Topic: Books that could and maybe should to be made into a movie

[RazalYllib]

Covenant...nice idea, but I too feel that it would most difficult (if not Impossible) to "tell" the story...a lot of it is internal and that is really hard to show.

But if it was done correctley in such a way where the audience would have an empathy toward TC and was made to fall in love with "the Land"- only to watch it darken over the 1st trilogy til the end, they might be able to feel the implied paradox inside of covenant that is textual and hard to communicate through the media type : Movies, Films, etc...its is not a happy story, TC has some serious grim events happen it is would be tough to put those things in a visual adaptation to a mass market and have it understood...but if someone pulled it off, it would be fantabulous. At One Time...many moons ago in my wild foolish squandered youth, I had once attempted it as something to do, but I had not the skills to handle the material. My attempt at a Ringworld script was much easier, but got basically bored manually transcribing text by hand to get a start.

Bunch of Niven would make good Sci Fi Movies-

Above mentioned Ringworld and followups
Dream Park and the others.
Mote in Gods Eye (first contact at its finest)
Legacy of Heorot (very scary monsters--lots and lots of them GRENDEL!!!)
Lucifers Hammer (I know there are other Comet crashes Earth movies- this is the big one though)
FootFall (interesting take on the venerable Alien Invades Earth plot device)

and for the really adventuress:
Inferno (sci-fi take on Dante)

Others:

The Long Run-Daniel Keys Moran (good really good)
Tailchashers Song- (think cat pov like watership down w/ da bunny rabbits and flavor with fantasy elements good very good)
Master of Five Magics and followups.
Incarnations of Immortallity- (Piers Anthony series good oh so good)
Four Lords of the Diamond- (Jack Chalker good good it is)

and the last two may shock or disturb you, but IMVHO very good reads:

Battlefield Earth (the story LRH wrote not the rotting refuse that was filmed)

and as a serial, which is how it is "organized"

Mission Earth Volumes 1-10...yes, LRH dectology opus...no one else could have written it. Its one of those things that people will either love it or hate it. It is not for the faint of heart nor those with delicate sensablities, but I found it to be quite enjoyable experience slogging through a 10 volume narrative. Others I had lent my copy either finished it or gave it up cause they didnt like it and felt it "grind" from event to event. The ones who finished enjoyed it tremendously. I feel if not censored and depicted as "satire" it would be a very wild ride.

[S'Raek]

I like Gates of Fire too much to see George Looney get his hands on it.

I  hope that he just has the actors do what's in the book rather than rewriting it the way that whatever dunderhead who did Staship Troopers killed Heinlin's masterpiece.

BOTH of those books are required reading for new troops in our company.
And yes, you do get questioned on them.

Starship Troopers should be required reading in boot camp for all branches of the military service.  Hell, it should be required reading for every politician involved in government positions that involve the military as well. 

I'd add another book to that list. Armor by John Steakly. I got a copy of that book as a gift, and I still read it every couple of months. Hell it would make a good movie also.

Stephen

Armor is a very good book, I've read it several times.  But I think they'd screw it up, what with the massive difference in tempo between the two sections.  And some people would go to the movie and not get it or like it at least. 

I liked the first few Incarnations of Immortallity books, but reading about the same story from five different angles got old.  The first book was good though.  It would make a good movie. 

Some of the other Heinlein stuff would probably make money.  Glory Road could be a good action/comedy and some of the Lazarus Long stuff might work. 

On the topic of books, has anyone read a book that I think was titled "Hegemon" or something like that.  I seem to remember it being part of a series (that I'd like to read) but can't find it again.  The basic story was everyone on the planet lived in these huge (hexagonal?) cities, post WW3 kind of stuff.  The Chinese were now the major influence, dominate culture and things were very socially stratified.  That's basically all I remember, except that I liked the book.  Any help would be appreciated. 

[Hexx]

Sounds kinda like the Chung Kuo series by David Wingrove.
Although there isn't a book called Hegemon in it.

[KAT Chuut-Ritt]

Well maybe I'm Biased, but the Man-Kzin Wars Series comes to mind.

Also Pohl's "Gateway", Clarke's "Childhood's End,  and I could see a movie loosely based aroung "Thieve's World" as well, but with a unifying theme so the characters could be in one story.

The one I'd most love to see however, is the first six books of Elric of Melnibone, and it looks like it may be happening 

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&id=1808502990&cf=prev

[J. Carney]

I like Gates of Fire too much to see George Looney get his hands on it.

I  hope that he just has the actors do what's in the book rather than rewriting it the way that whatever dunderhead who did Staship Troopers killed Heinlin's masterpiece.

BOTH of those books are required reading for new troops in our company.
And yes, you do get questioned on them.

Starship Troopers should be required reading in boot camp for all branches of the military service.  Hell, it should be required reading for every politician involved in government positions that involve the military as well. 

I'd add another book to that list. Armor by John Steakly. I got a copy of that book as a gift, and I still read it every couple of months. Hell it would make a good movie also.

Stephen

Thanks, SG...  I'll be sure to check that one out as well.

Growth and Development is an easy class... and the little blond firefighter that I sit beside makes it a little easier... so I should have time to re3ad it this semester.

[TheJudge]

Actually, I've given some thoughts to how they could cinematically deal with Thomas Covenant's internal strife, and the beauty of the land.  The Land is the easiest part.  For the first scenes where Covenant is in the 'real world', the color should be faded slightly.  Nothing to significant, just a few shades more gray than normal.  Then when he enters the land and his percipience begins to increase...everything is in full <regular> color.  No enhancements, no extra vibrancy, just full regular color. 

