# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/141 "2008-02-15T01:40:10Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] As for Lewis, I can maybe see **Out of the Silent Planet** , but I can’t see **Perelandra** being good cinema. I forget if the Eve figure is naked all the time (I read it a long time ago) but even that wouldn’t help enough. 🙂 [/QUOTE] How about [_That Hideous Strength?_](http://davidszondy.com/future/Dystopias/nice.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/142 "2008-02-15T02:03:00Z")
I’d love to see Kim Stanley Robinson’s **Red Mars** (in the fact, the whole trilogy) made into a series of movies, provided it didn’t get too dumbed down. The problem is way too many people expect SciFi to be all action and spectacle. So clearly the Mars series could probably never be made in any way that would resemble the original, which is too bad. A realistic attempt at John Christopher’s **Tripods Trilogy** would be cool, too. Speaking of Larry Niven, I’ve always thought his **A Gift From Earth** would make an awesome movie. By the way, **Ender’s Game** [is about to appear on the big screen](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400403/) , for fans of Orson Scott Card. ---
**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 15, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/143 "2008-02-15T02:03:07Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] Ok, there are a lot of really good stories that could be made into movies, but the thread asks not for good ones, even great ones, but the “greatest.” That has to mean the best Science Fiction story that would survive transformation into a really good movie, that hasn’t had it done, yet. I would offer an unusual selection: “Nightfall,” by Asimov, but I see it’s been done as a couple of low-budget cheeseys. ☹ I’d have to go with _Stranger in a Strange Land_. It’s got religion, sex, violence and sex. Movies thrive on that. And it has a pretty good story, which might even manage not to be screwed up. 🙂 [/QUOTE] _Nightfall_ [http://imdb.com/title/tt0095738/](http://imdb.com/title/tt0095738/) makes Plan 9 from Outer Space look like Star Wars… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/144 "2008-02-15T02:12:55Z")
[QUOTE=Knorf] A realistic attempt at John Christopher’s **Tripods Trilogy** would be cool, too. [/QUOTE] There was a [TV series.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods#TV_series) ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/145 "2008-02-15T02:29:54Z")
I’m going to throw in another one - Harry Harrison’s “Homeworld”, with the rest of the ‘to the stars’ series available as potential sequels. I was very impressed by these… a few flaws, yes, but overall very smart and compelling political and social thrillers set against a sci-fi background. Well, ‘homeworld’ and ‘starworld’ are sociopolitical thrillers. “Wheelworld” is a bit more like an adventure story in between them, but that’s no bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/146 "2008-02-15T02:49:17Z")
[QUOTE=Rocketeer] An interesting choice. I personally think that Vance’s Planet of Adventure novels ( **City of the Chasch, Servants of the Wankh, The Dirdir** , and **The Pnume** ) would make a fine series. [/QUOTE] I agree. I love those books. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/147 "2008-02-15T06:00:19Z")
[QUOTE=Knorf] A realistic attempt at John Christopher’s **Tripods Trilogy** would be cool, too. [/QUOTE] Oooh, yeah! Man, **any** of John Christopher’s trilogies would be awesome as a movie. But the Tripods trilogy (and maybe the prequel as well) would be the best. Oh, I see there was a TV series. Wonder if it was any good… ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/148 "2008-02-15T14:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] I agree. I love those books. [/QUOTE] I especially like the atmosphere of **The Pnume**. And the description of the night when Reith and Zap 259 finally consumate their love-wow. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/149 "2008-02-15T15:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Could it ever make it as a movie? hard to see how-the plot spans centuries..and Asimov never deined a lot about how things worked in the distant future. However, i’d cast sean connery as hari Selden; maybe Sing as gen. Bel riose. [/QUOTE] I think a Foundation movie would have to follow one story arc instead of spanning centuries. It just wouldn’t work as a movie that encompassed the entire trilogy. What I’m imagining is Hari Seldon’s hologram previous recordings playing during the opening credits, leading up to the seriously anxious and nervous people playing the recording they hope will explain how to defeat The Mule within the first 10 or 15 minutes of the movie. If done right, they can jump right into that part of the story without trashing the novels too much, and end it when the Second Foundation finally stops The Mule on Trantor. I’m thinking some parts of the story would translate excellently into film, like when they’re talking to The Mule’s new military commander that couldn’t explain why he decided to abandon his resistance and join The Mule with his whole heart early in the storyline. That scene was really creepy in the book, not knowing what the heck was going on and all. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/150 "2008-02-15T15:44:20Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent] No. There’s weren’t. Clarke never got around to it. Shame, that. But perhaps it’s just as well. [/QUOTE] Unless you want to count “Rama II”, “The Garden of Rama”, and “Rama Revealed”. But since these are not obscure books, I assume you know about them, don’t like them and enjoy pretending they don’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/151 "2008-02-15T16:04:32Z")
