The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made

As a longtime film fan, one of the things that has always intrigued me is the uncompleted film project, the idea that for some reason stalls out and never makes it to fruition. This fascination is what made David Hughes's book such an interesting read for me. Using a mixture of firsthand interviews and exploitation of fan and film literature he chronicles numerous projects, drafts, and proposals for science fiction movies. While many of the projects he chronicles never saw the silver screen, he also describes some of the abandoned drafts and visions for some of the most enduring franchises of the genre, such as the Star Trek and "Alien" series. Some of his chapters will be heart-breaking for fans of the novels and franchises that underwent the process, yet reading the book offers insight into the convoluted process of film making. Reading it can often be saddening, as Hughes often succeeds in firing the imagination with description of unrealized projects that could have been breathtaking. Though true fans of these various franchises may be familiar with many of details Hughes describes, the book serves as a good overall account of Hollywood's often awkward relationship with the genre and a nice gift for the sci-fi film fan in your life.

I can't remember who said it, but I believe there is a saying that the saddest words in the English language are "What might have been...." If the saying is accurate, then there are few books sadder than David Hughes's The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made. Actually, the title is a bit of a misnomer; it may have been appropriate back in 2001 when the book was first published, but the 2008 edition acknowledges that some of these movies have been made, including Supernova, Thunderbirds, Fantastic Four and the Island of Dr. Moreau, or are pending release, such as Watchmen. Even in the case of these movies, Hughes does show how early incarnations of the movie were quite different from the finished product, whether for better or worse. Each of the 21 chapters deal with a different movie. Many were based off of novels or comics, or occasionally old versions of either other movies (such as I Am Legend, also a book) or TV shows (Thunderbirds or the Six Million Dollar Man). Whatever the origins, however, the basic story is the same. A property is recognized as being a potential moneymaker, but certain snags always get in the way: the story is unfilmable at a realistic budget or because it doesn't translate well from page to film (such as Dune or Childhood's End); studio heads propose changes that completely contradict what made the story good to begin with; the legal waters get muddied by conflicting claims as to who owns the movie-making rights; or egos clash. Even with the ten movies that still retain "never made" status--The Stars My Destination, Childhood's End, Night Skies, The Tourist, Ronnie Rocket, One Saliva Bubble, The Silver Surfer, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Outer Limits and John Carter of Mars--there remains hope for many of them, even John Carter, which has been in and out of development for over 70 years (it could have preceded Snow White as the first animated feature film). The biggest lesson that this book seems to impart is how difficult it can be to make a movie, even before the shooting starts: often the planets have to be aligned just right. It almost seems like it's more surprising that some movies ever get made than that others don't. If you're a fan of science fiction movies, this well-written book will give you a glimpse at some movies that you will never truly see.

From Alien 5 and Night Skies to early vampire movies, any fan of science fiction film and any collection catering to them needs The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made, a survey of legendary unmade films in an expanded, updated edition covering movies that 'nearly were'. Interviews with writers, designers and directors celebrate Hollywood choices, oddities and ironies and is a key acquisition for any collection strong in science fiction.

Well, Hughes has done it again. He has written a book that appeals to students of science fiction (of all types, not just films), movies, history, economics, you name it - and has made it completely entertaining and utterly un-putdownable at the same time. Fans of his earlier book on David Lynch will appreciate the chapter on Lynch's two "lost" movies, Ronnie Rocket and One Saliva Bubble. Also, even though this book is only a couple of years old, it is interesting to see what has happened with some of these projects. For instance, Spider Man and Terminator 3 have already been released, Thunderbirds and Alien vs Predator are being filmed right now (Jan 2004), and apparently I Am Legend and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy are being cast and actually being made (for sure this time!). I think this proves how fascinating this book is - with any other writing the fact that you are reading about Terminator 3 as a "dead" or "possible future" product would ruin the reading experience. With this book, though, it is still just as fascinating to see why the projects took so long to come to fruition. So if you have any interest in films, art history, behind the scenes Hollywood gossip, or just a fascinating read, pick up this book NOW. Then go on to read his David Lynch bio, and everything else this man has written. I GUARANTEE you won't be disappointed.

A must for all Sci-Fi and film fans (like myself!). I'd always wondered why some of the greatest Sci-Fi stories had never made it to the silver screen and why the one that had were often very disappointing; after reading this book, I now know why!!! Not only due to you get all the facts and figure regarding the featured "never made" movies, this book lets inside the hearts and mind of the people that tried their hardest to make these movies happen and the studio management idiots that stopped them!Like movies? Like Sci-Fi books? Want to know why your favourite stories never made it to celluloid? Read this book and find out!