damages the book message), but books with good visuals may be perfect for that media (and if are not great, run low risk of corruption)
Would hate that great books like Hyperion end having the same fate as All you zombies or Mimsy were the borogoves.
That should be the ultimate criteria, is hard to translate right a deep argument to TV (and sometimes the translation includes "sponsored message" from government and groups of power that damages the book message), but books with good visuals may be perfect for that media (and if are not great, run low risk of corruption)
Would hate that great books like Hyperion end having the same fate as All you zombies or Mimsy were the borogoves.
Honor harrington series, i really enjoyed that. Im not sure how well they would go at turning it into a tv series though.
I have the feeling it would be better as a high quality animated series.
I have the feeling it would be better as a high quality animated series.
Tiger Tiger, or its American name The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.
I'm not sure at all how the ending would get translated to film but god would it make for a great movie.
I'm not sure at all how the ending would get translated to film but god would it make for a great movie.
[deleted]
"A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller, Jr.
I would be completely contented with a three- or six-part series, but I could also see it being turned (well) into a longer thing by interpolating.
Similarly, but probably more accessible, "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell (and it's sequel "Children of God"). It would definitely do better as a long series.
I would be completely contented with a three- or six-part series, but I could also see it being turned (well) into a longer thing by interpolating.
Similarly, but probably more accessible, "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell (and it's sequel "Children of God"). It would definitely do better as a long series.
John Varley's Eight Worlds setting would make a great cable series. Lots of good visuals in there (unsurprising, since like George R. R. Martin he spent a lot of years working in Hollywood).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Worlds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Worlds
Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrisson. Not the student made off-brand film released last year, but a production with a budget.
It has the makings of a TV series as Bill's adventures are already serialized in the books.
Sof of Man by Silverberg would be my other choice. A fantastic book, it would make an eerie and atmospheric production on screen.
It has the makings of a TV series as Bill's adventures are already serialized in the books.
Sof of Man by Silverberg would be my other choice. A fantastic book, it would make an eerie and atmospheric production on screen.
#1. A 10 part mini-series of Frank Herbert's "Dune" (finally done right by HBO). And after that, the rest of Herbert's Dune saga.
#2. Frank Herbert's "The Eyes of Heisenberg".
#3. Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination".
#4. "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller.
#5. Arthur C. Clarke's "The City and the Stars".
#2. Frank Herbert's "The Eyes of Heisenberg".
#3. Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination".
#4. "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller.
#5. Arthur C. Clarke's "The City and the Stars".
Commonwealth saga. It will be pretty difficult to film I guess, but they are filming the expanse, and a few others.
Anything from Revelation Space.
There's a whole bunch of mentioned events that are not explored in the books and short stories so far. I guess some of them are even filmable. Chasm City or the Glitter Band would also be an interesting setting to borrow for a series.
There's a whole bunch of mentioned events that are not explored in the books and short stories so far. I guess some of them are even filmable. Chasm City or the Glitter Band would also be an interesting setting to borrow for a series.
Also, I'm a little surprised that no one has ever adapted L Ron Hubbard's Final Blackout[1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Blackout
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Blackout
Old Man's War, by Scalzi. It would translate well to the screen: Good visuals, dialogue and plot could be preserved, interesting ideas but nothing too tough to translate media, etc.
If successful, they could make additional seasons of the subsequent books.
If successful, they could make additional seasons of the subsequent books.
Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun, especially The Shadow of the Torturer.
- (very obscure) Henry Kuttner's "Hogben Chronicles" - about a family of radioactive mutant hillbillies, absolutely hilarious.
- Stanislaw Lem's "Tales of Pirx the Pilot"
- Clifford Symak's "City"
- Stanislaw Lem's "Tales of Pirx the Pilot"
- Clifford Symak's "City"
I am very excited that Red Mars is apparently being made. I thought by HBO but just Googled it and it says Spike TV. Not sure...
Foundation series
Any Neal Asher story set in the Polity universe. Of course, the CGI and explosion budget will have to be huge.
[deleted]
Tuf Voyaging by G.R.R. Martin
Gray-Death-Trilogy by William H. Keith, Jr. (Subset of the Battletech Series)
Gray-Death-Trilogy by William H. Keith, Jr. (Subset of the Battletech Series)
Jack Vance's The Dying Earth Series, especially The Eyes of the Overworld.
Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033
The way of kings by Sanderson. Or any of Sanderson's series for the matter.
Greg Bear's Eon
Sector General.
The Bible?