SCIENCE FICTION — the genre of possibility — often tells fantastic tales of space exploration, sentient robots, alien encounters and futuristic events … based on imagination. But sometimes, it is firmly rooted in Real-World events.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) drew from actual people’s experiences with UFOs and reports from military insiders.
To properly portray UFO sightings, Spielberg brought Dr. J. Allen Hynek onboard — a world-renowned astronomer who developed the UFO classification system from which Close Encounters takes its title. (Encounters of “the third kind” involve humans seeing visible occupants within a UFO.) Hynek began working with the US Air Force in 1948 as what he would eventually describe as “a debunker.” In time, however, he came to believe that UFO sightings couldn’t necessarily be explained away as entirely mundane. (The film boasts such a high level of authenticity that NASA wrote a letter to Spielberg about the dangers of making such a detailed movie.)

INTRUDERS (1992) was partially based on real life events in Ufology Budd Hopkins’ book Intruders: The Incredible Visitations at Copley Woods. (The TV Movie tells the story of two women, one in California plagued by nightmares about faceless strangers invading her house, another in Nebraska with a history of unexplained blackouts who one night ends up on a motorway, miles from home. A psychiatrist, struck by similarities between the two cases, discovers they share the same explanation: Alien Abduction.)
The Book: in 1983, Kathie Davis, floated out of her room in rural Indianapolis while asleep, was subjected to physical examination inside a UFO. The story she told the world afterwards, corroborated by specialists and hundreds of other victims all over the country, is not to be missed or dismissed lightly.

FIRE IN THE SKY (1993) made a real life story horrifying. (It still contains one of the freakiest Alien abduction scenes ever filmed — maybe because it’s drawn from true events.)
In 1975, forestry worker Travis Walton was working as part of a crew near Snowflake, Arizona. Suddenly, a saucer-shaped craft came into their field of vision, emitting a high-pitched buzz. Walton approached the spacecraft, and was blasted by a tremendous energy beam. His coworkers ran away, assuming he was dead, but five days later, he showed up in town in a phone booth. He claims he was abducted by Extraterrestrials who examined him in a hospital-like room. (The Movie dramatizes the abduction with queasy intensity.)

THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES (2002) draws inspiration from a real tragedy. (The Movie is about a reporter researching the myth of Mothman. His wife dies in a mysterious accident, then, two years later, and as he tracks down the monster, he finds himself reconnecting to memories of her … and, slowly but surely, discovering the truth of her death.)
The True Story: throughout 1966 and 1967, residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia reported sightings of a strange creature with dark wings, humanoid proportions, and glowing red eyes. On December 15th, 1967, the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio collapsed, killing 46 people. Many people in the area blamed the mythic Mothman. To this day, no one knows exactly what those Point Pleasant townsfolk saw.

THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY

Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT, opens with dramatization of a documented Historical Event — the mysterious UFO encounter of America West Flight 564 on May 25, 1995.
Story elements in Book 2 THE DRAGON’S GLARE, and Book 3 BEYOND THE WORLD are inspired by: Eyewitness Accounts of modern UFO sightings (including phenomena like Missing Time), Military Crash Retrievals, and Face-to-Face Encounters with Extraterrestrials (based on the work of respected UFO researchers David M. Jacobs and Richard Dolan).

SCI-FI stories about UFOs and Aliens — inspired by Real Life — are not only fantastic. They make TRUTH stranger than Fiction.

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In recent years, major SCI-FI franchises, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, and Star Trek, have started to include more character DIVERSITY of every kind. Let’s briefly consider a few streaming examples.

THE EXPANSE

The Expanse has always been a show that tackled diversity head on, but never felt like it was trying too hard, perhaps in part because diversity is a part of the story itself. There’s something recognizable about the conflict between Earth, Mars and the downtrodden people of the Belt. The show takes place in our universe around 200 years from now, in a future where racism and sexism have become obsolete. Executive producer Naren Shankar explains: “We’re trying to really represent human beings, and to extrapolate, to the extent it’s possible with this kind of drama, where humanity might go, how ethnicities might mix, how people might look.”

