What's a sci-fi or fantasy book or series that you want to see adapted as a movie/television series?

I didn’t read this series when I was a kid, but I finally got around to reading Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber.

Given it’s an older series, I wasn’t sure how much I’d like it (some of those older series age horribly), but it was actually REALLY good still, and the few minor things that’d aged too much wouldn’t be hard to update for a modern audience.

But the concept of Amber is fantastic, Corwin’s behavior and arc perfect, and I think a TV series could do it justice nowadays. Man, some CGI artists could do some beautiful work depicting a hellride through shadow.

I also would really, really love to see Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern adapted…but there’s a few parts that have aged pretty badly, so it’d need careful handling of things like Lessa and F’lar’s relationship and such. And maybe, you know, keep Jaxom the hell away from Corana.

But I think the whole idea of threadfall, and Impressing dragons, could be done beautifully on the screen. I think a run from Dragonflight to All The Weyrs of Pern (including the Harper Hall Trilogy) could be done. (Then leave the later books out, they don’t really add much, lol.)

The series would need a top-notch composer scoring it, though. I’d vote for Natalie Holt. She did wonderfully with Loki, and it’d be a nice touch having a woman score the series that’d have the Harper Hall Trilogy included in it.

ChrisMcMillan,

The ministry for the future by Kim Stanley Robinson. And moreso after the Texan republicans are trying to keep climate science out of classrooms!

Pulptastic,

That was a surprisingly good book. Lots of ideas for public policy and guerilla climate strategy.

ChrisMcMillan,

Totally! Makes you want to DO something!

Marin_Rider,

that was the one with drone swarm attacks was it? feels very prophetic

I think it was 2312 where they had multiple asteroids set on distinct trajectories to all meet a target at the exact same moment to produce undetectable large impacts as well from memory

257m,

Just started it but Deathworlders would be very cool.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

I haven’t heard of that series. Who is the author?

257m,

Phillip R. Johnson aka HamboneHFY. Its a free novel.

bionicjoey,

I’ve long wanted Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to be made into a series. I used to think it wouldn’t be possible because of how much the humour relies on the narrator, but after seeing the (IMO successful) Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, I think it is possible.

redditron_2000_4,

Good Omens showed how well his work can translate to the screen. Just focusing on Ankh Morpork and Vimes could be a great series.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

My entry into Discworld was Guards! Guards! and I’d love to see a really good rendition of that. I know a lot of people loves Vimes, and I do too, but I also love Carrot and his werewolf girlfriend and I’d like to see Carrot being Carrot.

I think Susan’s story as the grand-daughter of Death could be great, too.

I know Neil Gaiman has a great deal on his plate shepherding his own works onto the screen, but I wish he magically had a bit of extra time and energy to do something (besides Good Omens) of Pratchett’s.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

I think it’s possible, but that none of the attempts so far to do so have had the type of success I’d like to see.

Some of the BBC for-television adaptations have been ok. And some series haven’t.

lazylion_ca,

I’d like to do a series that takes place after the books where Vimes son goes to the Assasins academy and befriends a fellow student who doesnt realize he is a born wizard. I envision five seasons with each season taking up about 3 to 5 years in story. This allows the actors to age gracefully and gives time for quality writing instead of rushing to get a season out before someone gets pregnant or starts balding.

Each season would follow them through their late teens and 20s as they live and thrive in Anhk-Morport. First season would be them at the academy. Second would be them in the Watch. Third would have them part ways as young Sam advances in the Watch while the other starts working covertly for the Patrician.

It’d generally be villain of the week with some over-arching storylines, showing them solving the same mystery from different perspectives, while mostly having each others back even when its not obvious.

Eventually it would culminate in young Sam taking over the watch from Carrot, while his friend finally faces the music and joins UU.

I’d like to throw Carrot and Angua’s daughter in there too, but that might get in the way of one of the potential storylines. Also I don’t want it to be a Harry Potter clone.

