# The Next Big Science Fiction Movie Should Be... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692 "2016-01-20T18:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [January 20, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/21 "2016-01-20T20:46:09Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > 3.) Alfred Bester’s _The Stars my Destination_. I think this one could be done, too. It has a KILLER opening, if nothing else, as Gully Foyle, thinking he is about to be rescued, is abandoned by the _Vorga_, and finds his Purpose in Life. This would be a great one, and far more interesting than Demolished Man. > [@](#): > > 4.) You might be able to make a good film out of **The Moon is a Harsh Mistress** if you do it right. we’re due a good big-budget Heinlein film (Last year’s \* Predestination\* was good, but overlooked, and low-budget). Despite what people think, I doubt that _Stranger in a Strange Land_ would make a good film. Maybe they could do one of the juveniles, or _Double Star_, or remake _The Puppet Masters_ (although I think the sub-genre has been done to death by now). Tunnel in the Sky would be relatively easy to film and has the right demographics. Have Spacesuit Will Travel would be more fun, and The Rolling Stones would be good also. I’m also all for Lord of Light, though that might have been more in the zeitgeist 45 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/22 "2016-01-20T20:46:34Z")
Rite of Passage! That would be a really good one, especially with the young teen angle. With her body of work, I think there would be some gold hidden among a lot of Andre Norton’s work as well. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/23 "2016-01-20T21:11:59Z")
Not the most sophisticated stories ever written but absolutely crying out for a movie adaptation are most of the **Keith Laumer Bolo** stories. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/24 "2016-01-20T21:28:18Z")
Another vote for **The S.S. Rat**. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/25 "2016-01-20T22:05:16Z")
_The Rolling Stones_ or _Space Cadet_ by Robert Heinlein. _Fire Time_ by Poul Anderson. Edgar Rice Burroughs: Mars, Venus, Pellucidar. Michael Moorcock’s “Eternal Champion” stories. Flash Gordon. Buck Rogers. Doc Savage. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/26 "2016-01-20T22:24:26Z")
It’s not sf but alternate history, I’d love to see The Peshawar Lancers done on the big screen. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/27 "2016-01-20T22:33:48Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > It’s not sf but alternate history Don’t we have a man in a high castle right now? Personally, I have a hard enough time with history that actually happened, I’ll pass on the alternate stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/28 "2016-01-20T22:40:26Z")
Jack Vance’s Dying World, particularly Cugel’s Saga and Eyes of the Overworld. Moorcok’s Elric of Meliboné ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/29 "2016-01-20T23:32:37Z")
GRRM’s Tuf Voyaging ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/30 "2016-01-20T23:57:44Z")
Most of my suggestions were already made: Vance’s \*Demon Princes \*and the \*Cugel the Clever \*stories. Captain Jack Sparrow always reminded me of a Cugel-sort of character; a lovable rogue that you find likable, despicable, and amusing all at the same time. Nobody yet has mentioned Laumer’s \*Retief \*series. Back in the day I thought Tom Selleck and John Hillerman would make a great Retief/Magnan pair. I imagine they are both far too old by now. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/31 "2016-01-21T02:40:10Z")
Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder would be fun, as would Lockstep by the same author. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/32 "2016-01-21T02:54:22Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’m also all for Lord of Light, though that might have been more in the zeitgeist 45 years ago. They kind of did make a film of this. That was the book that the CIA optioned to make the fake movie they used to rescue the hostages in Iran that were hiding in the Canadian embassy. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/33 "2016-01-21T02:55:34Z")
Niven’s Ringworld, maybe? None of the sequels though. Jar Jar Binks could stand in for Nessus (please no sticksand stones. just joking). Bob ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/34 "2016-01-21T03:12:38Z")
Frank Fraking Herbert, Sure it would be nice to see a really well done Dune, but I think the Scifi channel actually did ok with this. I am talking about Dosadi Experiment, or making all 6 Dune books into a Series ala GoT. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/35 "2016-01-21T03:50:42Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Looking over the Nebula list, I think there’d be potential for the following: > **Gateway** by Fred Pohl > **Startide Rising** by David Brin Interesting pair- they sort of illustrate, to me anyway, opposite ends of the spectrum of books that could be made into movies vs. tv series/miniseries. **Gateway** would make a great movie- there’s not a lot of overwhelming conceptual stuff- just the dynamics of the asteroid and Heechee ships, and finding out what’s eating Rob Broadhead. No real need to go into a lot of detail- alien stuff on an asteroid- push the button and hope you get where you’re going before you starve. **Startide Rising** , on the other hand, is too conceptually dense to make a good movie, IMO. You’d have to explain the whole concept of Uplift, the galactic structure, the whole idea of Humans as wolflings and patrons, and THEN somehow try and tell the story of the Streaker on Kithrup, all within about 2 hours, and make it entertaining. Far better as a miniseries… much like \*\*Dune \*\*in that respect. That’s the thing I have with sci-fi books; there are precious few that are actually good, AND lend themselves to such an abbreviated format. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/36 "2016-01-21T04:01:30Z")
Niven’s _Dream Park_. Spider Robinson’s _Telempath._ David R Palmer’s _Emergence._ _City of Gold and Lead._ If we’re talking series, I would give a lot to see the _Wild Cards_ novels or Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds of Valdemar novels made into series. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/37 "2016-01-21T04:22:17Z")
Someone mentioned The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress upthread, but how about one of Heinlein’s juvenile novels? Have Spacesuit: Will Travel is one possibility but I always also liked Time for the Stars. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/38 "2016-01-21T04:46:13Z")
The Mote in God’s Eye. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2016, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/39 "2016-01-21T06:26:21Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Nobody yet has mentioned Laumer’s \*Retief \*series. Back in the day I thought Tom Selleck and John Hillerman would make a great Retief/Magnan pair. I imagine they are both far too old by now. Not a movie, because blowing things up would go against the sense of the stories, but it would make an excellent TV series, being episodic. Retief gets a problem to solve every episode. To not change the channel, Terry (Terrie?)… ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692/40 "2016-01-21T07:22:05Z")
I’d like to see one of the Culture books on the big screen, but I can’t think of which one from the set of _The Player of Games_, _Look to Windward_, _Excession_, or _Use of Weapons_. Moreover, I’m uneasy about the idea of trying to cram them into a movie, and having it turn into seemingly every Discworld adaptation ever. Another vote for _Rendezvous with Rama_ and _The Mote in God’s Eye_. The politics and racial discourse in _Lucifer’s Hammer_ are cringetastic today. If Larry and Jerry would finally get their next “Hit Earth with a big rock” novel done before either one of them dies, that would be great. I’d like to see the _Revelation Space_ books of Alastair Reynolds put on the big screen. Not so much for the titular three book arc, of which 1.5 of the 3 are good, but for the setting and for the short stories. He just does creepy and Gothic so well, IMHO, for sci-fi. I’d love to see what a director with a firm sense of visual style—Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam, Luc Besson—would do trying to render the Belle Epoque timeframe for Yellowstone. Or the Melding Plague afterwards. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-big-science-fiction-movie-should-be/743692.md?page=3)