4 Great Sci-Fi Books Being Made Into Movies

Science Fiction is and always will be one of THE great outlets for the written word and from Asimov to Herbert, Hollywood has always recognized the story-telling potential of a sci-fi writer. Just last year one of the greatest Sci-Fi novels of all time, Ender's Game, saw a big screen adaptation hit theaters, over 30 years after its initial publication. While adaptations are often divisive, there is an undeniable excitement that comes from seeing one of your favourite sci-fi stories brought to life on the big screen. Thankfully, this adaptation trend is set to continue and here are 4 of our favourite sci-fi books that have a movie adaptation on the cards.

All You Need Is Kill - Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Warner Bros. opted for the title of 'Edge of Tomorrow' for their adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka's alien invasion novel, but many would have much preferred they kept the book's original title which perfectly sums up the story's crazed and manic pace. 'All You Need Is Kill' is what you would get if you set 'Groundhog Day' in the middle of 'Independence Day', following a Keiji Kiriya, a young Japanese soldier who is forced to relive his death at the hands of a brutal alien invader, over and over again. But when Keiji meets legendary veteran of the alien war, Rita Vrtaski, he discovers that he can end his torture while tipping the battle in Earth's favor.

Warner Bros. have only made slight tweaks to Sakurazaka's story, opting to to make the protagonist an American soldier who will be played by Tom Cruise. The challenging role of bad-ass Rita Vrtaski was given to the slender figure of Emily Blunt, and images of her portrayal look absolutely spot on. With Doug Liman (Bourne, Jumper) directing I'm hoping for some beautifully choreographed battle scenes and I hope to god they have put a lot of effort into the power suits worn by the human soldiers, because they really are the star of the story.

Edge of Tomorrow hits theaters on June 6th 2014

Under the Skin - Michael Faber

Based on Michael Faber's haunting yet slightly comical novel of the same name, 'Under The Skin' follows an alien seductress sent to Earth in an effort to procure a rare delicacy for the people of her home planet. That delicacy? Human flesh. Scarlett Johansson was chosen for the role of the alien abductor, prompting the ears of men across the world to prick up with interest, but if the positive reviews from the film festival circuit are anything to go by, Under the Skin looks set to offer so much more than just Johansson in her skimpies. With director Jonathan Glazer keeping most of Michael Faber's themes intact, you can expect Under the Skin to be a truly trippy and gruesome tale of alien abduction with a healthy amount social commentary to boot. This is a movie that will unite fans of horror, sci-fi and of course, Scarlett Johansson.

Under The Skin is released in theaters on April 4th 2014

Yukikaze - Chohei Kobayashi

Chohei Kobayashi's 'Yukikaze' is a thrilling alien invasion novel with space warfare and bundles of future tech. Considering these themes, it's not surprising that Yukikaze has already been adapted into a highly popular Anime series that has garnered a passionate following. Kobayashi's story sees a secret United Nations battle force constructed in an attempt to push back alien invaders known as the JAM. When the humans succeed in pushing the invaders back through the portal, they opt to take the fight into space, establishing bases on the planet 'Fairy'. From these forward command posts, a state of the art ship named Yukikaze leads the fight to eliminate the JAM threat to Earth. So wild and complex is Kobayashi's tale, it is not entirely clear which way writer Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans) will take the adaptation, but Warner Bros. have started strong by recruiting Tom Cruise to play the lead role...although that may be a matter of opinion.

Yukikaze is currently in pre-production with no release date set.

Wool - Hugh Howey

Arguably one of the best sci-fi novels of the last few years, Hugh Howey's 'Wool' was initially created as a series of novellas, but has since been rolled into one epicly depressing tale. Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth in which humans are reduced to living in underground 'Silos', Wool is a suspense-filled story portraying a complex society built out of tragic circumstances. Much of what makes Wool so great is the mystery behind what drove humanity underground, but the novel also plays out like a traditional crime thriller with murders and shady characters abound.

20th Century Fox only recently picked up the rights to an adaptation of Howey's novel, so details are thin on the ground, but Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien) is set to direct with Steve Zaillian (Schindler's List, Gangs of New York) working on the screenplay which means this could be an absolute gem of a movie.

This is, of course, not meant to be a comprehensive list. After all, Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner will all see adaptations hitting theaters this year. But if you've had your fill of Young Adult science fiction adaptations, this list should give you hope that sci-fi novels can still serve as the basis for a great sci-fi movie.