STAR TREK PICARD

Diversity and inclusion have been cornerstones of the Star Trek universe since its humble beginnings. Despite this commitment to racial and gender diversity, it is rare to have human characters whose individual cultural heritage and ethnic background is truly central to their personhood. One refreshing exception: the character of Rios from Picard — Chilean, played by a Latinx actor named Santiago Cabrera, he speaks Spanish on camera regularly (with an accent) and uses a classic Spanish nursery rhyme to override his ship’s controls. Cultural heritage and background are central to his identity.

FOUNDATION

Creator David S. Goyer understood that adapting Foundation (originally published in 1942) meant making notable changes to better reflect today’s world, like switching the story’s key heroes — Gaal, who is Dr. Seldon’s apprentice, and Salvor, a leader of the colony tasked with compiling important human knowledge — from white men to Black women. “I was conscious of the fact that there were a lot of people that were underrepresented in a lot of these sort of seminal works,” he explains. “I knew that I wanted this show to break through not just the hardcore fans, but to everyone.” He also assembled a diverse writers’ room — comprised of a majority number of women and people of color.

THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY

In Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT, the central storyline draws its diverse inspiration from Hopi Mythology — with the concept of Guardianship given to each of four human races: red, yellow, black, and white. Chapter 9, “Spirit Woman”, lays out the specifics:

“Long ago, the Great Spirit came down and gathered the peoples of this world together on an island which is now beneath the water.
“To the Indian people, the red race, he gave Guardianship of the Earth.
“To the South, he gave the yellow race Guardianship of the Wind.
“To the West, he gave the black race Guardianship of the Water.
“To the North, he gave the white race Guardianship of the Fire.”

Diversity in the TRILOGY flows naturally from this point forward.

Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT explores Native American Mythology as the protagonist, UNA WATERS, half-Hopi government agent from D.C., is summoned to the land of her birth when the U.S. Army invades the Sacred Peaks of Hopiland.

Book 2 THE DRAGON’S GLARE explores Asian American Mythology as UNA finds herself on special assignment to investigate unexplained violence in Chinatown, New York City, where she discovers a deep-seated connection with Tibetan immigrants.

Book 3 BEYOND THE WORLD explores African American Mythology as UNA, briefly stranded on her honeymoon adventure in Yosemite, uncovers a UFO mystery (with help from Explorer Club members of the Kikuyu Tribe) that leads to an Alien Conspiracy.

(The White Race, not forgotten, plays a significant role in the events of Book 3.)

 

THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY empowers Women and People of Color, appealing to viewers Worldwide. As the Authors, it is our greatest hope to see this story successfully adapted to the screen — perhaps even as a TV Mini-series … streaming one day soon on Amazon Prime.

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Some of the greatest SCI-FI Stories … almost didn’t make it to the screen. Production delays, cost overruns and more can threaten a project to the point of cancellation. Luckily for fans, the ones on this list found a way to survive.

Star Wars (1977)

Universal Studios and United Artists both passed on STAR WARS, before it was picked up by 20th Century Fox. During the first week of production, shooting was interrupted by a rainstorm that caused technical problems. When studio heads later tried to nix the Death Star finale, George Lucas went ahead and filmed it anyway. It has also been reported that some of the actors found it hard to take the movie seriously (with some later admitting that they didn’t think it would do well.) Guess they were wrong!

Blade Runner (1982)

Inspired by Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the first script for BLADE RUNNER was not up to Dick’s standards. Ridley Scott took charge of the project and hired David Peoples to rewrite the script, bumping the budget from $13 million to $15 million. Right before the crew was ready to begin filming, Filmways backed out with their money, leaving the film without financing. Eventually, the producer of the film, Michael Deeley, was able to get three different backers involved, saving one of the most beloved cult classics of all time.