Transcendant,

I’m pretty sure there have been a few books adapted, nowhere near enough though! More, more please.

en.wikipedia.org/…/Category:Discworld_films_and_t…

GCostanzaStepOnMe,
@GCostanzaStepOnMe@feddit.de avatar

The Bible 😎😎😎

Thassodar,

Piers Anthony’s Incarnations of Immortality series of books. The first book alone, where a guy who was about to unalive himself accidentally kills death instead as he walks in the door to take his soul, would make an awesome series. Each book takes on a different aspect of Immortality (Death, War, Time, Nature, etc.) and how they overcome Satan by not being used for ultimate evil.

That last sentence may seem religion-forward but the author, Piers Anthony, is not a religious writer by any means. Another series of his, Bio of a Space Tyrant, could be an ultra gritty R rated Sci-fi epic with the right director.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

It’s unlikely Hollywood will ever touch Piers Anthony with a ten foot pole after some of the stuff he’s self-published in his later years. Like Marion Zimmer Bradley, the SFF world has decided it’s wisest to quietly forget him.

Thassodar,

I need to look into this, I was heavily invested in the Adept and Xanth series, and finding book 2 of Bio of a Space Tyrant, physically, is near impossible. I had no idea he was wrapped in any kind of controversy, but to be fair I haven’t kept up with him in over a decade.

clay_pidgin,

Firefly is a stand-alone novel of his with a character who was enthusiastic about her sexual abuse as a five year old. It is more fucked up than it sounds.

TechyDad,
@TechyDad@lemmy.world avatar

For the longest time, I wanted to see the Percy Jackson series adapted. (I’m not counting those movies!) Thankfully, it is and the first book/first season will be coming out in December. I hope they are able to expand to the entire universe that Riordan made. There are so many stories that would be great to see.

Sir_Fridge,

Technically a book series, warhammer 40k. It’s being made too and I’m as excited as I’m afraid.

NaibofTabr,

Ann Leckie’s Ancillary series would make a fantastic space epic, if handled properly.

Pirasp,

Barrayar. Giant SciFi world, tons of cool characters, politics, action, romance and intrigue. All in all it probably would make for a pretty great series.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

I suspect the big thing that’s always held Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series back from being made into a movie or television show is Miles being disabled. Peter Dinklage could’ve played him, but he’s too old at this point for young Miles. And there’s probably not a lot of acting talent with dwarfism AND the manic charisma that playing a proper Miles needs.

I wonder if it’d work as an anime though? Lois McMaster Bujold reviews a lot of manga on Goodreads so I imagine she might at least entertain the idea if anyone ever approached her.

I think her Chalion series would work as an excellent series of shows, either live action or animated. Penric is, personality-wise, a lot like Miles, but easier to cast.

Pirasp,

Maybe, or any animation really. Still live action would be the thing I would look forward to the most.

theywilleatthestars,

Still waiting for a Mistborn adaptation.

tuxtey,

All of Cosmere. Do a Marvel with it.

nathris,

It won’t work as live action, and Sanderson is probably a little cagey after working on Amazon’s WoT. He would need to have absolute control over the writing.

Wax and Wayne in the style of Fullmetal Alchemist would be amazing though. Comedic but also serious.

kometes, (edited )

Joe Abercrombie – First Law Trilogy
Stephen R Donaldson – The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

I’ve often mused who they’d cast as Thomas. A younger Billy Bob Thornton would have worked.

DaneGerous,

On Joe Abercrombies website he says there’s a best served cold show in the works.

daqqad,

I always wonder why sci-fi gets mixed in with fantasy so much? It’s always a pain to find decent movie/show or a book because these categories are treated as the same thing.

In my mind they are trivial to separate and I struggle to think of a single book or a film/show that even comes close to crossing over.

I enjoy quality writing in either genre, but as I get older I gravitate towards sci-fi because most fantasy seems to be written for younger audience with some great exceptions like Chronicles of Amber or Witcher.

And just to stay on topic, I nominate Asprin’s Myth Adventures.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

They’re only trivial to separate if you think the only “real” sci-fi is hard sci-fi. Star Wars, Star Trek, and plenty of other beloved sci-fi series that blur the lines would get lost in the infighting.

