DVD Verdict

MovieAddict

Ever since FOTR came out I was excited about two fantasy books becoming movies.

The Magician Series by Fiest:

Magician Apprentice
Magician Master
Silverthorn
I forgot the 4th ones name

And the Legion of Videssos series by Turtledove.

Sadly I don't think these books have the fan base to warrant major film investment, if they do film them, they probably would be made on the cheap and suffer for it.
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Harold Gervais · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:07 am Post subject:

I don't know how it would be done but I'd love to see a film version of Robert Silverberg's Dying Inside. The book just breaks my heart and is as good a book on growing older as I've ever read. Richard K. Morgan's excellent Altered Carbon would be another choice and I do think it has been optioned as a film property. On the fantasy end, I'd kill for a great film adaptation of King & Struab's The Talisman.
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vjmurphy · Special Counsel Joined: 23 May 2003 Posts: 689

Julian May's The Many-Colored Land series (and offshoots), Anne Mccaffrey's Dragon books, George RR Martin's Game of Thrones or his Wild Card series.

Mitchell Hattaway · Judge Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 1127 Location: Griffin GA

Agree with vj about Game of Thrones. Of course, that would require Georgie to actually finish it.

Somebody call Terry Gilliam and get him to do James Morrow's Towing Jehovah or Only Begotten Daughter.

And I think the book MovieAddict forgot is A Darkness at Sethanon (the one with the really cool cover art).
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Eric Profancik · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:15 am Post subject:

I'd be curious to see what they could do with Clarke's "Rama" series.

How about Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" trilogy. Those are great books.
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molly1216 · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:26 am Post subject:

trying to steer away from novels in genres that are being over exploited.

Island in the Sea of Time by Stirling..granted i got bored by the 3rd book, but the 1st one i read 3 times.
or
Frankowski's The Cross-Time Engineer This might make up for the Timeline fiasco

Sarban's The Sound of His Horn
or
Philip K Dick's Man In the High Castle..come on doncha wanna see this?

James Morrow's Towing Jehovah ...can't you just see the picket lines? Twisted Evil

Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Liebowitz
Philp Wylie's The Disappearance
John Myers Myers' Silverlock
John Gardner's Grendel
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Chris Sax · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:34 am Post subject:

Fantasy- American Gods.
Sci-fi- Ender's Game, only make the kids teenagers, and cast me as that one kid who was fed up with the school and was all badass.
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molly1216 · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:44 am Post subject:

REMINDS ME...
where the HELL is Good Omens?
what kind of development Hell is it in?
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cookiedough · Special Counsel Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 577

John Gardner's Grendel! Awesome.

I vote for Elric of Melnibone.

Harold Gervais · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:57 am Post subject:

Michael Rankins · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 6:20 am Post subject:

Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat (especially The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World) and Deathworld (especially Deathworld 2) series.

Asimov's The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun.

Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever series.

But most of all, can we a real, honest-to-Lester Dent Doc Savage, Man of Bronze sometime in my lifetime? Please?
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Mitchell Hattaway · Judge Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 1127 Location: Griffin GA

I think everyone involved with Good Omens pretty much gave up. Too bad. I was looking forward to the "Bohemian Rhapsody" gag.

Wasn't an animated version of Grendel released in the '80s?

Elric-go back in time twenty years and cast David Bowie.

Ender's Game-it has been in development for a while. Seems like maybe Card himself had written the screenplay. Some bonehead would probably accuse of them of ripping off The Last Starfighter.
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Dunnyman · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:05 am Post subject:

Raymond Fiest? Oh yeah, just about any of his books would be good, but I think they'd score some crossover and chick appeal if they told the story of Mara of the Acoma from the Empire series. Talk about epic scope.
(Edit) Check out Feist's Faerie Tale if you want to try his horror, very good.
I'd love to see Eddings' Belgariad series done before Sean Connery croaks as he'd be the PERFECT Belgarath, no one else could do it as well.
Harry Turtledove? I'd love to see Guns of the South or How Few Remain, but I don't think a movie glorifying the Confederates would sell too well.
And dare I say? Sword of Shannara!!!!!
And I'd love a big screen adaptation of anything on the Discworld. Damn the Brits for at least getting a cartoon version, you lucky dogs. If we're getting humorous, MYTH!!! Skeeve and Aahz!! It'd be a gigglefest!
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molly1216 · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:00 pm Post subject:

Steve T Power · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:17 pm Post subject:

NDorsett · Judge Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 627

I live in the hopes that Pixar will someday discover MISSION OF GRAVITY.

NDorsett · Judge Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 627

And I would also like very much to see Terry Gilliam make his Gormenghast.

cherrymilk · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:05 pm Post subject:

You know, I'd actually like to see one of McCaffrey's dragonrider books put together, now that dragons don't have to look utterly stupid. And I wouldn't mind seeing one of the better Lackey stories done, except every time a movie portrays telepathy it comes off looking and sounding stupid.

No comment on my taste in literature, thanks. Wink

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Steve T Power · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:34 pm Post subject:

I'd like to see the first book of the Dragonlance "Chronicles" series - Dragons of Autumn Twighlight. As in retrospect that's really the most engaging of the three, and would really make a good movie or mini-series.
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molly1216 · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:33 pm Post subject:

Ptolemy · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject:

Zelazny's Lord of Light
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Skyle · Judge Joined: 11 Sep 2002 Posts: 1729 Location: MA

Are we just listing our favorite sci-fi/fantasy books here, or ones that we really think would make good movies? I loved Good Omens, but it's an ensemble piece, and ensemble films are notoriously hard to make (and to market). It would take true genius to make a film out of it, so I'm not surprised it's languishing in development.