Back To The Future (1985)

The first draft of BACK TO THE FUTURE was canned by Columbia Pictures for being “not sexual enough.” The writers took the film to other studios over the next four years — only to be rejected, even pitching the film to Disney (who rejected it over the whole Marty and his mom ordeal). Eventually, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis resorted to taking the film to their good friend, Steven Spielberg, who took the film to Universal. The rest is history.

Waterworld (1995)

The budget for WATERWORLD ballooned from $100 to $175 million (the biggest at the time). It received new writers, a new score, and last minute script changes, some of which were done by Joss Whedon (who refers to the ordeal as “seven weeks of hell”). After a hurricane destroyed a multi-million dollar film set, and lead star Kevin Costner almost died, the movie was not looking like it would ever see the light of day. Eventually, the finished film was released, to cult fanfare. Maybe one of the most underrated movies of all time.

Stranger Things (2016)

The creators of STRANGER THINGS, Matt and Ross Duffer, say initially they were intending to make a film out of the concept. They explain that “nobody wanted to hear movie ideas. They wanted to hear television ideas.” But then the networks weren’t thrilled with the idea of the concept as a TV show either (it was turned down 15 to 20 times), so they pitched it as an eight-hour movie that could include breaks. Ultimately, Netflix went for it.

 

As creators of THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, we’re hoping that one day our story will make it to the screen. We’ve been reaching out to filmmakers, in hopes of finding the right person to bring our story to life.

Wish us luck!!!

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Some of the best book-to-screen adaptations of all time come from SCI-FI Novels.

The recent star-studded release of DUNE reminds us that Science Fiction stories are just as popular now as ever. With so many amazing book adaptations out there, we have selected a few Stand-Outs — essential for any SCI-FI Fan to experience.

 

PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

Novel — Based on La Planète des singes (known in English as Planet of the Apes in the US and Monkey Planet in the UK) — a 1963 Science Fiction novel by French author Pierre Boulle.

After optioning the novel’s film rights, American film producer Arthur P. Jacobs spent over three years trying to convince filmmakers to take on the project. He engaged a succession of artists to create test sketches and hired veteran television writer Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, to pen the screenplay. Production costs were estimated at over $10 million, a risk no studio in either Hollywood or Europe would assume. Jacobs and associate producer Mort Abrahams persevered and eventually persuaded Charlton Heston to star. The team recorded a brief “screen test” featuring Heston with actors in primitive makeup — which ultimately convinced 20th Century Fox the film could succeed.

 

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

Novel — 2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 Science Fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. It was developed concurrently with Stanley Kubrick’s film version and published after the release of the film. Clarke and Kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only Clarke ended up as the official author.

This classic movie is beautifully shot and extremely well made. HAL is actually terrifying to watch, as the machine slowly turns on the humans that it is supposedly meant to protect. Innovative production, as well as photography techniques, had to be pioneered in order to make the special effects believable. The film’s star Keir Dullea later revealed: “Not one foot of this film was made with computer-generated special effects. Everything you see in this film or saw in this film was done physically or chemically, one way or the other.”

Kubrick’s scientific consultant Frederick Ordway once revealed that Kubrick had almost all of the props for the film destroyed, (including blueprints, unseen footage and miniatures) because he didn’t want to ruin the illusion of 2001 for people — and, reportedly, so they wouldn’t wind up in future films. A small percentage survived.

In 1982, Clarke published the sequel Novel — 2010: Odyssey Two.

It was adapted for the screen by Director Peter Hyams and released as a film in 1984 — 2010: The Year We Make Contact, starring Roy Scheider, John Lithgow and Helen Mirren. (With American production values, it is in many ways a far superior film.) Since most of the original props were destroyed, the production team had to reconstruct everything by studying prints of 2001.

