I'd be all for it, but when you get into the big stuff like that, I'd just as soon trim the f/x budget a tad and go miniseries it. Worked wonders for Dune and Children of Dune. Grander science fiction needs miniseries level time to tell the story, and with a lot less marketing needed, you can actually avoid the "pander to the masses" rape of the story's integrity.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

Doublethink! (my bold).

Paul Verhoeven has directed a few movies that I liked: Robocop, Flesh + Blood, Total Recall... but I can't imagine how he could take Starship Troopers, with all of RH's very well defined ideas, and from that put out that typical hollywood pablum. But then he did turn a Philip K. Dick story into Total Recall.

My nomination for book-to-movie is The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. Drama, action, love story, prescient AI, ballistic rocks... who could ask for anything more?

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pax et veritas

You win the thread.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

Richard Mckenna, who wrote "The Sand Pebbles", also wrote an interesting Sci Fi story shortly before he died, "Hunter Come Home" Would make a really good movie.....

Dale in Ala

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"Ad astra per aspera"

The War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells needs a proper adaptation, and I quite fancy seeing films based on Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series. I vaguely recall a miniseries or film of To Your Scattered Bodies Go, though.

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I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, was in no way fair comment and was motivated purely by malice. I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.

Absolutely. There have been previous threads on this subject, but really, it deserves to be done properly - good though the recent version was.

Ditto The Time Machine. The 2002 remake was offensive.

Well, the first few minutes covered Scattered Bodies. It then went straight into Fab Riverboat. This miniseries was one instance where the "liberties" were mostly justified - notably the idea that not everybody was resurrected at the same time. The horses were a naff idea though.

I liked the technology in those stories, but the plot made me eyes glaze over. I ended up skimming much of those books. A movie would need, I think, a very different plot, but the "look" and the scale of what they are doing would be very interesting on the screen (much as with a Ringworld movie).

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The Leif Ericson Cruiser

Yes! I must second both of those nominations. Actually, as loath as I am to say it, I would like to see Mote on the screen even more than The Man Who Counts. The one issue with JRD is if he could get the Van Rijn accent right.

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I say there is an invisible elf in my backyard. How do you prove that I am wrong?

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The Leif Ericson Cruiser

I'd second "Ringworld", subject to it being done well. I have visions of an inside-out (I mean, outside-in) Star Wars death-star battle scene though, knowing Hollywood, with instant communication around the ring and everything.

The first RAMA book would make a good movie too.

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

personal page: http://blog.astrosketches.info

Good choice, vonmazur. Although I once read an interview McKenna gave where he said he considered The Sand Pebbles a science fiction novel in the broadest terms (bascially humans meet advanced alien civilization).

And it's a truly fine novel as well. The ending just sticks it in your gut.

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If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers.

Couldn't stand it myself.It certainly was. I like this version though.Ah right. I can't remember it in much detail, having only seen a bit of it (a few years ago, and once). Did manage to find it on IMDB though.

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I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, was in no way fair comment and was motivated purely by malice. I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.

[Spoilers on Asimov novels ahead] Okay now I'm the proverbial "Foundation geek" who loves literalism in movies (I'm against, for example, Lord of the Rings. I say this not to start an argument on that but to demonstrate my literalist bone fides). However even with literalism you can change stuff esp. very anacronistic stuff like going back to "coal and oil". Although as a Foundation Geek I should point out that that was a reference to the periphery and the Empire kept nuclear power. So I don't think there ever are smoke-belching suburbs of Trantor.

Anyway, with that said I'll repeat a suggestion I've said elsewhere. Foundation would make a terrible movie but it would make an excellent play. It would be completely doable and all the special effects (like the aura) could be done with lighting. The Mule, by contrast, would be an excellent movie. Think of the pitch: Star Wars meets The Usual Suspects. You could play up the action (Asimov jumps ahead from the Hari Seldon debacle: perfect opportunity for a chase scene as the enemy ships land?) Yes you're starting in the middle of the story, but it can be summed up by, who else, Hari Seldon at the beginning (much like, say, the opening of Dune. But good). The dialogue's already even written. Have some classy old British actor do it, it'd be awesome.

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When I die I want to go peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror, like his passengers.

I agree with Magraf. If I were to do the Foundation series, I would strip down the first one and a half books into 45 minutes, and then do a movie and a half based on the second half of Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation. The first book is basically setup, and the whole Bel Riose-Milton Devers section can be dropped entirely; even Asimov noted later in the story that it was unnecessary.

My dream scifi project is The Stainless Steel Rat and its sequels. I'd love to see it done in a kind of retro future where everyone is endlessly happy, wears lycra and takes food pills, and we're all in the cuddly fascism of Roddenberry. Thievery becomes the ideal job because it's the only interesting thing left to do.

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There is a growing tendancy to think of Man as a rational, thinking being, which is absurd.- Marvin the Martian.

It's gotten to the point where careful investigation is needed just to tell parody from reality. I think that means reality is broken.- Noclevername.

It's been done! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/

I have a list:
The Mote In God's Eye - Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
Ringworld - Larry Niven
Protector - Larry Niven
The End Of Eternity - Isaac Asimov
The Dark Light-Years - Brian Aldiss
Seetee Ship - Jack Williamson

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This is not an idea to be tossed aside lightly - it should be thrown with great force

No argument from me, I thought Jackson's retelling apalling.

I agree, people erroneously think that a committment to a high fidelity to the source materials means that there can be no creative interpretation. They are wrong.

