Sci-fi movies based on books that will blow your mind

Some of science fiction cinema’s greatest classics owe their ideas to writers who previously captured those worlds in ink. But without detracting from the work of the directors and all the members of the production, these science fiction films based on books must be experienced in combo, that is their adaptation or the original material, in any order.

Denis Villeneuve and Ted Chiang, two of today’s most visionary science fiction authors, have teamed up to create ‘Arrival’, one of the best sci-fi movies based on a book. The story with Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner adapts the short story “The Story of My Life”, about a linguist who must decipher the intentions of an alien race that has just arrived on Earth.

Blade Runner

While not a faithful adaptation, ‘Blade Runner’ is one of the best science fiction films, based on one of the most acclaimed stories. Ridley Scott took the story of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” written by visionary Phillip K. Dick and adapted it into a story that revolutionized cinema, starring Harrison Ford, and which is now on HBO Max.

total recall

From the same twisted mind of Phillip K. Dick, we also have ‘Total Recall’, a movie based on the book from ‘We Can Remember Him for You Wholesale’, a novel published in 1966. With the largest budget in Hollywood history at the time, Paul Vorhoeven cast Arnold Schwarzenegger to bring to life a man who sees his worst nightmare come true. Available on Amazon Prime Video.

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Dune

Whether David Lynch or Denis Villeneuve’s version, ‘Dune’ is based on the book of the same name, written by Frank Herbert, and which has become one of the most important pieces of science fiction in all of history. What was considered the impossible story to adapt to the cinema, Villeneuve is currently working on the second part of its adaptation. While the former is on HBO, and the 1984 original on Amazon Prime Video.

Annihilation

In recent years, ‘Annihilation’ has held an important place among the best science fiction films of the new millennium. But few know that the story of Alex Garland is based on Jeff VanderMeer’s book, a modern classic of genre literature. Whether you prefer the original or the adaptation, both are experiences every sci-fi fan should have at least once. Available on Netflix.

War of the Worlds

Finally a classic in all respects, both of cinema and literature, ‘The War of the Worlds’ by Steven Spielberg, and from the mind of HG Wells. Despite being adapted into different media, the Tom Cruise-starring version is a story that left the whole world perplexed by one of the most terrifying alien invasions ever seen on the screen.