 

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)

Novel — by Steven Spielberg (based on the film screenplay)

The film’s origins can be traced to Spielberg’s childhood, when he and his father watched a meteor shower in New Jersey. At age 18, Spielberg completed the full-length science fiction film Firelight. Many scenes from Firelight were incorporated in Close Encounters on a shot-for-shot basis. In 1970 he wrote a short story entitled “Experiences” about a lovers’ lane in a Midwestern farming community and the “light show” a group of teenagers see in the night sky.

Spielberg first considered doing a documentary or low-budget feature film about people who believed in UFOs. He decided “a film that depended on state-of-the-art technology couldn’t be made for $2.5 million.” Borrowing a phrase from the ending of The Thing from Another World, he retitled the film “Watch the Skies”, rewriting the premise concerning Project Blue Book.

After several more rewrites, friends of Spielberg suggested the plot device of a kidnapped child. Spielberg then began to write the script. The song “When You Wish upon a Star” from Pinocchio influenced Spielberg’s writing style. “I hung my story on the mood the song created, the way it affected me personally.” During pre-production, the title was changed to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

J. Allen Hynek, who worked with the United States Air Force on Project Blue Book, was hired as a scientific consultant. Hynek felt that “even though the film is fiction, it’s based for the most part on the known facts of the UFO mystery, and it certainly catches the flavor of the phenomenon. Spielberg was under enormous pressure to make another blockbuster after Jaws, but he decided to make a UFO film. He put his career on the line.” USAF and NASA declined to cooperate on the film. In fact, NASA reportedly sent a twenty-page letter to Spielberg, telling him that releasing the film was dangerous. In an interview, he said: “I really found my faith when I heard that the Government was opposed to the film. If NASA took the time to write me a 20-page letter, then I knew there must be something happening.”

 

BLADE RUNNER (1982)

Novel — Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (retitled Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in some later printings) is a dystopian Science Fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in 1968.

After years of rewrites, the screenplay by Hampton Fancher was optioned in 1977. Producer Michael Deeley became interested in Fancher’s draft and convinced director Ridley Scott to film it.

Although Dick died shortly before the film’s release, he was pleased with a 20-minute special effects test reel that was screened for him when he was invited to the studio. He said, “I saw a segment of Douglas Trumbull’s special effects for Blade Runner … I recognized it immediately. It was my own interior world. They caught it perfectly.” He also approved of the film’s script, saying, “After I finished reading the screenplay, I got the novel out and looked through it. The two reinforce each other so that someone who started with the novel would enjoy the movie and someone who started with the movie would enjoy the novel.” The motion picture was dedicated to Dick. Principal photography of Blade Runner began on March 9, 1981 and ended four months later.

The film follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he falls in love with a replicant, Rachael (Sean Young), and realizes that the human clones of his world are more real than he originally thought. As it explores what makes humans human, the film also manages to visually amaze with its stark and futuristic scenes.

 

JURASSIC PARK (1993)

Novel — Jurassic Park is a 1990 Science Fiction novel written by Michael Crichton. A cautionary tale about genetic engineering, it presents the collapse of an amusement park showcasing genetically re-created dinosaurs to illustrate the mathematical concept of chaos theory and its real-world implications.

Before its publication, Steven Spielberg learned of the novel in October 1989. Spielberg recognized what really fascinated him about Jurassic Park was it was “a really credible look at how dinosaurs might someday be brought back alongside modern mankind”, going beyond a simple monster movie.

Spielberg brought in Stan Winston to create the animatronic dinosaurs; Phil Tippett (credited as Dinosaur Supervisor) to create go motion dinosaurs for long shots; Michael Lantieri to supervise the on-set effects; and Dennis Muren of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to do the digital compositing. Paleontologist Jack Horner supervised the designs, to help fulfill Spielberg’s desire to portray the dinosaurs as animals rather than monsters. Certain concepts about dinosaurs, like the theory they evolved into birds and had very little in common with lizards, were followed.

