Of all the genres in both film and literature, few are as prolific as science fiction. For centuries, science fiction has been a way for creators to explore concepts that are either grounded in current topics or more often what resides in their own imaginations and present them to the world.
Many of these stories have been adapted into movies, but despite Hollywood's craving to make money off of every property out there that they can get there hands on, there are a number of stories that have never been adapted. Though some have come close and may still come.
Neuromancer
William Gibson is considered to be the father of cyberpunk. His influence can be felt on many science fiction movies such as Ghost In The Shell, Minority Report, and The Matrix. That said, it's odd that his debut novel has never been adapted into a film. Following a hacker named Case, the cybernetically enhanced mercenary Molly, and the illusionist thief Riviera, Neuromancer has our trio perform data heists for their mysterious benefactor known simply as Armitage.
After many attempts, Deadpool's Tim Miller was announced to be working on an adaptation. However, no further update has been given since the original announcement in 2017.
Fever Dream
Often science fiction is used to put a magnifying glass to current issues, but at the time Fever Dream was published, the idea of analyzing the struggles between children and adults was almost unheard of. Written by Ray Bradbury, Fever Dream focuses on a teenaged boy named Charles becoming overwhelmed by an illness that is literally taking over his body while his parents and the local doctor do little to help him.
Written during a time when the disconnect between children and adults was at an all-time high, Bradbury's story studies themes such as the distrust children feel towards adults who dismiss their personal problems, which is just as relevant today as it was in the late 1940s. Honestly, the fact that this hasn't even been considered for a film adaptation is utterly bizarre.
Rendezvous With Rama
When most people think of Arthur C. Clarke, they think of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but Rendezvous With Rama has caused quite a stir in Hollywood as well. That's amazing, seeing how it's never been made into a film. Taking place in the 2130s, Rendezvous With Rama deals with the crew of the space ship Endeavour, led by Commander Bill Norton, encountering a mysterious alien craft called Rama. The crew now must solve the mystery of what Rama is.
Morgan Freeman has often hyped up an adaptation of the film, however, the film still holds a spot in its circle of Development Hell.
The Lost Fleet
While the conflicts offered in The Lost Fleet sound quite familiar, there is something to it that makes it feel special. Following Captain John "Black Jack" Geary, a legendary soldier who has been resuscitated after being in stasis for 100 years, the books have "Black Jack" walk a fine line of heroism as he leads The Alliance in a war with their enemies The Syndicate.
That premise might sound well-trodden, but to reveal any more would spoil an absolutely fantastic series of books by author John G. Hemry (under the pen name of Jack Campbell.) While a comic series based on The Lost Fleet was released towards the end of the 2010s, there's sadly been no word of a film adaptation as of yet.
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
Phillip K. Dick adaptations have had a mixed track record when it comes to the box office. Minority Report and Total Recall were hits from day one, but films like Blade Runner and A Scanner Darkly utterly failed at the box office (though they've both received strong followings). Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said was supposed to get a film but never did. It revolves around a genetically enhanced entertainer who lives in the future police state of... 1988. However, one day he wakes up, and finds he never existed.
The Halcyon Company, of Terminator: Salvation fame, vowed that Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said was going to be their next production. However, their deal with Dick's estate ended in 2009, and the film never came to pass.
At The Mountains Of Madness
Regardless of what you think of the man himself, the works have H.P. Lovecraft helped to spawn complex and endlessly fascinating lore revolving around the horror of the unknown. Of all his stories, At The Mountains of Madness is easily one of his best. At The Mountains of Madness tells the story of an expedition to Antarctica that unearths monsters impossible to comprehend that play havoc with their lives and sanity.
Tragically, an adaptation of the book directed by Guillermo Del Toro and starring Tom Cruise was put on ice due to budget and rating concerns. That said, the script is available online, so you should go give that a read if you're interested.
Kingdom Come
With the release of Joker, the world is seemingly ready for standalone superhero stories, and rumors are going around that Kingdom Come is in the pipeline. Written by Mark Waid and drawn by the legendary Alex Ross, Kingdom Come focuses on a DC universe where violence and collateral damage is commonplace, anti-heroes run amok, and no one seems to care about there old heroes. However, when all hope seems lost, Superman returns and leads the world into a new age of heroism, whether that be positive or negative.
Kingdom Come is referenced in a lot of DC media today. Whether it be Wonder Woman's new armor in Wonder Woman 1984, or Brandon Routh playing Kingdom Come Superman in Crisis on Infinite Earths, it is a story that has been kept alive in the public consciousness.
I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream
The works of the late Harlan Ellison are dour, to say the least. From his divisive books to his abrasive personality to his habit of suing everyone, there is a constant sense of pessimism surrounding the man. His most iconic work, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, is perhaps best remembered for its mid-90’s point-and-click adaptation. Set in a world where a super-computer known as AM has wiped out all but five people on the planet, those five people are then tortured for 109 years, before being thrust into a journey just so that they can eat something edible.
Analyzing uncomfortable topics both in concept and in themes, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is a short, haunting story that will make you question yourself as a human being, which is exactly what Harlan Ellison wanted. Though it has been adapted into radio plays, a comic by John Byrne, and the aforementioned video game (where Ellison himself did the voice of AM,) I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream has oddly never been adapted into a film. While that is a shame, the book does deal with some subject matter that would make translating it to film a hard sell for some stscudios.