Some of might cry blasphemy, but I'm going to suggest Magic Kingdom for Sale by Terry Brooks. A lawyer "buys" a Tolkien-esque kingdom, and takes a modern-day approach to running it. It's pretty tongue in cheek, but not flat-out comedy like Pratchett, and dispite the fact that it's a brainy hero, there is some sword-swingin' to keep the LOTR fans happy. I'm thinking Robert Zemekis could direct.

Gibson might have invented cyberpunk, but Neal Stephensen ran with it in Snow Crash. What's not to love about a motorcycle riding, samurai sword weilding, computer hacking hero kicking butt and rooting out conspiracy in an oddball future setting? The high seas climax would be something to behold on the big screen. Just think what somebody like Tarantino could do with this material.

And then there's The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, featuring a bald, revenge-driven anti-hero whose facial tiger-stripe tattoos only appear when he's angry. In one scene, he breaks out of jail armed with only a sledge hammer. (That Riddick guy only wishes he was this tough.) Oh, and did I mention the story takes place in a future where all humans have the natural ability to teleport? Not sure what director could take this one on. Robert Rodriguez, maybe?
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Dunnyman · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:09 am Post subject:

Kenneth Morgan · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:29 am Post subject:

Chris Sax · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 6:45 am Post subject:

molly1216 · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:05 pm Post subject:

Mike Jackson · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:57 pm Post subject:

I've never been a big sci-fi reader, but there's one I'd definitely love to see filmed: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.
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MovieAddict · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:19 pm Post subject:

dont mind me...I'm just looking for my grip
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Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. -Immanuel Kant

There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance. -Hippocrates

Gevin · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject:

Redwall!!! & there could be dozens of sequels..
It'd be kinda like the CGI Ninja Turtles they almost did...
Or maybe it could just be plain-'ol animated?
Or perhaps even just make a few story alterations, and make it with real people?
whatever..

Mister Pips · Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject:

Erick Harper · Judge Joined: 11 Sep 2002 Posts: 2225 Location: Tyler, MN

Dunnyman · Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:44 pm Post subject:

Chinese Jet Pilot · Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:50 pm Post subject:

I'd like to see I, Robot made into a movie.

What?! Smile

Someone mentioned the Thomas Convenant books, and I believe I read on the net that it is being developed or negotiated or something.

t_doggg · Law Clerk Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 9

fantasy: Paul Gallico's The Man Who Was Magic (I can't believe it's out of print)
science fiction: David Brin's Startide Rising

mcnich · Law Clerk Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 8

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

NDorsett · Judge Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 627

A PRINCESS OF MARS in huge-budget CGI laden black and white.

boingo2000 · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:53 pm Post subject:

There's a book by Peter David that's about King Arthur running for mayor of New York city in modern times... I can't remember the title, but I think it was Knight Life. Anyway, that'd make a good movie.
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Ardath Bey · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 5:00 pm Post subject:

I 2nd A Princess of Mars, but why (on a planet of red, green, black & blue races) confine it to B&W?
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Harold Gervais · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 5:04 pm Post subject:

And still no one mentioning Larry Niven's Ringworld? That would make a helluva movie.
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NDorsett · Judge Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 627

"I 2nd A Princess of Mars, but why (on a planet of red, green, black & blue races) confine it to B&W?"

I know it sounds a bit odd, but I'd want to replicate the style of illustration prevalent at the time of publication (and for some decades afterward). If I were making it myself, that is.

As far as Ringworld goes, it probably would make a neat movie. Except for the thousands who would think it was a ripoff of "Halo." What a world!

bubblegum king · Special Counsel Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 1311

Sorry to get stuck on Clive Barker (as in the "horror-novels-into-movies" thread) but Weaveworld or Imajica would make awesome movies.
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Erick Harper · Judge Joined: 11 Sep 2002 Posts: 2225 Location: Tyler, MN

I'd love to see Burroughs's Mars books brought to life - as I recall, Tom Cruise was in negotiations to play John Carter in an adaptation of A Princess of Mars, but this was 3-4 years ago, at least.

As far as the Thomas Covenenant books go - I'm not sure. Yeah, they are a pretty decent read, but awfully derivative of other stuff like LOTR, etc. Of course, what in this genre isn't.
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Skyle · Judge Joined: 11 Sep 2002 Posts: 1729 Location: MA

Rumor has it Princess of Mars is being made by the same folks who made Sky Captain.

And wouldn't Imajica be too dense to turn into a movie? It's so huge, Barker himself had to re-release it as two books, Kill Bill-style. Perhaps it could work as a series of films or a TV mini-series (only, you know, a good one for once).
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Harold Gervais · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 5:52 pm Post subject:

Erick Harper · Judge Joined: 11 Sep 2002 Posts: 2225 Location: Tyler, MN

Gobear · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:00 pm Post subject:

bubblegum king · Special Counsel Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 1311

Mitchell Hattaway · Judge Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 1127 Location: Griffin GA

Robert Rodriguez was set to do A Princess of Mars until he tore up his Director's Guild card during all that nonsense about Frank Miller's co-directing credit on Sin City.

Cochran's name came up back when Paramount was still high on Sky Captain.... Given its underwhelming performance, I wouldn't be surprised to see him given the boot.
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Harold Gervais · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject:

bubblegum king · Special Counsel Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 1311