Muren told Spielberg he thought the dinosaurs could be built using computer-generated imagery; the director asked him to prove it. ILM animators Mark Dippé and Steve Williams developed a computer-generated walk cycle for the T. rex skeleton and were approved to do more. When Spielberg and Tippett saw an animatic of the T. rex chasing a herd of Gallimimus, Spielberg said, “You’re out of a job,” to which Tippett replied, “Don’t you mean extinct?” Spielberg later injected this exchange into the script, as a conversation between Malcolm and Grant.

Although no go motion was used, Tippett and his animators were still used by the production to supervise dinosaur movement. Tippett acted as a consultant for dinosaur anatomy, and his stop motion animators were re-trained as computer animators. The animatics made by Tippett’s team were also used, along with the storyboards, as a reference for what would be shot during the action sequences. ILM’s artists were sent on private tours to the local animal park, so they could study large animals – rhinos, elephants, alligators, and giraffes – up close. They also took mime classes to aid in understanding movements.

 

CONTACT (1997)

Novel — Contact is a 1985 hard Science Fiction novel by American scientist Carl Sagan. It deals with the theme of contact between humanity and a more technologically advanced, extraterrestrial life form. The novel originated as a screenplay by Sagan and Ann Druyan in 1979; when development of the film stalled, Sagan decided to convert the story into a novel.

During the development of Contact, the production crew watched Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) for inspiration.

After countless rewrites and production delays, Robert Zemeckis, who previously turned down the director’s position, decided to accept the offer. Warner Bros. granted Zemeckis total artistic control and the right of final cut privilege. The director cast Matthew McConaughey as Palmer Joss. The characterization of Ellie Arroway was inspired by Jill Tarter, head of Project Phoenix of the SETI Institute; Jodie Foster researched the lead role by meeting her. Tarter served as a consultant on the story, realistically portraying struggling careers of women scientists from the 1950s to 1970s.

Despite being diagnosed with myelodysplasia in 1994, Sagan continued to be involved in the production of the film. For the cast and main crew members, he conducted an academic conference that depicted a detailed history of astronomy. (He died in December 1996, six months before the film’s release in July 1997.)

 

MINORITY REPORT (2002)

Novel — The Minority Report is a 1956 Science Fiction novella by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in Fantastic Universe. In a future society, three mutants foresee all crime before it occurs. Like many stories dealing with knowledge of future events, it questions the existence of free will. The title refers to the dissenting opinion of one of the precogs.

Dick’s story was first optioned by producer and writer Gary Goldman in 1992. Novelist Jon Cohen was hired in 1997 to adapt the story for a potential film version. Tom Cruise read Cohen’s script, and passed it onto Spielberg, who felt it needed some work. He was not directly involved in the writing of the script, though he was allowed to decide whether the picture’s screenplay was ready to be filmed. Spielberg was attracted to the story because as both a mystery and a movie set 50 years in the future, it allowed him to do “a blending of genres” which intrigued him.

In 1998, the pair joined Minority Report and announced the production as a joint venture of Spielberg’s DreamWorks and Amblin Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Cruise’s Cruise/Wagner Productions, and De Bont’s production company, Blue Tulip.

Production was delayed for several years. Spielberg said the story for Minority Report became “50 percent character and 50 percent very complicated storytelling with layers and layers of murder mystery and plot.” In 2002, the film was released — directed by Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, and Max von Sydow. It follows a character, played by Cruise, who is arrested for the “Precrime” murder of a man he hasn’t even met yet.

 

THE HUNGER GAMES (2012)

Novel — The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games is an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle royale to the death. In writing The Hunger Games, Collins drew upon Greek mythology, Roman gladiatorial games, and contemporary reality television for thematic content.

In March 2009, Lions Gate Entertainment entered into a co-production agreement for The Hunger Games with Nina Jacobson’s production company Color Force, which had acquired worldwide distribution rights to the novel a few weeks earlier. Collins adapted the novel for film herself, in collaboration with screenwriter Billy Ray and director Gary Ross. The screenplay remains extremely faithful to the original novel.

