Are We Living in a Golden Age of Genre TV? 8 Upcoming SF/F Adaptations

The Expanse series, by James S. A. Corey, at Syfy
Space opera is coming back to Syfy. The Expanse is an epic space mystery in which peace in our far-future colonized Solar System hangs in the balance. Corey (the pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) started the critically acclaimed, Hugo-and-Locus-nominated series in 2011 with Leviathan Wakes. Don’t worry, they won’t be pulling a George R.R. Martin any time soon: four novels have already been published, with a fifth hitting next month, and plans for five more. The 2015 series promises to be the Syfy Network’s most expensive project ever. Or should we say “expansive?” Probably not.

Foundation, by Isaac Asimov, at HBO
Foundation is Asimov’s most famous series, winner of the one-time 1966 Hugo award for “Best All-Time Series.” HBO is clearly looking for the absolute top-tier science fiction property to adapt, no doubt hoping to balance the scales with the fantastical Game of Thrones. Inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire, Asimov wrote about a future in which a Galactic Empire is failing, and only one man’s understanding of the future-predicting science “psychohistory” can set things on the right path. Jonathon Nolan, brother of Interstellar director Christopher, is writing and producing the series, which has no release date. The books are heavy on exposition, a challenge for any adaptation. It’s a complex narrative, too: the first volume alone spans centuries, and there are two prequels and two sequels to draw on following the original trilogy. Still, if anyone can pull it off, it’s HBO.

Westworld, by Michael Crichton, at HBO
Jonathon Nolan must love science fiction classics and HBO—but then, who doesn’t? Prepare for Nolan’s first HBO project later this year: a miniseries based on not on a book, but on the Academy Award-winning 1973 film Westworld, written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton, who is experiencing something of a renaissance, what with the blockbusting Jurassic World and Syfy’s Helix, both based on his work. This one centers on a creepy futuristic amusement park staffed, naturally, by evil malfunctioning androids (revealing Crichton’s incredibly specific niche, “amusement parks that push the limits of science until it all goes wrong”). Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden, and Evan Rachel Wood are set to star. So far HBO has provided a few glitchy glimpses on their Vine page, but I’m definitely excited: I haven’t seen a great evil carnival since Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.

MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood, at HBO
HBO reeeeally wants to get on that science fiction bandwagon. Their third effort takes its title from Margaret Atwood’s 2013 novel MaddAddam, but it’s really an adaptation of all three novels in her dystopian trilogy, including 2003’s Oryx and Crake and 2009’s The Year of the Flood. The series explores the aftermath of an apocalyptic biological event, complete with plenty of flashbacks. It’s an unflinching exploration of humanity’s failings, and it’s hard to see how an HBO take on it could go wrong. There’s plenty of room for a creative take, too: the first two books feature entirely different characters who eventually meet in the final novel; a TV show might intercut those stories.

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman, at Syfy
Grossman’s urban fantasy features a college for magicians and a hidden Narnia-like fantasy world.  Fox optioned it, but passed, and Syfy picked it up and is putting together a pilot. Grossman himself visited the set last year, participated in the first read-through, and was amazed by the cast.

Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke, at Syfy
A promising first teaser trailer for this December 2015 miniseries was recently released. Clarke’s 1953 novel depicts an alien-ruled utopia on Earth and the impact it has on human culture. The mysterious aliens, who literally call themselves “Overlords,” might not have humankind’s best interests at heart. At a trim six hours, the miniseries certainly won’t attempt to drag things out. Just to drive home how benevolent those aliens are, actor Charles Dance, aka Tywin Lannister, will be presiding as ambassador to the Overlords. If we can’t trust Tywin in a position of power, who can we trust?

The Shannara series, by Terry Brooks, at MTV
Brooks’ sprawling, influential epic fantasy series started in 1977 with The Sword of Shannara and is still going, making him one of the best-selling fantasy authors alive today. He’s poised to win over a whole new generation of fans with the launch of the 10-episode series based on the second, standalone book The Elfstones of Shannara, a chronicle of a battle between good and evil, warlocks and druids, in the world of the Four Lands. Fun fact: John Rhys-Davies (Gimli in The Lord of the Rings films) stars as the Elven king Eventine Ellessedil, putting him on both sides of high fantasy’s never-ending elf/dwarf feud.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke, at BBC One
The most British fantasy story ever is coming to the most British television network! Clarke’s 2004 novel is set in an alternate reality Napoleonic England in which magic exists, but has been ignored for centuries. The two title characters bring it back, tangling with a fairy kingdom along the way. The book is a treasure trove of delights for Anglophiles, written in a style-and-tone pastiche of a dozen different classic British authors and genres. The BBC will air the seven-part series in 2015, and I can’t imagine it’ll be anything less than spectacular.
What adaptations will you be watching?