As for the coal-burning suburbs of Trantor, you are right, there weren't. The Empire core and The Foundation kept nuclear power, it was the break away planets on the periphery that lapsed back to fossil fuels.

It's been done as a radio play, with considerable effect, by the BBC. They did the whole trilogy. If you liked their adapation of LOTR, you'd probably like this. But I am not sure if it is available. Originally released in 1973 was recently rebroadcast in the UK, I believe, so it may be made available. I heard it in Oz in the late 80's

Jon

The BBC also did The Caves of Steel with Ed Bishop as Lije Bailey, a couple of years or so back

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If our brains were simple enough for us to understand, we'd be so simple we couldn't

QQR

"Foundation" I think would be a complete flop even with all anachronisms removed. It has a much bigger problem, as far as today's audience is concerned. Think of it -- a centuries-long conspiracy which manipulates the entire history from behind the scenes with mind-control techniques are the good guys?? It will never fly. In fact, if something like "Foundation" were published today without the benefit of Asimov's name I think it would be unsaleable.

I too think "War Against Chtorr" series could make a good movie*. Although James McCarthy's sexual ambiguity will probably disappear. Problem with Chtorr, though, it is too long. Unless the director limits himself to one book, or maybe two, there is simply far too much to cram into one movie. Now that I think of it, "The Season for Slaughter" is most filmable, if first few minutes are done to fill the backstory, sans McCarthy.

Charles Sheffield's "Cold as Ice" would make a decent movie, and Hollywood might not even mangle it too much. I think I even know what mangling WOULD happen -- Hilda Brandt would become an unambiguous black villain (and die at the end), and Camille would sleep with SOMEBODY en route from Ganymede to Europa.

* But then, I am biased

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Fiction has to be plausible. Reality is under no such constraint.

Hi, Interesting thread.
I have always been a fan of Robert H. Heinlein. He had a writing style that brought you into the future with a focused eye. You "were" there.
How about " Starman Jones", great book.
Citizen of the Galaxy, another great book. Do we really need a 5th remake of king kong? Where are the great producers with vision?
Best regards, Dan

Tommyknockers. OK, so it's a Stephen King horror tale. The actual text was overblown and in need of some considerable editing. A screenplay based on the same general plot would be awesone.

Out of the Silent Planet. . Perelandra. . .That Hideous Strength. Any comments?

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Keeper of the Jabberwock

Lemme give you a coupon redeemable for one free clue.

He knows about that abomination. He was referring to it being done right.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

That is awesome. I really should try to track that down.

I don't know if "good guys" is the right word though. Asimov was always careful to protray ambivelence towards them. Certainly they're not the protagonists. Mark Rosenfelder has a fascinating essay along these lines:
Anyway, if you do The Mule you don't really get into the implications of the second foundation (the sequal might be problematic though )

Agreed, Chtorr would be awesome. Also awesome: another Chtorr book. *sigh*.

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When I die I want to go peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror, like his passengers.

Aye. I refuse to accept either of the two [and a proposed third] Starship Troopers movies were ever even remotely done with the book in mind.

I am willing to concede that the animated television series was taken in the spirit of the book.



Mentioned earlier: a Forever War book really would not work that well as a movie. It jumps around a bit too much and is a bit too..well...sexual To become mainstream.

Forever Peace, while not even close to as good as forever war, is far more pliable to become a movie.

I would enjoy some Robert Sawyer novels made into movies. they are generally excellent reads and very character driven. Sure he is a bit too deep into I.D. but hey, the plots and characters are still a really fun read for a majority of his books.

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"It takes Thousands to fight a battle for a mile, Millions to hold an election for a nation, but it only takes One to change the world."
G'Topia

How about Niven and Pournelle's Footfall? Hollywood seems to love those kind of stories already, so maybe it could make it to the screen relatively intact.

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Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

OotSP is one of my favourites. it would be a grat film - if done properly. Do work howevewr it would have to be a period piece. I guess the chances of seeing that are smaller than a decent period piece war of the Worlds.

I like Perelandra too, but the nudity might be difficult for adaptation purposes.

I can't see anyone tackling THS - too complex and metaphysical for most directors and audiences.

Jon

That could be interesting. I have to admit I'd like to see the Michael in action. But I'd be willing to bet there would be protests at "glamorizing" nuclear bombs, even to save us from an alien invasion.

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The Leif Ericson Cruiser

Interesting. Was that a radio play too? I think Asimov's stories are eminently suitable for such a medium, as they basically all take place in doors and the action is mostly cerebral.

Jon

Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C Clarke.

I always adored how Rama after passing close to the Sun boosted out of the system with the whole of humaninty going WTF then realising Rama didn't even notice they existed

Citizen Of The Galaxy, Robert Heinlein

Tunnel In The Sky, Robert Heinlein

I'd love a good Rama and I don't think anyone has done a movie of a world with spin gravity.

Jon

Just one; it's not science fiction!

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"Everybody's playing the Game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side." (Tim Rice)
No matter how strong, or brave, or pure of heart you may be; sometimes the dragon wins!

There are a number of Heinlein books I'd like to see as movies, but I think one of my favorites would be (properly done, of course) "Have Space Suit, Will Travel." It was the first Heinlein book I read, and my favorite of his juveniles.

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I say there is an invisible elf in my backyard. How do you prove that I am wrong?

Disclaimer: Avatar is not an official NASA image and does not imply any specific interplanetary or interstellar capability.

The Leif Ericson Cruiser