Snow Crash was originally meant to be a graphic novel--with some clever screenwriting, it could easily be stretched out to 12-13 episodes (or at least a miniseries).
Anything in the Slammerverse could be made into a serial form, again with a little work to preserve continuity. It's already got a lot of material in the anthologies, so it shouldn't be too hard. Hell, if you could get Drake to revisit the Lacy and His Friends universe, it would be rather timely.
A series based on Niven's Gil the Arm protagonist would be fun for a series or two--the writing chops required could be found in anybody with experience writing crime dramas or who-dun-its, with a bit of extra worldbuilding for organlegging and telekinesis.
Maybe something based on The Stainless Steel Rat? Harrison is dead and buried (sadly!) so he wouldn't be too offended.
Honestly, the problem with a lot of science-fiction books is that, once the core ideas are explored and the conflict resolved, it's best to kind of move on.
EDIT:
Actually, a post-apocalyptic series based on Lucifer's Hammer or War Day would be great. Jericho actually had its moments, but went too soon.
Comedy option for HBO: The Stone Dogs.
Even better option: a port of Turtledove's World War alternate history.
You might be thinking of the Great War series; World War is the one where in 1942 aliens invade and humankind has to put aside its differences for the time being to kick them off the planet.
Altered Carbon has gotta be the best cyberpunk novel in a long time. Gritty, not too fantastical - it just nailed the genre perfectly.
I'm also enamored with The Culture. Not any particular story, really. Just the setting of post-scarcity + friendly AI. It's like an inverted Star Trek. Everyone is having a blast, and interference is pretty much a moral requirement. Apart from a sitcom set on some GSV, Special Circumstances provides all the setting necessary for tons of fun.
Both worlds would have ample opportunity for sex, drugs, nudity and violence. (Which is the only reason I bother watching Game if Thrones these days.)
Asimov's Robot books may also be prefect for HBO. Sorta like a hardboiled detective, except robot minds. (I enjoyed those a lot more than Foundation. While fun rides, the basic premise of predicting everything via psychology is just... eh, unrealistic.)
Yes ! The Culture would make a totally awesome serie. I really liked "The Players of Games". I had more difficulties with others books (couldn't finish one ), but the universe with it's overpowered AI living among humans would make a wonderful serie. There are a lot of good questions and some humors. I would really like to watch this.
I was in two minds reading Altered Carbon. I really liked the setting, the world building was great and the story worked well but the lead character just came across as too powerful for my liking. He was constantly getting threatened or beaten but would always make it out of impossible situations. That felt a little tedious after a while. However, I think it would make an excellent TV series and I would love to see it.
A good book basically can't work as a TV show, and vice versa. I'd rather the TV people came up with their own stories that will actually work on TV. (Game of Thrones, which I'm sure is the inspiration for this, is an exception because it's basically written as a TV show already.)
The first two Commonwealth novels by Peter F. Hamilton (Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained) would be an very amenable to TV if it wasn't for the required length I think.
It has a enough different plot-lines to interest many different audiences I think.
John Varley's Eight Worlds setting would make a great cable series. Lots of good visuals in there (unsurprising, since like George R. R. Martin he spent a lot of years working in Hollywood).
TV or film, really. The distinctions between the two have been greatly blurred these days, for better or for worse. Film, I suppose, is still considered a purer medium, though. Unfettered by commercial interruptions, and syndication or serialization concerns...
Film, please, only because I think the plot would fit better in a movie. It's like "The Fugitive" - the concept worked better as a movie than a TV show.
A few scifi novels that seem filmable and have strong characters.
You could do a fair bit of David Ramirez's Forever Watch with practical effects, and the story has enough twists that you could get a long season out of it. Basically set on a colony ship, where people have strange psychic powers, investigating sudden deaths that the regimented ship's society covers up. It might be better as an anime though.
The First 15 Lives of Harry August by Claire North requires almost no cgi, just period stuff and practical effects. Basically everytime certain people die, they are born again and remember their whole life. Of course someone decides to change the future.
In the Country of the Blind by Michael Flynn is about people who use statistical processes to predict the future, starting before lincoln. It could make good tv, especially with the steam punk element. Nice way to talk about machine learning and big data.
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson. Basically these large sculptures start getting sent back through time something like 40 years, commemorating a warlord's victories. Really strongly written characters, and a good plot.
57 comments
[ 4.8 ms ] story [ 113 ms ] threadFor batshit insanity and HBO skinflick appeal, maybe L. Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth.
Anything in the Slammerverse could be made into a serial form, again with a little work to preserve continuity. It's already got a lot of material in the anthologies, so it shouldn't be too hard. Hell, if you could get Drake to revisit the Lacy and His Friends universe, it would be rather timely.
A series based on Niven's Gil the Arm protagonist would be fun for a series or two--the writing chops required could be found in anybody with experience writing crime dramas or who-dun-its, with a bit of extra worldbuilding for organlegging and telekinesis.
Maybe something based on The Stainless Steel Rat? Harrison is dead and buried (sadly!) so he wouldn't be too offended.
Honestly, the problem with a lot of science-fiction books is that, once the core ideas are explored and the conflict resolved, it's best to kind of move on.
EDIT:
Actually, a post-apocalyptic series based on Lucifer's Hammer or War Day would be great. Jericho actually had its moments, but went too soon.
Comedy option for HBO: The Stone Dogs.
Even better option: a port of Turtledove's World War alternate history.
That's something I'd love to see.
Especially since there is a remarkable lack of WWI era movies after Paths of Glory that were anything like decent.
- Stanislaw Lem's "Tales of Pirx the Pilot"
- Clifford Symak's "City"
I'm also enamored with The Culture. Not any particular story, really. Just the setting of post-scarcity + friendly AI. It's like an inverted Star Trek. Everyone is having a blast, and interference is pretty much a moral requirement. Apart from a sitcom set on some GSV, Special Circumstances provides all the setting necessary for tons of fun.
Both worlds would have ample opportunity for sex, drugs, nudity and violence. (Which is the only reason I bother watching Game if Thrones these days.)
Asimov's Robot books may also be prefect for HBO. Sorta like a hardboiled detective, except robot minds. (I enjoyed those a lot more than Foundation. While fun rides, the basic premise of predicting everything via psychology is just... eh, unrealistic.)
It has a enough different plot-lines to interest many different audiences I think.
I have the feeling it would be better as a high quality animated series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Worlds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cunningham#Neuromancer
TV or film, really. The distinctions between the two have been greatly blurred these days, for better or for worse. Film, I suppose, is still considered a purer medium, though. Unfettered by commercial interruptions, and syndication or serialization concerns...
You could do a fair bit of David Ramirez's Forever Watch with practical effects, and the story has enough twists that you could get a long season out of it. Basically set on a colony ship, where people have strange psychic powers, investigating sudden deaths that the regimented ship's society covers up. It might be better as an anime though.
The First 15 Lives of Harry August by Claire North requires almost no cgi, just period stuff and practical effects. Basically everytime certain people die, they are born again and remember their whole life. Of course someone decides to change the future.
In the Country of the Blind by Michael Flynn is about people who use statistical processes to predict the future, starting before lincoln. It could make good tv, especially with the steam punk element. Nice way to talk about machine learning and big data.
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson. Basically these large sculptures start getting sent back through time something like 40 years, commemorating a warlord's victories. Really strongly written characters, and a good plot.
I'm not sure at all how the ending would get translated to film but god would it make for a great movie.
It has the makings of a TV series as Bill's adventures are already serialized in the books.
Sof of Man by Silverberg would be my other choice. A fantastic book, it would make an eerie and atmospheric production on screen.