# What sci-fi story would you like to see made into a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418 "2005-12-06T22:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/81 "2005-12-08T00:48:58Z")
> [@gardener](#): > > Joe Haldeman’s _The Forever War_. With room for battle scenes and explosions, it’s one that Hollywood might actually be able to make while remaining somewhat true to the idea that drives the story. It would be kind of ironic if someone made _The Forever War_ into a rah-rah jingoistic pro-war action movie. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/82 "2005-12-08T01:23:41Z")
> [@Harmonious Discord](#): > > The Berserker stories by Fred Saberhagen Only how would they portray the Berserker planet-destroyers without people saying “Death Star”? Or the infiltration units without people saying “Terminator”? ---
**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:** [December 8, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/83 "2005-12-08T01:35:24Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Only how would they portray the Berserker planet-destroyers without people saying “Death Star”? Or saying Star Trek did it better and 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/84 "2005-12-08T02:46:19Z")
I want a good \*\*Doc Savage \*\* movie, done period-style. It would be what \*\*Sky Captain \*\* failed at. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/85 "2005-12-08T03:28:34Z")
The Controvert writes: \> What did you think of the recent Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? Why did they bother? There’s nothing new in it that’s particularly interesting. In any case, it’s not really an example of what I meant when I said: \> Not that many of the great science fiction stories have been made into films, \> and most of those that have were thoroughly messed up. I was talking about making great short stories and novels into films, not things that were originally made for film (or TV). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/86 "2005-12-08T03:59:21Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I want a good \*\*Doc Savage \*\* movie, done period-style. > > It would be what \*\*Sky Captain \*\* failed at. > **[Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072886/)** > > Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze: Directed by Michael Anderson. With Ron Ely, Paul Gleason, William Lucking, Michael Miller. Doc and the Amazing Five battle Captain Seas and "the green death" for control of a fabulous resource. Or did you want something less campy? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/87 "2005-12-08T04:10:21Z")
Hey, can anybody think of an as-yet-unfilmed SF story that has a 1920s-style death ray in it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/88 "2005-12-08T04:16:43Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Only how would they portray the Berserker planet-destroyers without people saying “Death Star”? Or the infiltration units without people saying “Terminator”? The machines come in every form imagined. They can be humanoid to facillitate interaction with Good Life and Bad Life. They created ones with skin exteriors for infiltration. They traveled back in time and as did some humans, and the machines that played the roles of humans were known to change sides in one story. The planet destroyer’s where scared to beat Hell from thousands of years in space. They had slag scars from nuclear bombs and worse that were like a pin prick on it’s skin. The electronic brain box was small, and in the heart of the behemoth. The mobile units carried all the memmories and awareness processes distributed throughout the body, and one part damaged was just bypassed. They had to be almost melted into a puddle in some cases to stop. They continuously built new ships and recycled any parts usable. There is some pretty ingenious solutions by the humans in the short stories. Where else can you destroy a killer ship with a pumpkin vine, or end an invasion whith a shrimp? What about getting a beserker to do everything you ask it to, and you choose to humiliate the planet leader. The last one is a lot better, but I won’t post why or someone might not enjoy that story when read. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/89 "2005-12-08T04:27:45Z")
\*\*Hunters of the Red Moon \*\*by Marion Zimmer Bradley Simple plot and themes that would translate well to the big screen and [**Deathbeast**](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/david-gerrold/deathbeast.htm) bt David Gerrold same reasons. Simple themes with action and suspense right up to the last moment. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/90 "2005-12-08T04:39:01Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > I would like to see Moon is a Harsh Mistress done by a good director with few stars used. Lots of good character actors. > > Jim Agreed. I’d also like to see 'em toss a little of _The Man Who Sold The Moon_ into the mix, too. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/91 "2005-12-08T04:42:24Z")
> [@Balle\_M](#): > > Agreed. > > I’d also like to see 'em toss a little of _The Man Who Sold The Moon_ into the mix, too. Could we do “Door into Summer” and only change the vaccuum tubes out? ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/92 "2005-12-08T11:49:33Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > \*\*Hunters of the Red Moon \*\*by Marion Zimmer Bradley > > Simple plot and themes that would translate well to the big screen > > and [**Deathbeast**](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/david-gerrold/deathbeast.htm) bt David Gerrold > > same reasons. Simple themes with action and suspense right up to the last moment. **Deathbeast** is the movie Spielberg should have made instead of **Jurassic Park.** How about James White’s \*\*‘Sector General’ \*\* series? A far-future medical drama. Can’t lose. Or Keith Roberts’ **‘The Furies’** - written as an hommage to John Wyndham it’s an alien invasion story. Aliens in the form of bloody great four-foot wasps. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/93 "2005-12-08T12:08:41Z")
I’d also go for _Ringworld_; oddly, I really don’t mind that it would be a fairly lightweight effects-fest - it would still be quite enjoyable - that’s pretty much all the book was. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/94 "2005-12-08T12:13:12Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Only how would they portray the Berserker planet-destroyers without people saying “Death Star”? Or the infiltration units without people saying “Terminator”? Set (at least part of) it in the real, modern world; dialogue to include words to the effect: “You mean these infiltrator units are like, y’know, _The Terminator_?” “No, because _they’re fricking real_!” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/95 "2005-12-08T12:42:33Z")
