Some of the best movies in the sci-fi/fantasy genre have come by way of book adaptations. On occasion, this process is fumbled given the difficult nature of condensing a many-paged book into a two or three-hour movie, but when it's done right, the spectacle of seeing it come to life is difficult to beat.
However, despite the large amount of amazing on-screen adaptations that have come from books, there are still plenty of sci-fi/fantasy books that have not yet made the translation.
The Forever War
Written by Joe Haldeman and first published in 1974, The Forever War is an exciting tale that follows Private William Mandella, a young man drafted into a military unit that will be sent to fight in a conflict that has been ongoing for thousands of years against an alien race.
However, in addition to fighting, as only months pass for Mandella on the strange world, the Earth is aging centuries. The novel gives an interesting take on the typical ideas of intergalactic conflict and is typically regarded among one of the best sci-fi novels of its time; so to see it on the big screen would be quite exciting.
The First Law Trilogy
Penned by Joe Abercrombie, The First Law trilogy is among a strong list of the highly regarded fantasy novels of the early 2000s. The overall story takes place in a medieval-style Europe that is called "Circle of The World," and the story focuses on six strikingly human characters, varying from a barbarian to a wizard, as they traverse their various destinies and fortunes. The series is praised for being well-established on all fronts, and given that it is such a richly imagined world, it would be striking to see it brought to television or film.
Hyperion Cantos Series
The Hyperion Cantos books, written by Dan Simmons, became a staple of the Sci-Fi genre during the 1990s surge. These novels focus on seven pilgrims who travel to the world Hyperion, the homeland of the creature known as Shrike, in search of answers to mysterious riddles that plague them. The series spans four novels with multiple other spin-offs and novellas to accompany the world. It is surprising that no studio has picked up a series that shows this much potential for a successful franchise, but actor Bradley Cooper has been making a case for an adaptation.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Released in 2006, The Lies of Locke Lamora was another smash hit in the fantasy novel world, and it did an incredible job of shifting the typical themes that most fantasy novels showed in this time. The story focuses on Locke Lamora, a young orphan who becomes a member of the Gentleman Basterds, who are a group of thieves with heavy ties to the criminal underworld.
Unlike most protagonists in fantasy stories, Locke Lamora turns the idea of the "good hero" somewhat on its head, yet it still executes it to perfection. The rights to the novel were sold to Warner Brothers in 2006, but they lapsed in 2010.
The End of Eternity
Written by Isaac Asimov, The End of Eternity is another sci-fi thriller about time-travel that surprisingly has not been pitched for a movie adaptation. It focuses on an Andrew Harlan. He is an Eternal, a time-traveler who fixes time's cause-and-effect interactions, who falls in love with a non-Eternal woman, and subsequently tries to bend time to his own will. This novel is full of scientific intrigue and would be terrific as a mind-bend of a movie.
The Mistborn Trilogy
Brandon Sanderson broke out into the fantasy genre in 2005 with the epic book Elantris, but his sophomore release, Mistborn: The Final Empire is what really gave him a name. Spanning over three novels, The Mistborn Trilogy centers on Vin, a young girl who is trained in the magical metal power of Allomancy in order to take on many different challenges that threaten the world of Scadrial. Mistborn is an incredibly creative world with a strange yet fascinating magic system that would be a wonder to see on-screen. Sanderson sold the rights to the entire Cosmere Universe in 2016, so this may not be that long of a wait after all.
The Farseer Trilogy
Assassin's Apprentice is author Robin Hobb's claim to fame, and no doubt, it is a good one to have. Released in 1995, this novel has gone on to be well-revered within the fantasy community, and it is surprising that it has not been bought for a movie or series since its success. The Farseer Trilogy follows Fitz, who is an assassin in training that has a magical link with animals known as "the Wit." If this series was brought to the screen, it would assuredly be a hit among its devoted fan base.
Neuromancer
Neuromancer, written by William Gibson, kicked off the cyberpunk genre with its unique worldbuilding and concept. The plot focuses on Henry Dorsett Case, a data-thief who has to take down a large artificial intelligence satellite made by the Tessier-Ashpool clan.
The novel is known for being rather confusing in many areas, which could be a reason why it has never been adapted for film, but nonetheless, many fans of the book and series would surely be happy to see a movie be made.
The Kingkiller Chronicle
From the mind of Patrick Rothfuss, The Kingkiller Chronicle is about an orphan named Kvothe who rises to ultimately be one of the greatest and most notorious wizards to ever live. Touted as a modern classic and also a masterpiece, this will surely be a series that gets its own adaptation at some point in time. It has already been in talks to be produced as a TV series, but the rights have still not landed anywhere willing to begin working with it.
The Stormlight Archive
Brandon Sanderson began The Stormlight Archive in 2010 with the first entry being The Way of Kings. It gained immediate popularity given his previous record and fan base and this series is touted as being placed among the likes of Game of Thrones when it finally finishes.
These novels follow four different people who each have powers that were believed to be lost after the fall of the Knights Radiant, a collection of solider-like guilds that wage war against the evil Voidbringers. Despite their page length (each entry spans over one-thousand pages), The Stormlight Archive is a series that would be incredible to see brought to life on screen.