Two works of hard SF are set to become miniseries on the SyFy channel. Both Larry Niven’s Ringworld and Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End will become TV projects in the near future.

Ringworld concerns deep-space exploration and advanced alien technology, while Childhood’s End imagines a peaceful alien invasion and the transformation of the human race. Both books are considered science fiction classics and among the best works of each respective author. SyFy’s adaptation will be a four-hour mini-series helmed by Michael Perry (The River, Paranormal Activity 2).

Hopefully, this news signals a coming renaissance of thoughtful science fiction on television. Could the era of Sharktopus be over?

[News via Blastr]