I mean, the “war” between sci-fi and fantasy has been going on for decades, and it’s always been ridiculous.

daqqad,

Not really. Like I said in a comment above, if they treat magic as advanced tech to be explored - sci fi. If it’s treated as a given - fantasy.

Moneo,

Hard agree. There’s sci-fi/fantasy settings and then there’s sci-fi/fantasy writing. Star wars is a fantasy story that takes place in a sci-fi setting, if you’re so inclined. But it’s hard fantasy in my books.

If your book is focused on adventure and characters it’s probably fantasy, if your book is focused on humanity or other grander themes it’s probably sci-fi. Focusing on whether there is magic or elves or whatever is completely missing the point in my opinion.

The whole debate is childish. If you refuse to read a book because there is X race or X technology or whatever then you really need to change your priorities.

It’s like when people say “I don’t watch cartoons”. Fuck off!!

OceanSoap,

My problem with scifi and movies is that most of them are scary/horror. Not so much the case recently, but I remember walking the scifi section being mashed in with the horror section.

daqqad,

Lots of great horror sci fi, but definitely different genres.

bionicjoey,

I always wonder why sci-fi gets mixed in with fantasy so much? It’s always a pain to find decent movie/show or a book because these categories are treated as the same thing.

As Arthur C. Clarke famously said: “You have reached the end of your free trial subscription to ArthurCClarkeQuotes.com” “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

A lot of Sci-Fi stuff is just fantasy with a different coat of paint. Any universe where the technology is just acting as a stand-in for magic qualifies. There are even many settings that blur the line between the two, like Warhammer 40K.

“Hard” Sci Fi is another beast entirely. That would be more like OG Star Trek or even something like The Twilight Zone. Something where the “magic” exists to explore thoughtful/philosophical “What if?” questions rather than simply as a system of magic to serve the fantasy.

Transcendant,

As Arthur C. Clarke famously said: “You have reached the end of your free trial subscription to ArthurCClarkeQuotes.com” “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

I lol’d

daqqad,

Approach is different. If they treat magic as given without trying to understand it - fantasy. If they treat it as advanced tech - sci fi.

Moneo,

But why does it matter? In Dune characters are able use mindfulness to control their body so finely that they can manipulate molecules. So there’s a “scientific explanation” but for all intents and purposes it’s magic.

I don’t understand the need to draw hard lines, the fantasy/sci Fi distinction has always just been a way to describe the setting moreso than the genre. Many fantasy novels read like a typical sci-fi and vice versa.

alansuspect,

Yep, when I’m looking for sci-fi I don’t want elves or whatever. The only pointy ears belong to Mr Spock.

Moneo,

I feel like you mentioning Spock/elves just highlights how similar the two genres are. Sci-Fi (in theory) uses a future universe as a setting in which to explore characters/themes. Fantasy uses a fictional universe as a setting in which to explore characters/themes.

Preferring one to the other feels pedantic. Is Dune sci-fi or fantasy? Does it matter? I say no. Grumpy rant/

TheInsane42,
@TheInsane42@lemmy.world avatar

I’d love to see the Foundation and the Robot series of Asimov.

As single movie, Asimov’s End of Eternity would be great.

Grimy,

Foundation is currently being adapted. They have changed quite a bit and it’s a bit clumsy at times but Trantor, Cleon and Demerzel are very well done.

They wrapped up season 2 a few months ago.

TheInsane42,
@TheInsane42@lemmy.world avatar

Never knew they made a serie of it… Gotta watch it. Hitch Hickers Guide to the Galaxy was nice. (both the original as the remake)

tmjaea,

Series: Ell Donsaii Movie: project hail Mary

burliman,

I thought I heard they were doing Project Hail Mary.

Edit: Yep, Ryan Gosling, directed by Lord & Miller.

tmjaea,

Wow, that’s awesome news!

blargerer,

Realm of the Elderlings.

IonAddis,
@IonAddis@lemmy.world avatar

Fitz, Althea, or the entire series as a whole with all the casts?

I feel like it’d be hard to adapt Robin Hobb’s work, mostly because it’d be so easy to get the wrong tone. She has a very specific tone with her work, and I have no idea how one would work it for TV without making the entire series too light or too dark.

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