Instead of Katniss’ internal monologue about the Capitol’s machinations, the screenplay expanded the character of Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker, to allow several developments to be shown directly to the audience. Ross also added several scenes between Crane and Coriolanus Snow, the elderly President of Panem, noting that “I thought that it was very interesting that there would be one generation [of Panem citizens] who knew that [the Games] were actually an instrument of political control, and there would be a successive generation who was so enamoured with the ratings and the showbiz and the sensations and the spectacle that was subsuming the actual political intention, and that’s really where the tension is”.

The Gamemakers’ control center, about which Katniss can only speculate in the novel, was also developed as a location, helping to remind the audience of the artificial nature of the arena. Ross commented, “so much of the film happens in the woods that it’s easy to forget this is a futuristic society, manipulating these events for the sake of an audience. The look of the control center, the antiseptic feeling of it and the use of holograms were all intended to make the arena feel ‘constructed’ even when you weren’t seeing the control room.” Ross and visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal were keen to use the omniscient view that the setting provided to justify the literal dei ex machina Katniss experiences in the arena.

The Hunger Games is a great stand-alone story about the evils of wealth disparity and using fear to rule over people. The film is a direct comment on capitalist society, while still having creative elements of science fiction with its genetically engineered animals and futuristic wardrobing.

 

ARRIVAL (2016)

Origin — based on the Nebula-winning Science Fiction novella “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, written in 1998. It involves Earth’s first communication with heptapods (aliens) who speak in a cryptic language.

Screenwriter Eric Heisserer decided to try to adapt the story into a film script as he wanted to share it with a wider audience. After writing an initial script, Heisserer pitched it to production companies for several years without receiving any interest and nearly gave up on the project. Eventually, Dan Levine and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps Entertainment expressed interest in Heisserer’s script. Shawn Levy of 21 Laps said they had become aware of “Story of Your Life” around 2011 and considered it a powerful work; and when they learned of Heisserer’s script adaptation, started working closely with him, helping him refine the script before they began seeking a director and distribution studio.

One of the directors that 21 Laps approached was Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve had wanted to make a science fiction film for some time, although he “never found the right thing”. Cohen and Levine, however, introduced Villeneuve to the novella, which the director immediately took to. Heisserer completed a first draft, which Villeneuve and Heisserer reworked into the final script. While Villeneuve went through “hundreds” of possible titles, Arrival was the first one his team of producers and writers had suggested.

Heisserer had made several changes from “Story of Your Life” between writing his original screenplays and the final script, the main one being that the heptapods actually arrived on Earth in a type of first contact situation, as he felt this helped to create the tension and conflict needed for a film. Heisserer said that earlier versions of the script had a different ending: the gift from the heptapods was to have been “blueprints to an interstellar ship, like an ark of sorts”, to enable humanity to help them in 3,000 years. But after the release of Interstellar in 2014, Heisserer and Villeneuve agreed that this would not work, and decided that the heptapods’ gift would be what was “there in front of us … the power of their language”.

The 2016 film stars Amy Adams as Louise Banks, a linguist enlisted by the United States Army to discover how to communicate with extraterrestrial aliens who have arrived on Earth, before tensions lead to war. Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Tzi Ma appear in supporting roles.

 

DUNE (2021)

Novel — Dune is a 1965 epic Science Fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in Analog magazine. It is the first installment of the Dune saga. Dune is set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs. It tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of “spice”, a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. It is also necessary for space navigation, which requires a kind of multidimensional awareness and foresight that only the drug provides. As Spice can only be produced on Arrakis, control of the planet is a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story explores the multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its Spice.

After the novel’s initial success, attempts to adapt Dune as a film began in 1971. A lengthy process of development followed throughout the 1970s, during which Arthur P. Jacobs, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Ridley Scott unsuccessfully tried to bring their visions to the screen. In 1981, executive producer Dino De Laurentiis hired David Lynch as director. In 1984 an American epic Science Fiction film was released — written and directed by Lynch. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan (in his film debut) as young nobleman Paul Atreides. It was filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and included a soundtrack by the rock band Toto, as well as Brian Eno.

