# The greatest sci-fi movie never made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431 "2008-02-13T14:56:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/81 "2008-02-13T23:47:52Z")
[QUOTE=Roadfood] For that, I nominate Harry Harrison’s Deathworld. What could Hollywood like better than battle after battle with all those killer alien animals? [/QUOTE] Pretty much why I nominated Ringo’s A Hymn Before Battle series…hordes of space aliens who look on humans (and everything else) as lunch, desperate last stands, treacherous alien ‘allies’…and powered armor! What more could audiences want?? -XT ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/82 "2008-02-13T23:50:36Z")
Likable characters? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/83 "2008-02-14T00:02:59Z")
Haldeman’s _The Forever War_ would be timely and would break new ground for Hollywood SF: A story that acknowledges the relativistic time-dilation effect! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/84 "2008-02-14T00:06:29Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] Likable characters? [/QUOTE] Well…what do you expect if you let rednecks play with anti-matter?? (I LIKE crusty characters who don’t fit the mold and aren’t cute or likable. Reminds me of…me. :)) -XT ---
**Author:** ![bytheway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bytheway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bytheway)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/85 "2008-02-14T00:15:39Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] I noticed mention of some of Larry Niven’s Known Space stories, but I think that the Mote in God’s Eye could make an interesting movie too. Though perhaps the denouement would need some punching up to make it more exciting for the audience (no great climactic battle at the end, only people in a conference room deciding that these aliens are not to be trusted.) [/QUOTE] I’d love to see this made into a movie. How about Niven’s [Inconstant Moon](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adam.milner/books/inconstant_moon.htm) ? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/86 "2008-02-14T00:17:03Z")
I’m seeing other space operas being nominated… y’all just stop it, OK? 😉 Here’s one that might make a good movie. I don’t remember the title except that it was in a 1980-ish compilation of short-short (less than 100-500 words) science fiction stories: * * * A man travels back in time and gives the Romans modern medicine, metallurgy, etc. Mankind’s population explodes: By 1975 mankind was draining the Mediterranean Sea for more land, we were also burrowing into the crust to find more room to place people - the planet was drowning with almost 1 trillion people living a bare-bones existence, all industry devoted to keeping mankind fed and alive. Seeing no end to their torment, realizing that overpopulation was soon to lead to famine, the worlds government’s scraped together enough resources to build a time machine and sent another man back in time, … whereupon he shoots the original time traveler as soon as he arrives, thereby preventing hundreds of billions, trillions from being born into a life of bleak privation and suffering. * * * It’s a bit dark and the story needs a little fleshing out… obviously the finale won’t be a simple kill shot, there will have to be a 15+ minute chase scene between the two time-travellers. You might even make the majority of the movie about the chase, with the setup and background happening in the first 5-30 minutes. There are some philosophical issues that can be explored (can life be so bad as to be worth not living for an entire civilization? the Romans need medicine… is it right to deny them this knowledge?) And, best of all, it has a fair amount of plot/logic holes that would drive some people here absolutely bonkers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/87 "2008-02-14T00:24:52Z")
Ringworld, The Mote in God’s Eye, or Footfall would be really cool. But since it hasn’t been mentioned, _The Integral Trees_ would be good as well. It does suffer from a bit too much orbital mechanics, but I think the public would ignore that stuff if the script just didn’t bother to exposit it. It’s a great adventure, and it would be visually very cool. It would have to be 97% CGI, minimum. Probably best totally animated, so the people could have the correct weird proportions. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/88 "2008-02-14T00:34:19Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] (btw, thanks for the linkage there…Scourge of God should be out in September? Excellent!) [/QUOTE] Better still, you can already read five sample chapters online! (Just scroll down.) And _In the Courts of the Crimson Kings_ will be out next month! ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/89 "2008-02-14T00:36:51Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] Well…what do you expect if you let rednecks play with anti-matter?? (I LIKE crusty characters who don’t fit the mold and aren’t cute or likable. Reminds me of…me. :)) -XT [/QUOTE] Actually, I loved _that_ scene, and character. It’s Mike O’Neil I have troubles with. In case you haven’t figured it out, John Ringo’s works tend to be guilty pleasures for me. I keep reading, but… (shrug) -Loki ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/90 "2008-02-14T00:39:42Z")