> [@Wendell Wagner](#): > > I was talking about making great short stories and novels into films, not things that were originally made for film (or TV). _Hitchhiker’s_ was originally made for radio, although it seems like most North Americans think of it mainly as a series of novels. (The radio series is much better.) It is a prime example of a great story that was seriously messed up as a film adaptation, though. (At least, I’m pretty sure it is. I still haven’t watched the second half of it. Bleah.) > [@Balle\_M](#): > > I’d also like to see 'em toss a little of The Man Who Sold The Moon into the mix, too. …and one or two miss-'em-if-you-blink _The Cat Who Walked Through Walls_ nods, as well. 😃 You know what I’d like to see? Murray Leinster’s _If You Was a Moklin_ scaled up into a Jim Carrey vehicle. (Seriously. Well, maybe Ed Norton if you didn’t want to go that way.) Maybe get Brendan Fraser in there, too, as the other fella. On the face of it, it’s a goofy, comical story… but there’s something a little serious running through it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/96 "2005-12-08T13:22:44Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hey, can anybody think of an as-yet-unfilmed SF story that has a 1920s-style death ray in it? 🙂 Here’s one with sapient beings of metal that can travel through dimensions, and rearrange themselves into shapes that are useful. They also use gravity manipulation, and feed on solar energy in a unique way. The English explorers have to fight in an abandoned lost city against an army of Persian warriors dressed as warriors thousands of years in the past. The ancient warriors from the time of Alexander The Great fled from him into the mountains and built a hidden city. The metal beings can shoot Death Rays to drop people dead too. What would this book be? The Metal Monster by Merrit. In his first book Merrit deals with aliens and ancient races living in the center of the earth and the theory that the Earth expelled the moon and the moon light was an elemental energy that the ancient races could use. They had a little disinegrater ray the size of lipstick. One dose and the victim vibrated apart as your molecules vibrated faster. People faded out in about a minute, in a ghost like manner with a few sparkles. The buildings use force field walls and ceilings. You get some frog people and ancient gods throwing in for good measure. The book is The Moon Pool. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/97 "2005-12-08T13:59:11Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’d also go for _Ringworld_; oddly, I really don’t mind that it would be a fairly lightweight effects-fest - it would still be quite enjoyable - that’s pretty much all the book was. Didn’t you hear? Peter Jackson is producing Halo for 2007. 😉 > [@grey\_ideas](#): > > If I remember rightly the rights to Richard Morgan’s “Altered Carbon” have been bought as well, also a while ago and I don’t think there is anything recent on whether they will actually make the film. This was the one I was going to mention. So far no one has done anything with it which leaves me conflicted. As much as I’d love to see Kovacs kick ass and The Hendrix hotel brought to life, I’m relieved that no one’s attempted to try it. I don’t know how they could pull off the whole body resleeving thing. However, Warner Brothers recently bought the film rights to Market Forces, and I’d love to see this one make it to the big screen. Picture a dark version of Office Space where unlikeable yuppie Peter runs Lumbergh’s Porsche off the road on the way to work, steals his job, and kills Milton for the Swingline. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/98 "2005-12-08T14:51:27Z")
One I’ve filmed in my head pretty often is Isaac Asimov’s **Nightfall**. It’s been done as an audio production (by Analog, interestingly enough – they produced a version on record that was to be the first in a series of audio productions that, I think, never saw a second installment. They gave away or sold copies to asubscribers) and as a stage show. There have been two nominal movie versions, both of them abysmal and practically straight-to-video. In the best tradition of bad SF movies, they effectively threw out the original story. I think it could make a good flick, but it would need a clever and imaginative director at the helm. I also think that Asimov’s **Foundation** trilogy could make a good mini-seriers, done right. (Sequels, what sequels? Asimov only wrote the three books, right? “Foundation’s Edge”? What are you talking about? “Robots and Foundation”? Don’t be ridiculous!) And as I’ve said before, I woulda loved if the actually used Harlan Ellison’s script for **I, Robot** , instead of throwing out the book and using that title on a script of an unrelated and original movie. Despite what people have said about Asimov’s “zeroth law”, this movie ain’t the embodiment of his ideas, and is in many ways its antithesis. This movie goes with Starship Troopers in the bin of flicks most in pghilosophical argument with their nominal sources. The comments about “Deathbeast” ar interesting. A year and a half ago I met Gerrold and he autographed a copy of his “Deathbeast” for me, saying that “he was trying to do Jaws as a Dinosaur movie”. To my mind it went a bit overboard. Translated to the screen as is it would be _very_ bloody. My vote for “hunting for dinosaurs” still goes to L. Sprague de Camp’s “A Gun for Dinosaur” (AGfD was de Camp’s only dinosaur-hunting story for manty years, but shortly before he died he wrote a series of sequels, collected in the book “Rivers of Time”. You could string a few of these togetrher for a decent flick.) The idea of a dino-hunting flick has been kicking around for quite a while. About 25 years ago animator Jim Danforth tried to make one – Cinefantastique published pre-production sketches. I think it could’ve been a good flick, but it was never masde. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/99 "2005-12-08T14:51:33Z")
Granted it’s fantasy, but I’d like to see Simon Green’s **Blood and Honour** given the Peter Jackson treatment, although there’s already a [Western of that name](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275969/). ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418/100 "2005-12-08T14:56:48Z")
Larry Mudd writes: \> Hitchhiker’s was originally made for radio, although it seems like most North \> Americans think of it mainly as a series of novels. O.K., but my point was that is wasn’t originally a novel. I never think of it as a novel (or as a series of novels). I’ve listened to all the radio version and have seen most of the TV version and the recent movie version. I didn’t see any point in making the movie (except for making more money, of course). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sci-fi-story-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-a-movie/334418.md?page=6)