Copyright Screen Rant
Several fan-favorite sci-fi books will be making their way to the small screen, and we cannot wait to watch these TV adaptations. The sci-fi genre has experienced a resurgence in popularity across both book and onscreen formats, garnering greater mainstream appreciation. Consequently, multiple streamers have focused on increasing their sci-fi catalogs. Unsurprisingly, creative teams have turned their attention to adapting books. Streamers have optioned the rights to old and newer sci-fi books alike, investing in stories with built-in fanbases. From a financial standpoint, this is a smart choice, as sci-fi shows typically require a large budget. They want to recoup their investment and then some. Additionally, there are so many fantastic sci-fi books that would work well on the small screen due to their detailed visual descriptions, worldbuilding, and relevant themes. Even classics from decades past still have so much to offer nowadays. Ultimately, these are the six sci-fi TV adaptations that we cannot wait to see. 6 Consider Phlebas In February 2025, Deadline revealed that Prime Video is moving forward with an adaptation of Iain Banks’ the Culture series, which centers on a post-Scarcity utopian society that fights for its right to exist in an intergalactic war against the Idran Empire, a society determined to expand throughout the entire galaxy. The show will start with the book Consider Phlebas. The news might surprise fans, considering Amazon previously announced a Consider Phlebas show and canceled the plans in 2020. However, it’s good that it didn’t move forward before because the new show has author Charles Yu signed on as writer and executive producer. Yu’s experience writing sci-fi is a good sign for the Consider Phelbas show. The decision to adapt Consider Phlebas is also exciting because it’s the most cinematic book in the series. There are plenty of action sequences to recreate onscreen. Additionally, the messages of the 1987 book also still work for modern audiences. Ultimately, if Prime approaches the show the same way they did The Expanse, Consider Phelbas is bound to be a hit. 5 The Captive’s War SyFy and Prime’s adaptation of The Expanse is unarguably one of the best modern sci-fi shows. Considering that show’s success, it’s unsurprising that Prime jumped at the chance to adapt The Captive’s War, the new sci-fi trilogy (plus two novellas) by writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who go by the pen name James SA Corey. If we can’t get the last three books of The Expanse, this is the next best option. The trilogy follows enslaved humans struggling to survive under the oppression of the Carryx, an alien race. The premise is very different from Corey’s previous series, but the two share similar tones and space opera styles, making it The Expanse’s spiritual successor. What’s more, the upcoming show will have the same team that made The Expanse incredible, including director Breck Eisner, showrunner Naren Shankar, and writers Abraham and Franck. The Expanse’s team coming back together to make the new show automatically sets The Captive’s War up for success. 4 The Future Is Ours A few days ago, Netflix Latin America announced that it is adapting Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novel The World Jones Made into a miniseries titled The Future Is Ours. The dystopian book is set in 2047, after an ecological collapse leads to a Draconian regime. The story follows a psychic preacher whose arrest makes him the figurehead of a revolution. The show is being made with the support of Dick’s daughter, Isa Dick Hackett, and her production company, Electric Shepherd Productions. This production company has been the source of many Philip K. Dick adaptations, including The Man in the High Castle and Electric Dreams, which offers credibility to the upcoming adaptation. What’s more, the creative team driving The Future Is Ours includes many of the same people responsible for the incredible 2024 Netflix adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude. After seeing how they brought that prolific novel to life, I have complete confidence that the upcoming show will be visually stunning, incredibly acted, and meaningful. 3 The Testaments One of the most anticipated upcoming sci-fi adaptations is The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. Before anyone gets defensive about classification, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testament are technically labeled as science fiction due to their dystopian societies, their use of soft sciences like sociology and anthropology, and their focus on reproduction. The Testaments is particularly exciting because Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale was so well done. There are so many places the show could have gone wrong, but they did a beautiful job with adapting Margaret Atwood’s story and continuing past the novel’s ending. With the same team creating The Testaments, it should maintain narrative integrity and keep its notable visual style. Plus, Emmy-winning actor Ann Dowd is returning as Aunt Lydia, a character everyone loves to hate. She will be one of the three leads in The Testaments alongside Lucy Halliday as Daisy and Chase Infiniti as Agnes/Hannah. 2 Blade Runner 2099 The 1982 cult classic sci-fi movie Blade Runner adapted Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? for the big screen, and, despite its initial underperformance at the box office, it has become the foundation for a flourishing franchise. The next addition will be Blade Runner 2099, a sequel to both feature-length Blade Runner movies. While no details about the story or characters are available yet, Blade Runner 2099’s cast includes Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, of Everything Everywhere All At Once and Wicked fame, and Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer. Both incredible actresses are stars within their own right, and they’ll undoubtedly bring their A-game to the new Blade Runner show. Plus, Blade Runner 2099 is being produced by Scott Free Productions, the production company of brilliant sci-fi filmmaker Ridley Scott. Scott’s involvement in the project is exciting since he directed the original movie. Denis Villeneuve did a great job stepping into his shoes for Blade Runner 2049, but there’s also no question that it is still missing that Ridley Scott spark. It will be great to have him back in the franchise. Additionally, though he’s famous for his movies, shows like The Andromeda Strain and The Man in the High Castle demonstrate that he can thrive in long-form storytelling. 1 Neuromancer Of all the upcoming sci-fi TV show adaptations in the works, the most exciting one is Apple TV’s Neuromancer, based on the seminal book by William Gibson. Neuromancer laid the foundation for virtually every book, movie, and video game in the Cyberpunk sci-fi subgenre, even if it didn’t create the term or genre. We can thank this book for The Matrix and Cyberpunk 2077. The story is set in the dystopian near future, dominated by unfettered corporations and technology. A disabled former computer hacker named Case teams up with a cybernetically modified mercenary named Molly to complete a heist on behalf of an ex-military agent named Armitage. The story explores wealth inequality, capitalism, AI, cybernetics, and the meanings of “human” and “consciousness.” Even though four decades have passed since Neuromancer's release, it still feels painfully relevant. As such, the on-screen adaptation should resonate with audiences. There’s no shortage of interest in Cyberpunk stories, so viewers will likely tune in. What’s more, the cast and crew behind the project have an excellent track record.
