The Top 10 Sci-Fi Books or Series That Haven’t Been Made Into a TV Series or Movie… But Should Be!

We've seen some landslide wins in the history of these polls, but never like this one! There is no denying that all of these titles would be incredible brought to the screen, but among them, the Discover Sci-Fi community had a very clear favorite. Any guesses as to which one it was? 

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are your top choices for the best historical sci-fi books of all time!  

10. The Event by Nathan Hystad

Like many of you, we would love to see Nathan Hystad’s The Event come to life on the screen! And while it would be amazing to take in at the theater, we think it’d be best served as a TV series.

Dean Parker is a normal person doing the impossible during a unique alien invasion, a dog as his sidekick. Formatting the story as a series of weekly episodes as Dean faces adversity at every corner would best capture the essence of the book. The Survivors Series  as a whole could continue on for years, making an epic experience for fans of all ages. 

The series goes from an alien invasion tale on Earth to the corners of the Universe, and features fantastic elements: everything from talking one eyed birds, to giant ancient Deities, and Insectoid allies. Space opera, adventure, and portals... What could be more entertaining than that? 

The only question remaining: Who should be cast as the main characters in The Event?

Dean’s wife is dead. Her last words: When the ships come...wear the necklace.

Then the ships arrived.

Cities all around the world reported strange alien vessels descending. Some saw them as the heralds of a new age; others fired everything they had at them. All were taken as the beams lashed down and drew them into the sky.

Dean was left behind, seemingly the last man on Earth.

A trail of clues left by his dead wife guide Dean on a perilous journey across America and beyond, to learn the truth behind the mysterious ships and save humanity from its doom.

But not everything is as it seems.

Read The Event here on Amazon

9. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

“From my point of view, Stranger In A Strange Land isn’t just a science-fiction masterpiece. It also happens to be one of my favorite books ever. The story is timeless and resonates more than ever in today’s world. As a fan, I can’t wait to see it come to life as a world-class television event.” —NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Chairman, Bonnie Hammer

We agree. And apparently, so does the Discover Sci-Fi community! From a pool that started with over one hundred nominees, your votes put Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land 9th place on our list. Not too shabby! Like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress—the other Heinlein title on this list—this is a project said to be in development. Having been picked up before, it's also a project that has seen more than one false start. Will it ever come to fruition? Let’s hope so. 

Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever…

Read Stranger in a Strange Land  here on Amazon.

8. The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

Who doesn't love a good anti-hero? Futuristic conman James Bolivar diGriz—AKA "Slippery Jim," AKA "The Stainless Steel Rat"—is a compelling character, hilariously written and we have to agree that Harry Harrison’s action packed The Stainless Steel Rat would make a great TV series!

Were it ever to be made, it wouldn’t be the first of Harrison’s books to be translated to screen. His book Make Room! Make Room! Inspired the 1973 sci-fi film Soylent Green. If you haven't seen that classic, queue it up! Haven't read the Stainless Steel Rat books? You don't want to miss those either!  

Slippery Jim DiGriz is the Stainless Steel Rat: the galaxy's greatest interstellar thief and con artist. For novel upon novel, the Rat has outfoxed the forces of conventionality, cutting a stylish swathe through dozens of star systems-and stealing the hearts of thousands of readers.

Read The Stainless Steel Rat  here on Amazon.

7. Blood on the Stars by Jay Allan

If you happen to be a member of Jay Allan's Facebook reader group Jay Allan's Reader Central, you know that one of the questions that comes up a lot is "when is Blood on the Stars going to be made into a television show?!" If you have read this smashing military sci-fi epic, you know why that question comes up so much! The Blood on the Stars series is nearing its end with the 18th and final book—Empire Reborn—coming very soon and once the final curtain is drawn, we're all going to want to experience the series again. What better way than in full, living color?

If you've yet to get on this bandwagon, you're going to want to start with Duel in the Dark, the first book in this thrilling saga! 

A duel, in the deepest darks, a savage fight between two veteran warriors, two captains, two heroes...

Barron is the grandson of the Confederation’s greatest hero, and his name has always carried great privilege, along with crushing responsibility. Now he must prove that he has inherited more than just a name from his famous ancestor.

He must face the enemy, and win the victory.

Read Duel in the Dark, the first book in the Blood on the Stars series, here on Amazon.

6. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

“No sooner did the rights to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress reverted back to Robert A. Heinlein's estate than another studio has come along to snatch them up. This time, Fox is bringing some A-List names to the project.” – Katharine Trendacosta

Grab The Moon is a Harsh Mistress here on Amazon.

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5. Omega Force by Joshua Dalzelle

There's lots of love for Joshua Dalzelle's Omega Force Series around these parts, and we were excited to see it land in the top 5 on the list! We thought we'd reach out to Dalzelle to ask what he felt attracted fans to the idea of seeing this particular series translated to the screen, and he shared some thoughts with us:

Omega Force isn't even my most popular series in terms of books sold, but it's always the one that readers ask for a screen adaptation of. Putting science fiction on the big screen in a way that's approachable for a mass market has been something the movie business has struggled with in the past (barring the obvious mega-franchises.) It either comes off as too technical and dry, too cheesy, or too implausible. Omega Force manages to find the right mix of all those elements and the readers have been very vocal about wanting to see it on the big (or small) screen.

