Last week I talked about the email conversation I was having with Andrew Hardaway, a movie maker who is looking for a great science fiction story to make into a short film. My post about “Which Science Fiction Stories Would Make Good Films” got several outstanding suggestions from readers, but I thought I would add my own picks here.
In coming up with my list I tried to abide by the 3 criteria Andrew said he was looking for:
- The story must be adaptable for a 10-15 minute short film.
- It must have very strong and dramatic dialogue between two or more characters.
- The setting needs to futuristic. For example, as if it were taking place within a Syd Mead painting.
Anyway, (drum roll please…) here is my list of Ten Science Fiction Stories That Would Make Great Short Films!
1. The Veldt
Summary: A couple of parents become concerned when their children use the virtual nursery to recreate a realistic African savannah.
Why I Picked It: The dialog is great, and there is that overall feeling that something isn’t quite right with the kids – if that could be captured on film then this would make one seriously cool flick!
2. The 43 Antarean Dynasties
Summary: A proud alien tour guide shows three obnoxious humans the remains of his planet’s once great culture.
Why I Picked It: The Antarean capital practically screams “I’m a Syd Mead painting!”
3. Kin
Summary: A small boy hires a dreadful alien as a hit man, all in an effort to save his unborn sister.
Why I Picked It: The conversation (and eventual bond) between the boy and the alien is both deep and touching.
4. A Dry, Quiet War
Summary: A super tough soldier returns from the war at the end of time only to find thugs making life hard for the people in his home town – then he goes all “Unforgiven” on them!
Why I Picked It: The interaction between the soldier, his girlfriend and the alien thugs would make for some tense movie moments.
5. The People of Sand and Slag
Summary: Three genetically enhanced guards find a dog trespassing on their employer’s property and decide to keep it as a pet, except they are not sure how to keep it alive.
Why I Picked It: The strange not-quite-human guards and their naive relationship with the dog would make a clever movie plot.
6. Craphound
Summary: A human man and an alien roam the yard sale scene looking for great finds – until a nasty rivalry pits them against each other.
Why I Picked It: The bizarre and humorous feud between them would make a darn funny flick!
7. Tideline
Summary: A sentient war machine making memorials for its fallen comrades befriends a young boy.
Why I Picked It: Aw… who wouldn’t want to see an all-powerful weapon of war protect a puny little boy?
8. The Home Team
Summary: A down-on-his-luck author finds that his new kitchen appliances can do more than advertised.
Why I Picked It: A man has a conversation with a toaster… need I say more?
9. All Seated on the Ground
Summary: A newspaper columnist and a choir director discover the reason aliens have landed in Denver.
Why I Picked It: Discovering why the aliens are there would make a great detective film.
10. Helen O’Loy
Summary: Two men build a robotic housekeeper and then discover that she has fallen in love with one of them.
Why I Picked It: Because it has a beautiful female robot!
In case you don’t know, Andrew Hardaway is not just some amateur film maker trying to break into show business – he has done some impressive stuff! He worked for several years at Industrial Light & Magic, and has worked on many high profile movies including “Men in Black,” “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” “Galaxy Quest” and “Mission to Mars.” You can learn more about Andrew at IMDb.com, or by viewing his website.
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1 user responded in this post
Very good choices – I should have thought of “Craphound.” The Veldt was fairly well done in The Illustrated Man, though he whole film is starting to look a bit dated.