Long before there were science fiction films, there was science fiction literature. In fact, many of the greatest science fiction movies that we celebrate today are inspired by or based on novels written years before the films were even dreamed of. From the iconic stories of H. G. Wells, to the pulp and dime-novel yarns of little-known science fiction writers of the ’50s and ’60s, the film industry is always on the hunt for the next book or short story to adapt into a major blockbuster. Sometimes the novel is immensely popular and a dedicated fanbase hotly anticipates the adaptation, as was the case withDune, and other times the film version takes audiences by surprise and introduces a generation to a once-forgotten work of fiction. In either case, we see that literature and cinema are very closely intertwined.
Just as Homer’s epicsThe OdysseyandThe Iliadhave inspired countless poems, books, plays, and movies, science fiction veterans like Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke, Michael Crichton, and Frank Herbert have made an indelible mark on cinematic history, both in and beyond their lifetimes. Collected below is a list of the very best sci-fi movies based on books ever made.
15Dune (2021)
Dune, the giant Frank Herbert novel that fans thought no one could adapt, was finally made into a successful film in 2021 by Denis Villeneuve. The movie is about a young man who must travel to an incredibly dangerous planet to embark on a quest to save his people from extinction. Although the novel had been adapted once before, in 1984 by David Lynch, that version was met with mostly negative reviews and failed to capture the grand scale of the novel. That said,Dunehas had an immense influence on cinema since its publication, inspiring countless science fiction classics throughout the decades.According to CBR, “It is undeniable that George Lucas was loosely inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune when crafting his Star Wars films.”
14Total Recall (1990)
One of thebest adaptations of a story by Philip K. Dick,Total Recalltakes the short storyWe Can Remember It For You Wholesale, gives it a catchier title, and transforms it into an Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring action extravaganza. The film follows Douglas Quaid, an average laborer who dreams of moving to Mars. Realizing he doesn’t have the funds to do this, he does the next best thing and visits a company that can plant a false memory of an adventure on Mars into his brain for him. Things go awry, and Quaid soon finds himself in the middle of a dangerous corporate conspiracy. Director Paul Verhoeven directs this slick adaptation with his usual flair for the bizarre, packing it full of outrageously over-the-top violence, hilarious one-liners, memorable characters, and a subtle undercurrent of irony that brings it all together.
13Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
Slaughterhouse-Fiveis an adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s famous novel of the same name. It follows optometrist Billy Pilgrim as he relates his experiences in becoming “unstuck in time.” The film chronicles Pilgrim’s exploits as a prisoner of war in World War II and as a kidnapped zoo specimen on the alien planet Tralfamadore. It is an almost episodic film, covering a vast stretch of time and cutting between disparate locales at a breakneck pace. In spite of its rapid-fire tonal and environmental shifts,Slaughterhouse-Fivemanages to tell a poignant anti-war story under the guise of zany science fiction. Although the film was met with mixed reviews, the author of the novel adored it, and fans of the book praised the filmmakers for their hard work in bringing a difficult-to-adapt story to the silver screen.
12Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Although there have been many adaptations of Jack Finney’s classic sci-fi novelThe Body Snatchers, the best one is easily 1978’sInvasion of the Body Snatchers. Set in ‘70s San Francisco, an eclectic cast of characters is pitted against an invisible enemy of extraterrestrial origin in this Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum-starring gem. The special effects are outstanding, the performances are fantastic, and the atmosphere is thick with impending doom and suffocating paranoia, making this the best of theBody Snatcherfilms.
11Starship Troopers (1997)
Paul Verhoeven’sStarship Trooperstakes the jingoistic, propaganda-like novel by Robert A. Heinlein and flips the story on its head, resulting in a satirical, anti-fascist science fiction masterwork. The movie portrays a distant future in which the Earth is at constant war with the Arachnids, an alien race of giant bugs. The film directly pokes fun at the militarist perspective of the original novel, even going so far as to include parody military propaganda films intercut throughout the movie. Verhoeven’s film is part exhilarating action spectacle, part biting satire, and all fun.
Related:Starship Troopers: Looking Back 25 Years At Paul Verhoeven’s Satire Masterpiece
10The War of the Worlds (1953)
The 1953 film version ofThe War of the Worldsis not just the best adaptation of H. G. Wells’ famous story of the same name, but it is also one of the most iconic alien-invasion films from the 1950s. It centers around a small town that becomes the crash-site of a strange meteorite. The meteorite cracks open and releases an alien war machine that wreaks havoc on the Earth and instigates a full-scale counterattack from the United States Marines. Although the movie simplifies the original story and is more of a pulpy sci-fi adventure than the more thought-provoking novella, it holds up as an exciting and dazzling Technicolor marvel of the Atomic Era.
9Jurassic Park (1993)
One ofSteven Spielberg’s most celebrated films,Jurassic Park, is a science fiction classic that does the Michael Crichton-penned source material justice. The film follows a group of scientists who are given the chance to tour a new theme park that is inhabited by living dinosaurs. When the dinosaurs break free and run amok through the park, an intense fight for survival ensues.Jurassic Parknot only nails the story and ideas of Crichton’s novel, but enhances them with top-notch special effects and some fantastic performances.
8The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’sThe Thingis a classic sci-fi horror movie that updates the original 1951The Thing from Another Worldand takes it in a new, body-horror direction. What many fans might not know is that the body-horror-tinged paranoia of this film version is actually more faithful to the original novella,Who Goes There?, by John W. Campbell. The movie depicts an American research team working in remote Antarctica who become prey to an otherworldly creature that can take on the shape of its victims. A tough helicopter pilot, played to perfection by Kurt Russell, leads the team in the fight for survival against the shape-shifting beast in this celebrated, downbeat sci-fi horror masterpiece.
Related:Best John Carpenter Movies, Ranked
7The Andromeda Strain (1971)
LikeJurassic Park,The Andromeda Strainis one of thebest movies based on a Michael Crichton novel. It tells an unsettling tale about a deadly and microscopic organism of alien origin that kills the population of a small Arizona town. The best scientists available are quickly gathered together in a top-secret and high-tech research facility to identify and stop the otherworldly threat. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, and remains every bit as prescient and unnerving as it was in 1971.
6Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
Colossus: The Forbin Projectis a thought-provoking science fiction tale based on the novelColossusby Dennis Feltham Jones. The film is about a high-tech defense system called Colossus that becomes sentient. The system takes control of the facility it’s contained in and seeks to use its nuclear defense programs to end war across the globe. Its creator must reason with the sentient program and put a stop to its misguided attempt to save humankind. It’s a chilling and exhilarating movie, and easily one of the best “thinking-man’s” sci-fi flicks of its era.