> [@](#): > > You mean you didn’t like it as a Star Trek episode? As your smiley suggests – No. They changed so much (gunpowder? Gimme a break! And THEY CHANGED THE FREAKIN’ ENDING!) that I’m ready to believe the story that they were already writing an episode of this kind when somebody pointed out the similarity to Brown’s story. the original **Outer Limits** had done one like this, too (“Fun and Games”). I’m sure the idea’s been done pretty often in science fiction. Brown’s version, though, is probably the best known and the most anthologized (It’s in the first volume of The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, which ought to be recommendation enough, but I’ve also got it in at least three other anthologies in my bookcase) because, of all the ones I’ve read, it’s the best. I’ve filmed it in my head over the years. I think you could do it without voiceovers or narration, if you do it right, and that would be best. Now with CGI you could actually do the Outsider believably, and the lizards, and do some very cute depiction of the Arena itself – you don’t want a dull dome with no interest to it. Damn! I’d like to see that one done properly. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/152 "2008-02-15T16:09:26Z")
Three pages and no one has yet suggested [Ubik](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik) by Philip K Dick? He even wrote a screen play for it himself. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/153 "2008-02-15T16:44:38Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by \*\*\* BrainGlutton_\*: > The prologue to ITCOTCK – you can read it and six sample chapters [here](http://www.smstirling.com/) – and (on the The Scourge of God) > [@](#): > > Better still, you can already read five sample chapters online! (Just scroll down.) Don’t do it! The temptation is awful to read these sample chapters but it ruined The Sunrise Lands for me. When the book finally came out it was a terrible disappointment to only have a about half a new book to enjoy - made worse in TSL as it is written as only the first part of a four part series. And it shows :dubious: Getting back to the OP, how about Poul Anderson’s _The Star Fox_? Strong plot line, interesting characters, and a reasonable mix of aliens, planet wide politics, and space battles. In fact a lot of Anderson’s books would work - fairly short with a direct plot in exotic locations. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/154 "2008-02-15T17:52:11Z")
[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 was thinking **Mote** was exactly the book for a movie when I started reading this thread. I think what I’d do was punch up the ending- zip through the part with the mids on Mote Prime, the leaving, the destruction of MacArthur, etc… with filmmaking tricks and music intended to convey extreme urgency, then segue right into the conference table, and then leave with some relatively spectacular blockade fleet shots & combat, ending with a kind of scary, ominous ending. Then if it does well, do “The Gripping Hand” a couple of years later! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/155 "2008-02-15T17:52:51Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] How about [_That Hideous Strength?_](http://davidszondy.com/future/Dystopias/nice.htm) [/QUOTE] I deliberately left that out. I vaguely remember Merlin, and an institute in England, but my mind has rejected the rest of it - except that it was borrrrring. I have a policy that if a book is in my SF collection I read it all the way through, but that was one of the tough ones. And not because of the religion. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/156 "2008-02-15T17:56:27Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I’ve filmed it in my head over the years. I think you could do it without voiceovers or narration, if you do it right, and that would be best. Now with CGI you could actually do the Outsider believably, and the lizards, and do some very cute depiction of the Arena itself – you don’t want a dull dome with no interest to it. Damn! I’d like to see that one done properly. [/QUOTE] But would you use the Trek ending, with mercy winning, or the Brown ending? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/157 "2008-02-15T18:12:20Z")
To a 14 year old boy staying up late you can’t do any better than _Barbarella_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/158 "2008-02-15T18:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > But would you use the Trek ending, with mercy winning, or the Brown ending? Brown ending – no question. Lotsa nice explosions. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/159 "2008-02-15T19:26:58Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Brown ending – no question. Lotsa nice explosions. [/QUOTE] I hate to make a second +1 post in the same thread, so I will say that while the _Star Trek_ episode was pretty cool, it was not “Arena.” The whole point was that there couldn’t be any mercy for the outsider. I always wondered, though, why he didn’t just pinch off his jugular veins and hold his breath. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431/160 "2008-02-15T19:36:28Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] Who would play the Mule? -XT [/QUOTE] [DJ Qualls](http://imdb.com/name/nm0702809/) I’d like to see Fred Saberhagen’s _Beserker Wars_ on the big screen. It’s got big space battles, killer robots, planet killing, add a little sex to spice things up (say a little girl on girl action with Summer Glau and Jewel Saite), and you’re golden. David Drake’s _The Forlorn Hope_ would also work as well, I’d think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-sci-fi-movie-never-made/437431.md?page=9)