Where do the ideas in science fiction films come from?

Where do the Ideas Come From?

Recently I found a Wikipedia list of films based on science fiction novels. There were 130 films on the list and it did not include films based on the novels of PK Dick, Jules Verne or the Professor Challenger stories. I can add a substantial number from my own research to get the number to 220. That’s a lot of films based on novels.
When you realize how many re-makes of old movies there have been in this decade (The Day the Earth Stood Still being the last incarnation) and that even Star Trek has been reincarnated, the plot gets even thicker (or thinner). Where do ideas come from for films and why aren’t we getting any new ideas?

The Novel

Sci fi films have relied on classic novels since their beginning, and has continued to rely on the same novels to the current day. Their writers spin on science fiction has influenced the development of the film genre to the exclusion of other spins that might have benefitted it. What is now considered hard science fiction is the favored form presented on screen, leaving the alternatives to be pilfered by television series writers.

Who were these writers?

The classic three of early sci fi writing were Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle. These men focused on scientific discoveries and theories of the time, taking the ideas to their extremes. Their works are full of travels to extreme places, living dinosaurs, aliens, and the effects of scientific experiments on humans. They were all fond of adventure, with male lead characters and females often needing rescue.

Arthur Conan Doyle: British 1859 – 1930 The creator of Sherlock Holmes was also a spiritualist and science fiction writer, particularly fond of dinosaurs persisting until present times.
The Lost World was written 1912 then filmed in 1912, 1925, 1960, 1992 (Canada) ; It became a radio series in 1996. It was adapted by Perry Jacob and Bob Flick, Ziggurat Productions; Film BBC 2001; Series. 1999 – 2002 Australia/Canada

Jules Verne: France, 1828 –1905.

Verne picked up ideas from earlier works of other authors and scientific ideas current at the time. His works include: Un Voyage en Ballon (1851), re-published as Une fantaisie du Docteur Ox (1872); Cinq semaines en ballon (1863); Voyage au centre de la terre (1863); Les anglaise au pole nord (1864); De la terre a la lune (1865); Le Desert de glace (1866); Autour de la lune (1870); Les enfants du Capitaine Grant (1867-8); Vingt mille lieus sous les mers (1870); Un ville flotante suivi Les Forceurs de blocus (1871); L’ile mysterieuse (1874-5); Le tour de monde en quarter-vingt jours (1873); L’ecole des Robinsons (1882); Robur le conquerant, (1886); Deux ans de vacances, ou un pensionnat de Robinsons (1888).

Films produced from his novels include : Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea : filmed in 1907, 1916, 1954
Mysterious Island 1929, 1961, 2003
Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo (L’ile Mysteriouse) 1979
Mysterious Planet 1982
Journey to the Centre of the Earth – 1959, 1976, 1987, 2009
From the Earth to the Moon 1958

H.G. Wells 1866 – 1946

Wells was an Englishman obsessed with science fiction, with ideas on lots of different sci fi topics.

Novels by Wells produced as films include:
The First Men in the Moon 1901 Film 1919; Film 1964
The Island of Lost Souls 1932 Remade as The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau 1896. Film 1977; Radio program, 1996. One hour. Produced live by the Atlanta Radio Theater. 1977
The Invisible Man 1933. Film 1933; Series, GB 1958-9 ; Film US 1975; Series US 1975-6 ; Serial GB 1984-6 Six parts; Series US 2000 – 2002
The Shape of things to Come 1933. Filmed as Things to Come in 1936.
The Time Machine 1895 Play, BBC, 1949; Film US 1969; Film US 2002
The War of the Worlds 1898 : Radio program. October 30, 1938; Radio series. BBC 1950; Film 1953 US ; Radio Series Lux Radio Theatre version of the film; Radio version, 1957, Australia. Six thirty minute episodes. Also 1957: South Africa, six thirty minute episodes; Radio series. West Coast 1961. Centres the story in San Francisco. One hour; Radio series, BBC, 1967 Sic thirty minute episodes.; Radio version for the 30th Anniversary done by WKBW in Buffalo, New York. Ad libbed story by real radio and TV station personnel; Musical adaptation, 1978, CBS; US Series 1988-199; Radio remake. 1988 Remake of 1938 Howard Koch script; Live Production 1994. L.A. Theaterworks. Starred Leonard Nimoy ; Film, 2005 Directed by Steven Spielberg; Game, 2005. J2ME. Published by Gameloft.

Weren’t there any other writer’s from this time?

H. Rider Haggard 1856 - 1926

In addition to the big three, Haggard was a prolific pulp science fiction writer with lots of adventure in his stories. He also wrote the Allan Quatermain series.
His novel She A History of Adventure published from 1886-7 was a novel printed in magazine The Graphic; cut 1886 in the US; text restored 1887 UK;
It was filmed in 1899 France (Star) Producer Georges Melies. Two minutes; Films 1908, 1911, 1916, 1917; Film, 1925 GB/Germany ; Film, 1935; Film. 1965; Film Filmed 1982, released 1985. Italian.

Edgar Rice Burroughs 1875-1950

Creator of John Carter of Mars, an early Flash Gordon type, and of Tarzan. Another lover of adventure and scantily clad females. Novels that have been filmed include:
At the Earth’s Core filmed in 1976; The Land that Time Forgot 1974/2009; The People that Time Forgot 1977;

Who Followed These Writers?

