5 must-read sci-fi novels that made the leap to screen
The inspiration behind Blade Runner, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is set in a post-apocalyptic future where most humans have migrated to other planets. The novel follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter tasked with eliminating rogue androids on Earth that are nearly indistinguishable from humans. Each interaction with an android progressively blurs the boundaries between them and humans. The novel is set in a world where androids are empathetic and humans emotionally detached, ultimately leading to the question what it means to be human.
Written by Liu Cixin, the first book in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, The Three-Body Problem (Head of Zeus, pages 448, Rs 374), is one of the most distinguished sci-fi novels from the 21st century. The premise of the novel involves humans coming into contact with an alien civilisation for the first time. However, instead of just focusing on the hard science, the novel also delves into the philosophical and socio-political consequences of this discovery, including ethical dilemmas and political uprisings. The novel got adapted into a series by Netflix in 2024, with its second season currently in the works.
Stainslaw Rem's Solaris (Faber & Faber, pages 224, Rs 1035), considered a sci-fi classic, inspired two movies with corresponding titles including the film directed by the auteur, Andrei Tarkovsky. The novel follows a crew of scientists on a space station attempting to understand the extraterrestrial intelligence that takes the form of a vast ocean in the planet Solaris. During their investigation, they are haunted by their past memories, forcing them to first confront themselves and their experiences. The novel contemplates whether we can understand what lies outside without understanding what lies within us first.
This collection of short stories includes Story of Your Life, the inspiration behind the film Arrival. Stories of Your Life and Others (Vintage Books, pages 304, Rs 1584) by Ted Chiang integrates hard science and philosophy to construct narratives with emotional depth. The stories explore the human condition through experiments involving language, time, belief, etc. Chiang explores these various themes with relation to humanity and human relationships.
Klara and the Sun (Faber & Faber, pages 352, Rs 599) is authored by the Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro. The novel is narrated by Klara, an Artificial Friend who waits in a store to be chosen by a human. Klara eventually gets picked to be a companion to a teenage girl with health issues and is adamant on understanding and helping her. Klara and the Sun contemplates on uncertainties like who can love, and does it matter who loves. A movie adaptation of Klara and the Sun is currently underway, reportedly directed by Taika Waititi.
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