As for Covenant's internal strife, that's a lot harder to deal with.  First of all a good actor is needed who can effectively do facial expressions showing his discomfort.  I probably would add in dialogue between him and Saltheart Foamfollower as they're going down the Mithril that expands on his internal debate...maybe while he's lying fevered in the boat after the run-in with the Ur-Viles.  Saltheart is the perfect character to dump the added dialogue on, drawing him closer to Covenant.  It's also established in the books that Saltheart is one of the few characters of the Land that Covenant cares for in a more positive way.  As for the 'sharing' of information that Saltheart never got in the books, I doubt it would hurt the story or make it any less than it already is...and it will probably add to the poignancy of the final scenes between them in The Power that Preserves, starting with the crossing of the Hotash Slay, and all the way to the scenes where Covenant frees Saltheart Foamfollower from his chains before destroying the Illearth Stone. 

Jeez, not sure if I got those names right, it's been a few years since I read the books...

[Riskyllama]

On the topic of books, has anyone read a book that I think was titled "Hegemon" or something like that.  I seem to remember it being part of a series (that I'd like to read) but can't find it again.  The basic story was everyone on the planet lived in these huge (hexagonal?) cities, post WW3 kind of stuff.  The Chinese were now the major influence, dominate culture and things were very socially stratified.  That's basically all I remember, except that I liked the book.  Any help would be appreciated. 

Are you talking about the Ender's game series and Shadow of the Hegemon?

[Commander Maxillius]

Battlefield Earth would make a bad-ass mini-series, where you could have 6-10 episodes of the same length as the POS movie with John Travolta in it.


Hell, An entire series could be made out of the repercussions of destroying Psychlo alone!

[Nemesis]

How does he put out so many books so fast?  LOL  And they are usually good. 

-S'Cipio

He actually is a historian and his books are mostly based on what he knows (with a twist of course) so he doesn't need to do the research most other authors would have to do to put out an alternate history book.  It definitely speeds him up and adds to the quality.  His weakest in my opinion are those that are more "pure" sci fi.

His sci fi book Earthgrip would actually make a good TV series idea.

[Nemesis]

There are a great many Sci Fi books that could make excellent movies or TV shows.  TV would be especially good as the setting gets time to be shown in more detail.

H. Beam Pipers Space Viking or Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen.
E.E. "Doc" Smiths Lensman series
Jerry Pournelles War World series
Philip Francis Nowlans Armageddon 2419 A.D (and the sequels based on outlines by Niven/Pournelle)
John W. Campbells The Moon is Hell for a serious drama.
Alan Dean Fosters Humanx Commonwealth books (a common setting rather than a series)

Just to name a few.

[kmelew]

Alan Dean Fosters Humanx Commonwealth books (a common setting rather than a series)

Nor Crystal Tears would be good, I think.  It tells the story of the first contact between Man and Thranx from the Thranx point of view.

[Nemesis]

James P. Hogan is another good author for a movie or TV series.

The Inherit the Stars series (Starts with a dead man found on the Moon - 50,000 years dead).
The Two Faces of Tomorrow (Man VS AI)
The Genesis Machine (West VS East and a pair of scientists caught in the middle)
Voyage to Yesteryear (Post WWIII Starship goes out to bring the Centauri colony under American Hegemony - with other ships not far behind)

Eric Frank Russell

The Great Explosion (the colonies have been cut off for 400 years now Earth wants an Empire - how do you deal with a colony founded by criminals?  Back to nature fanatics?  A colony with the "ultimate weapon" which they are immune to?)

Design for a Great Day (The War to decide the future of the Galaxy is about to begin but a legend appears - is it real or fake?)

[S'Raek]

Sounds kinda like the Chung Kuo series by David Wingrove.
Although there isn't a book called Hegemon in it.

That looks like it might be it, thanks for the help! 

[kmelew]

James P. Hogan is another good author for a movie or TV series.

The Inherit the Stars series (Starts with a dead man found on the Moon - 50,000 years dead).
The Two Faces of Tomorrow (Man VS AI)
The Genesis Machine (West VS East and a pair of scientists caught in the middle)
Voyage to Yesteryear (Post WWIII Starship goes out to bring the Centauri colony under American Hegemony - with other ships not far behind)

Don't forget The Proteus Operation. 

[IAF Lyrkiller]

None of them should be made into movies.













































































J/K

[S'Raek]

I was digging through the books the other day and pulled out some old favorites.  I think that Saberhagen's Swords books would make pretty good movies, if done right of course.  The Swords themselves are very interesting and the story is decent too. 

http://www.amazon.com/First-Swords-Book-Volumes-3/dp/0312869169/sr=8-1/qid=1162048283/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-4503982-9476145?ie=UTF8&s=books

[Sirgod]

Man Saberhagen; Didn't he also have a series of books, Dealing with a Borg /Human war, way before the Borg where on ST? Man I can't recall the name of that race for anything.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

Man Saberhagen; Didn't he also have a series of books, Dealing with a Borg /Human war, way before the Borg where on ST? Man I can't recall the name of that race for anything.

Stephen

If you are thinking of the Berserker series of stories then they are pure robots.  The Doomsday Machine episode of TOS was derived (loosely) from his Berserker stories).

[Nemesis]

Kieth Laumers Retief books would also make a good series.

On the topic of Saberhagen his Dracula Tapes would be a new twist on the Dracula story. 

[Sirgod]

Man Saberhagen; Didn't he also have a series of books, Dealing with a Borg /Human war, way before the Borg where on ST? Man I can't recall the name of that race for anything.

Stephen

If you are thinking of the Berserker series of stories then they are pure robots.  The Doomsday Machine episode of TOS was derived (loosely) from his Berserker stories).

That's the ones. IT had been so long since I read any of them, Way back when I was reading Pohl's Heechee series, and things like "Myth adventures" , Just getting into assimov, etc. My god, those are some good childhood memories. I think I just found my happy place for the day.

Stephen