More big names in science fiction were born early in the 20th Century and lived through World War II. Thanks to their war experiences their work is often militaristic and full of anxiety about the Holocaust and fascist societies. They began a second style of science fiction which is alive and well today.
Although they don’t seem to have many films made from their novels, these writers were hugely influential. Gene Roddenberry was acquainted with Asimov and mined these writers for plots as did the creators of shows like The Twilight Zone and its spin offs. Their works were often published in science fiction magazines like Astounding so it is not surprising that the editor of that magazine had a story made into a film (John W. Campbell Jr: The Thing was based on his story Who Goes There?)
In addition Asimov and Aldiss ran their own magazines, choosing science fiction stories for publication. For instance Trevor Miller wrote Trip City which appeared in Brian Aldiss’s Creative Media and should appear in film this year.

The Golden Age Writers:

Isaac Asimov 1920 – 1992 mainly USA : Think of films such as I, Robot (2004) (pilfered for Brainstorm 1983) , Bicentennial Man (1999), The Caves of Steel (1964); Fantastic Voyage (1966);

Brian Aldiss Britain 1925 – Frankenstein Unbound (1990);

Ray Bradbury Britain, 1925 – Fahrenheit 451 (1966); the Illustrated Man (1969);

Arthur C. Clarke Britain/Sri Lanka 1917 – 2008 Writer of the original stories for: 2001: A Space Odyssey , And Then We Made Contact and Trapped in Space.
Dick, P. K. US 1928 – 1982 A Scanner Darkly (2006); The Imposter (2002); Minority Report (2002); Paycheck (2004); Screamers (1996); Total Recall (1990);

Robert Heinlein US 1907 – 1988 Destination Moon (1950); Starship Troopers (1997);

Kurt Vonnegut Jr US 1922- 2007 – Slaughterhouse 5 1972

John Wyndham Britain 1903 – 1969 Children of the Damned 1964 and Village of the Damned 1960 and 1995 (based on Midwich Cuckoos); The Day of the Triffids 1962 and more.

And Then?

Television came along. The number of authors whose works were used for film plots expanded, but most authors only have one novel used. The exception is Michael Crichton. A writer fascinated by science who presented the facts in an easily read style, but who also loved action and violence. He fits the mould of the Golden Age writers, but he was also a film director (Westworld) and script writer. Harlan Ellison stands out as a writer who has not had films made from his works. However, he wrote for television, so many of his stories have already been filmed, in another medium. He was also the creative director of Babylon 5.
So the field broadened, but also narrowed because film makers wanted to keep to the known riffs and not enough writers were producing these.

Michael Crichton 1942 – The Andromeda Strain (1970); Congo (1995); Jurassic Park (1997); The Lost World (1999); Sphere (1998); Terminal Man (1974).

Where are the Girls?

In a list of around 220 films, there are only thirteen women writers. Two of these are children’s writers. Only one of those has more than one film, and nearly all of them have been filmed in the 1990’s and 2000’s. If writers of novels turned into television series were counted, there would be several more women on the list (Margaret Mahy for instance). The other thing to notice is that women write stories full of horror or relationships, but not military style violence. They don’t fit the mould.

Charlotte Kerner Blueprint 2003 German
C.L. Moore (with Lawrence O’Donnell) Timescape 1991 USA
Daphne du Maurier The Birds English
Florence Engel Randall The Watcher in the Woods 1980
Francess Lantz Stepsister from Planet Weird 2000
Jeanne Duprau City of Ember 2008 US
Madeleine L’Engle A Wrinkle in Time 2003 US
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid’s Tale 1990 English
Mary Rodgers Freaky Friday 1976/ US
Mary Shelley Frankenstein filmed 1910, 1921, 1992, 1994 English
P. D. James Children of Men 2007 English
Thea Von Harbou Metropolis 1926/1970/2007/; Woman in the Moon 1929 German
Ursula LeGuin The Lathe of Heaven 1980/2002 US

Who's Left Out?

Science fiction plots are relying on the work of writers mainly born before 1950, with a limiting effect on viewership. It could be returned to the masses if a larger variety of writers had their work filmed. With the expansion of digital effects this is completely possible. Think of:

Bujold , Lois McMaster – The Miles Vorkosigan series
Card, Orson Scott – Ender series
Delaney, Samuel R – Babel 17
Gibson, William – Neuromancer, Virtual Light, Idoru
LeGuin, Ursua – The Word for World is Forest; The Dispossessed; The Left Hand of Darkness.
May, Julian – A Many-Coloured Land series
McCaffrey, Anne - The Dragonflight series
Weber, David – The Honor Harrington series


And in the realm of Children’s Sci fi there are plenty of writers waiting for film rights, although it’s interesting that a lot of children’s writers have had series made of their books. (K.A. Applegate – Animorphs for example.)

Abela, Debra – Max Remy Superspy : In Search of the Time and Space Machine
Colfer, Eoin – Artemis Fowl series.
Greenwood, Kerry – Whale Road
Mahy, Margaret - Dangerous Visions
Marsden, John Tomorrow When the War Began series.
Park, Ruth – My Sister Sif
Rubinstein, Gillian – Space Demons; Galax-Arena
Wyn-Jones, Diana – A Tale of Time City; Castle in the Air.

There have to be more writers out there with great books needing to be filmed.

Does anyone have any more ideas?