It's a formula that's been tried and true when it comes to successful film and TV. Omega Force draws on the themes found in early Spaghetti Westerns and more contemporary examples like The A-Team and the movie, "The Losers." What they have in common is the pitting of a hero, or small group of heroes, against corruption and criminal elements that are harming people and get away with it. The life of the small mercenary crew has a lot of appeal across a broad cross-section of readers while the action and humor of the books bring in those who aren't even sci-fi fans. It's part of the reason a planned six book series is now into book twelve with a planned eight more in the works. It's unfortunate that right now the film and TV industries are struggling mightily in a COVID world and new projects are being shelved, but who knows... maybe one day the Omega Force crew will make it onto the screen. 

New to the series? Definitely, definitely check it out the first book, Omega Rising and you'll want to see that scrappy, ride-or-die crew make it to the screen, too! 

Jason Burke was a man hiding from himself in a small cabin high in the American Rocky Mountains when his simple, quiet life was shattered one night by what he first assumed was an aviation mishap. But when he investigates the crash, what he finds will yank him out of his self-imposed exile and thrust him into a world he could have never imagined.

Get your copy of Omega Rising, book one in the epic Omega Force series  here on Amazon.

4. Ringworld by Larry Niven

Good things come to those who wait? Not to knock the special effects available in the 70s, but we’d much rather see the Kzin from Larry Niven’s epic, Ringworld, brought to life with those at our disposal these days!

Unlike others on this list, our collective dream of seeing this on the screen is a few steps closer to reality: the rights are not only picked up, but a director has been announced as of this May, and while we see no mention of filming having begun (no surprise there, given the circumstances) we feel like just maybe there is reason to believe.

Louis Wu, accompanied by a young woman with genes for luck, and a captured kzin – a warlike species resembling 8-foot-tall cats -- are taken on a space ship run by a brilliant 2-headed alien called Nessus. Their destination is the Ringworld, an artificially constructed ring with high walls that hold 3 million times the area of Earth. Its origins are shrouded in mystery.

The adventures of Louis and his companions on the Ringworld are unforgettable . . .

Dive into Ringworld  here on Amazon.

3. Honor Harrington by David Weber

Earlier this year David Weber shared that his Honor Harrington Series had been optioned for development by Radar Pictures, who is presently doing a pilot script for the series. This is not the first time a move to develop the series has been made (see this nifty  "Nimitz CGI animation test" made by Evergreen Films) and at this point, anything can happen, but we remain optimistic that one day we will see this project come to life!

From epic space battles to sentient, empathic treecats, and featuring the most respectable and kick-ass heroine, this is a series that has something for every sci-fi fan. If you haven't read this beloved series, start with the first book, On Basilisk Station.

On Basilisk Station is the first book in David Weber's Honor Harrington series, and follows Commander Honor Harrington and Her Majesty’s light cruiser Fearless during their assignment to the Basilisk system. Though Basilisk Station and the planet of Medusa have become a dumping ground for military officers, currently in disfavor, from her home star system of Manticore. Honor is determined to discharge her duty regardless of the circumstances.

Get your copy of On Basilisk Station  here on Amazon.

2. The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

“Dragonriders was both nail biting and inspired. It kept me thinking I figured it all out only to find out there was so much more. Read all of them! The side stories. The shorts. The prequels Everything! It fleshes out more and more." —Discover Sci-Fi Reader, DSF Facebook Group

To anyone who has read the series, the answer as to why Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders series should be brought to theaters is obvious: this is a world you can get completely lost in. What is most surprising is that it hasn't happened yet! 

“Over the years we've had a lot of people interested in putting Pern on the screen. I'd love to see dragons on the big screen but all those cogs haven't fallen into place yet. We've gotten so close in the past. Even with CGI as developed as it is, it would be a really big budget. At the end of the day, I know when Hollywood has been involved they've had this problem with dragons.” —Gigi McCaffrey

As McCaffrey's daughter notes, it would take an enormous budget to do the project justice, but we think it would be worth pulling out all the stops to make it happen. 

On a beautiful world called Pern, an ancient way of life is about to come under attack from a myth that is all too real. Lessa is an outcast survivor—her parents murdered, her birthright stolen—a strong young woman who has never stopped dreaming of revenge. But when an ancient threat to Pern reemerges, Lessa will rise—upon the back of a great dragon with whom she shares a telepathic bond more intimate than any human connection. Together, dragon and rider will fly . . . and Pern will be changed forever.

Start reading Dragonflight, the first book in the Pern series, here on Amazon.

1. Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson

“Semper Taedium could be our motto: 'Always Boredom'. I'd be happy with that.”—Craig Alanson, SpecOps

If there are any T.V. or Movie execs in our audience, take note because this might be the biggest win in the history of our polls! Among ten outstanding titles, Craig Alanson’s Expeditionary Force handily took the top spot garnering almost 350 more votes than the 2nd place title. No surprise, because fans of Alanson's wildly popular series know that despite the quote above, there is nary a boring moment between the pages of an ExForce book! The series has plenty of action and is funny as hell. It really would do well adapted to screen. 

If you've yet to meet Skippy and Joe, what are you waiting for!? It feels almost inevitable that one day this series will make it to the screen, and you'll want to be in the know before it does! 

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning....

Grab Columbus Day, the first book in the Expeditionary Force series,  here on Amazon.

What do you think of our top 10? How many of these brilliant books have you read? Which one will you read next? We'd love to hear from you! Weigh in on the comments here on the blog, or visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and make sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there!

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.