Top Sci-Fi Stories That Need to Be Adapted Into Movies

The genre of sci-fi is really at the peak of its popularity. It’s not a surprise since the nature of speculative fiction allows you to embody the wildest ideas and make them work. Original shows and remakes, you name it, it is not a problem picking a movie for your weekend. Yet, some of our favorite books are still waiting for the perfect adaptation.

If you are a student, movies can encourage you to look at the classics differently. That’s something that any professor would highly encourage. And it makes you wonder what your favorite sci-fi book would look like if it was adapted? Maybe you have a perfect recipe yourself.

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Maybe you’re interested to find out about the creative process behind the adaptation. This can make a great hobby. Just place yourself in the shoes of executives. Would they want to take the risk of adapting the undeniable examples of sci-fi masterpieces? And many titles are way too complex and require top-notch technical execution.

Robert Charles Wilson’s Spin

Back in 2014 and 2015, every sci-fi fan was looking forward to witnessing the adaptation of Wilson’s award-winning masterpiece Spin. It was planned to be a six-hour miniseries that follows a young scientist who tries to save humanity from a cloud that enveloped the Earth. It had to be a wild ride, but after some reports, the production never started or was dropped, to say the least.

Many now don’t even remember the promise of Syfy. We still need a good adaptation of Spin, whether it would be a drama miniseries or a full feature film.

Harlan Ellison’s I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream

Ellison’s short story is an example of the finest sci-fi horror you can find out there. It has all the features of a great sci-fi, it makes you think, and the themes are still relevant.

The work follows a group of survivors and their chilling resistance to the rebellious AI. Depending on the directorial vision, it can be a perfect full feature or even a short film. Considering the themes, it would be a worthy successor of the classic body horror subgenre of the 80s.

Haruki Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart

Murakami is the master of time and alternative universe travels. Many of his novels were adapted into good movies, and it’s fair to expect one more. Sputnik Sweetheart explores the complex theme of unrequited love, loss, and magical realism.

It would make a great movie to rewatch and look for more and more hidden details. Murakami’s works are a pleasure to explore as a reader. The adaptation of the book, if made by a person with a passion for the source, would be a crazy aesthetic and narrative ride.

Liu Cixin’s Three-Body Problem

China’s most admired sci-fi author presents a novel that takes place during three different timelines. The Cultural Revolution, modern days, and an unexplained world of video games are the setting for this masterpiece. It is a deviation from a Western tradition in sci-fi fiction combined with real science and adventurous potential. It touches the morality, humanity, and technology themes and dives deeper into the new world created by Cixin.

The book was going to be adapted into a 3D feature film, but the production and release were halted back in 2015. Who knows, maybe we can enjoy the adaptation if all technical aspects are sorted out. Let’s hope the film will be available for audiences worldwide soon.

Anna Kavan’s Ice

Kavan’s work would be yet another magic realism meets apocalyptic entry in this list. It follows a nameless man who is chasing an ethereal young woman in the setting of frozen hell. It is a really enjoyable read that would make a perfect full-length film.

It would be interesting to see the genius of some directors in their attempt to transfer and transform the themes and fragility of the source. It is an allegory that should have taken place on our cinema screens.

Octavia Butler’s Kindred

It is speculative fiction at its finest. Butler is a true genius who knows how to transcend the realm of a written work, and her work deserves a top-quality adaptation. Kindred is a story of a woman who is mysteriously snatched from her reality into the past. And considering the heavy subjects of slavery and trauma, the movie wouldn’t be a fun ride but a heavy and full of hope quest.

It is a story of survival and endurance, and it deserves to be read and told. It would be a pleasure to see fresh faces in the Hollywood hall of fame for this work.

Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness

It is yet another entry that had a promise of adaptation. Le Guin is one of the best authors in the sci-fi genre, and many of her works deserve careful attention. Works of Le Guin are always food for thought, and themes explored in the book encourage us to discuss problems we have in our society.

The Left Hand of Darkness is a part of the Hainish Cycle, so it would be a source of endless possibilities. It can be an interesting franchise with great characters and breathtaking scenery.

Naomi Alderman’s The Power

If you loved the Handmaid’s Tale and the works of Margaret Atwood, you need to know about this hit. This novel provides a different perspective on power dynamics and women in society. It follows an alternative history of a matriarchal society in which women discover that they have supernatural powers. The work explores the themes of biology in science, morality, and ethics.

The novel got the deserved recognition, and Amazon promised to develop a series on their streaming platform. It was announced back in 2020, and it seems that adaptation would have a place. Let’s hope this one comes soon.

Wrapping Up

There are so many more stories that need to see the light of day. Their potential and larger recognition would bring a needed versatility in the world of cinema. After all, sci-fi gives you a vast room for playing with themes and aesthetics.