The Best Sci-Fi Film Never Made

[garbon]

Otherland.

But they're making a game of it so perhaps that will be enough.

That series pissed me off so much. I like reading the books but the ending was such a let down.  Actually I don't even remember the ending but I remember how much it pissed me off.

The story is fan-fucking-tastic but I can agree that it didn't have a spectacular ending.

No clutch.

[Faeelin]

I think Use of Weapons would be a bit too philosophical for most people, although done right I'm sure you could get most people cheering for the destruction of the Culture.

[DontSayBanana]

The Mote In God's Eye would potentially make a fantastic movie.

I love Foundation and its sequels, but it seems like much too large a story to make into a movie unless you planned like a 12 movie franchise.  If they tried to condense multiple books into one movie, it would probably suck.

It'd be way too much work to bring this to the screen.  Look at the pseudo-history that made up Foundation, and then look at Foundation and Empire- you'd have to heavily rewrite one to make them work as a coherent series; I'm not sure an audience would be up to a film series with formats as disparate as the Foundation books.  The only one I could see not needing a lot of material injected or rewritten is Second Foundation.

[grumbler]

I think The Player of Games would be more suitable for a film if you want to pick something by Banks.

Algebraist would be even better, since it is a better story and setting, IMO.

[Siege]

The Course Of Empire.

Probably impossible to port to the big screen because of how alien the Jao culture is.
Using body postures as a communication device is ridiculos, and truly alien.

The Honor Harrington series would be cool too.
So would be the Bolo and the Hammer's Slammers.


But the best of them all would be S.M. Stirling's The Change series.

[Siege]

What is the Use of Weapons?

[dps]

I wouldn't at all mind seeing The Chronicle of Amber filmed, but it would be tough to do it properly.  In terms of scope, a TV mini-series would be best, but then the budget might not be there to get the effects right.

[Caliga]

It'd be way too much work to bring this to the screen.  Look at the pseudo-history that made up Foundation, and then look at Foundation and Empire- you'd have to heavily rewrite one to make them work as a coherent series; I'm not sure an audience would be up to a film series with formats as disparate as the Foundation books.  The only one I could see not needing a lot of material injected or rewritten is Second Foundation.

IMO the two best stories in the overall arc are the one with The Mule (I forget which actual novel that was) and Forward The Foundation.

[DontSayBanana]

IMO the two best stories in the overall arc are the one with The Mule (I forget which actual novel that was) and Forward The Foundation.

That's the second half of Foundation and Empire.

EDIT: Correction.  He's in Second Foundation as well, which might actually be the one you're thinking of; IIRC, Second Foundation is the one where he poses as his own jester and stumbles onto the ruins of Earth.

[Barrister]

It'd be way too much work to bring this to the screen.  Look at the pseudo-history that made up Foundation, and then look at Foundation and Empire- you'd have to heavily rewrite one to make them work as a coherent series; I'm not sure an audience would be up to a film series with formats as disparate as the Foundation books.  The only one I could see not needing a lot of material injected or rewritten is Second Foundation.

IMO the two best stories in the overall arc are the one with The Mule (I forget which actual novel that was) and Forward The Foundation.

Really?  I thought all the Foundation books not written in the 1950s were crap, and got crappier as he wrote more.

[jamesww]

What is the Use of Weapons?

Ironic that you of all people, should ask that question.   

[Malthus]

What is the Use of Weapons?

Ironic that you of all people, should ask that question.   

More like disturbing, really. 

[Eddie Teach]

I would also like to know more about that book.

[Ed Anger]

The Mote In God's Eye would potentially make a fantastic movie.

Best.  Aliens.  Ever.  Pat would like it.  Very Malthusy.

Plus when they take the Mote Engineer into the MacArthur, he could fantasize about raping it in its locked stateroom.

[ulmont]

I would also like to know more about that book.

Use of Weapons is one of Iain (M.) Banks' best works.  Great science fiction.