The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $30.9 million from a $40 million budget, the largest movie budget of the time, and was negatively reviewed by critics. Upon release, Lynch disowned the final film, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained his artistic control and denied him final cut privilege. At least three versions have been released worldwide. Lynch had his name removed from certain cuts of the film and was credited under pseudonyms. The film has developed a cult following, but opinion varies among fans of the novel and fans of Lynch’s films.

Although the newest interpretation of Dune is going to be separated into two parts, (part 1 released in 2021) the production value and casting choices are unmatched. Though Dune has some big changes between the movie and the book, this film exceeds the success of the first film adaptation and leads viewers to expect an even more climactic second part.

THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY

As storytellers and creators of THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, our greatest hope is that one day a visionary Filmmaker will recognize the Universal appeal of our Diverse storyline and bring it to life on the Screen for the whole world to see — as a Feature Film Trilogy or TV Mini-Series.

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Storytelling teaches us about the world we live in … and helps us connect beyond our own experience. It can open our eyes to Greater Reality and introduce us to the Mysteries of the Universe.

It can change your life forever.

“Life-changing” can mean something different to every one of us. For me, Science Fiction changed my world long ago. Star Trek set me on a path to discover the Truth about Life beyond Earth … that continues to this day.

Powerful storytelling can make what at first seems “impossible” REAL. Somewhere, deep down inside, you BELIEVE it, as if a door has been opened … to a Time or Place or Dimension of Awareness that goes BEYOND all points of reference.

To appreciate how a SCI-FI experience transforms your World View, you have to remember how it made you FEEL the first time. For die-hard fans, memory rekindles that feeling … over and over again.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

In 1977, director Steven Spielberg told us a story about Roy Neary, his life forever changed by a UFO encounter that introduced him to a community of believers and revealed a government conspiracy to hide the Truth about ET contact with humanity.

2010: THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT

In 1984, director Peter Hyams brought Arthur C. Clarke’s extraordinary vision to the screen, to give us all a sense of what it might be like to encounter an ALIEN intelligence in the future … who opens the door to Enlightenment for mankind.

INTRUDERS

In 1992, the pioneering research of Budd Hopkins gave us a glimpse into the lives of UFO abductees, traumatized by lifelong experiences beyond their control, pointing to an ALIEN plan to merge with the human race.

FIRE IN THE SKY

In 1993, creative Hollywood types fictionalized the True Story of Travis Walton with haunting imagery to communicate the horror of ALIEN Abduction. It spurred many of us to appreciate his book and a recent documentary detailing what really happened.

STARGATE

In 1994, director Roland Emmerich offered us a dramatic explanation of ALIENS behind the mythology of Ancient Egypt and showed us behind-the-scenes efforts of modern Military to unlock the secrets of advanced ALIEN technology.

CONTACT

In 1997, Astronomer Carl Sagan’s dramatic novel came to the screen, telling a story about one possible way an Advanced Race might reach out to Humanity — from a man who inspired us for decades with his enthusiasm for Space exploration.

THE MATRIX

In 1999, the Wachowskis introduced us to Neo, whose nagging awareness made him question the world around him — and led to discovery of a Greater Reality. It helps us envision the possibility of humanity as a great ALIEN experiment.

KNOWING

In 2009, director Alex Proyas exposed us to the life-threating potential of solar flares, and the idea that not only are we being watched, but also the grim possibility that any hope of human survival may require death of the majority — not a happy thought.

INTERSTELLAR

In 2014, director Christopher Nolan depicted a dying Earth and confronted us with an equally horrifying notion: What if we’re not meant to save the world? What if we’re meant to leave it? The choices we make can change everything.

ARRIVAL

In 2016, the visionary storytelling of Ted Chiang depicts the human race reacting with fear and hostility to ALIEN life, and ready to destroy itself. It takes an open heart and open mind to understand and appreciate what the ALIENS offer humanity.