**JohnT** , I think that was called “Terminator 2”. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/91 "2008-02-14T00:42:54Z")
I’ve wanted to produce Zelazny’s **Doorways in the Sand** ever since I first read it. It could even be done on a shoestring, because it really doesn’t need many special effects. I also second T **he Forever War** ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/92 "2008-02-14T00:42:58Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] **JohnT** , I think that was called “Terminator 2”. [/QUOTE] 😉 Actually, it was called “The Deadly Mission of Phineas Snodgrass” and was written by Frederick Pohl in 1962. Just once. In 20 minutes. 😉 This internet thing can be really useful at times. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/93 "2008-02-14T00:49:04Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] The Honor Harrington books are made for the movies (the cover artist seems to draw Angelina Jolie as Honor anyways). [/QUOTE] As long as Angelina Jolie doesn’t mind getting bits blown off her at odd intervals. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/94 "2008-02-14T01:42:34Z")
As long as Vance has been dropped here (he’s 92 and still kickin’ BTW), I’d throw out either the Cugel and/or Rhialto books as good source materials for humorous fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/95 "2008-02-14T01:44:30Z")
They’d take some extensive and very clever condensing, but either of Iain M. Banks’ _Consider Phlebas_ or _Against a Dark Background_ would make crackerjack films in the right hands. I would love for the chance to see Bora Horza Gobuchul the Changer, and the intelligent GSVs, from the former, and the Lazy Gun and Lady Sharrow from the latter. Alas, chances of any of his sf novels getting a full-scale film treatment seem slim. For a modestly-budgeted time-travel film with some real weight, how about Connie Willis’ _The Doomsday Book_? There’s great drama and poignancy in that one, and a fascinating parallel story set in both medieval and near-future England. ---
**Author:** ![gerb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3bc359/32.png) [@gerb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gerb)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/96 "2008-02-14T01:55:51Z")
Maybe not the greatest ever made but it could be done on a budget and it has a great contemporary message. It is a political tale that doesn’t need a shitload of bells and whistles. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/97 "2008-02-14T02:10:38Z")
[QUOTE=RikWriter] As long as Angelina Jolie doesn’t mind getting bits blown off her at odd intervals. [/QUOTE] Possibly in real life, not just on film. 😃 David Weber despises her, and is adamantly against her ever playing Honor Harrington. Which means an HH film with Jolie starring would only happen if Weber had no control over it or input into it, and I can’t see that turning out well. Some good ideas here; I’d add Weber’s and Ringo’s _Empire of Man_ books. Although they’d do better as a miniseries, or even a series if they could somehow get enough of a special effects budget. A troop of soldiers on a march across a jungle planet, giant four armed aliens, horrendous predators, political intrigue, cool weapons, clashes of armies; plenty of potential there. Plus, they can pick as hunky an actor as they like without violating the book; it’s even said in the book that he could play himself in a movie about him. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/98 "2008-02-14T02:25:59Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] Possibly in real life, not just on film. 😃 David Weber despises her, and is adamantly against her ever playing Honor Harrington. [/QUOTE] It’s amazing. Who’d have thought a man might hold a grudge over a star using her star power to provide cover for a blackmailing baby ring. What’s the world coming to? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/99 "2008-02-14T02:29:46Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] I’d rather see _Lord of Light_ or _Creatures of Light and Darkness_. Although the former may have some minor political correctness issues (I suspect some Hindus may object to the depiction of Brahma as a frustrated lesbian, for insance) and the latter may be just a little too… weird. [/QUOTE] There was a Lord of Light adaptation in the early planning stages with set design by no one less than [Jack Kirby](http://www.lordoflight.com/art.html). Obviously it never made it past the early pre-production stage. Just to toss out an idea I think Pohl’s _Gateway_ is very adaptable for the screen. It has a tight story arc, a fairly limited number of characters, not a lot of complicated action. You could probably do a TV movie on the scifi channel of it reasonably well. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/100 "2008-02-14T02:32:14Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] Some good ideas here; I’d add Weber’s and Ringo’s _Empire of Man_ books. Although they’d do better as a miniseries, or even a series if they could somehow get enough of a special effects budget. [/QUOTE] But who’d play Pahner? Or Nimashet, for that matter? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431.md?page=6)