 

In the course of my SCI-FI journey, somewhere along the way, a shift occurred … to stories that were no longer fiction, but Truthful tellings from real people who had experienced the “impossible” — contact with Life from other Worlds — and exploration of a new kind of TRUTH: about what happens when Alien and Human life come together.

This Truth inspired us to create THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY.

For anyone reading this blog who shares my quest, for anyone familiar with the work of UFO researchers like Budd Hopkins or David M. Jacobs or Richard Dolan — or anyone curious enough with an open mind — I encourage you to explore an enlightening documentary from J3Films: “Extraordinary: The Revelations” — currently available on Amazon Prime.

SCIENCE FICTION has long been preparing us for this inevitable Reality. As in all things, the possibilities are both Good and Bad. It is time for us to connect beyond our own experience … to open our eyes to a great Mystery of the Universe.

The CHANGE is upon us.

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With so many new SCI-FI books hitting shelves every day, it’s easy to miss a few Gems. Sometimes, books with adventure-filled, life-changing stories — absolutely worth your time — just get overlooked.

The good news? It’s never too late to find a Great Book!

Overlooked novels include fiction by well-known Authors (like Octavia Butler or Harlan Ellison) and others — yet to be recognized.

For years, SCI-FI Fans have been screaming for DIVERSITY in storytelling. Diverse stories include Real People — facing Real Struggles and Challenges — associated with every kind of Obstacle, including differences in Class, Race, Sexual Orientation, and Physical Ability.

Readers around the World are always on the lookout for New Stories to inspire them, for Relatable Heroes … who share common Values.

SCIENCE FICTION is meant to be a world of Possibility with creativity and imagination — for Everyone!

Think of a favorite SCI-FI Novel or Character who forever changed YOUR View of the World. What would your life be like today… without them?

UNTHINKABLE!

The same might be said of … THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY — a perfect choice for Readers who appreciate Diversity and Female Empowerment!

Each book in the TRILOGY explores our connection to Ancient Aliens through Native Mythology — Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT (Native American), Book 2 THE DRAGON’S GLARE (Asian American) and Book 3 BEYOND THE WORLD (African American).

On October 23, 2017 Publisher’s Weekly described A GLEAM OF LIGHT as “Native American mythology intersects with UFOlogy in this earthbound tale of first contact and extraterrestrial influence.”( https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781541055636 ).

GLEAM was an Award Finalist for Young Adult Sci-Fi in the 2019 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards ( https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/a-gleam-of-light  ). That same year the TRILOGY appeared in the December Holiday Issue of Story Monsters Ink Magazine. ( https://www.magloft.com/app/story-monsters-ink#/reader/28113/885570  ) It has also appeared in Reviews and Author Interviews on “Book Goodies”, “Audiobook Empire,” “The Reading Frenzy” and “Awesome Book Promotion”.

Glowing TRILOGY Reviews appear on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Gleam-Light-Survival-Trilogy/dp/1541055632/  ) and Goodreads ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34224316-a-gleam-of-light?  ) from women across the USA!

Each AUDIOBOOK (released on Audible and Amazon) is narrated by professional voice actress Kat Bohn with original music by composer T.J. Wilkins. ( Sophia Rose has reviewed all three — https://thereadingfrenzy.blogspot.com/  )

Readers can visualize the TRILOGY through fun-filled Audiobook Trailers and Videos on YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8RVIsdK8g2Qj6ngzxhYwsg/videos  ) and matching Pinterest Boards ( https://www.pinterest.com/tjwolfauthor/  ).

Explore A GLEAM OF LIGHT, THE DRAGON’S GLARE, and BEYOND THE WORLD. You may find one … or all of them — to be your next favorite SCI-FI GEM!!!

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Speaking of Gems, while you’re here on our website, enjoy a few fun-filled SCI-FI videos on our VIDEO page ( http://tjwolfauthor.com/?page_id=485  ). Two samples appear below.

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