"unfilmable" SF universes/works?

[Invictus ChiKen]

I think Stranger in a Strange Land would be very difficult. Not that it couldn't be done just they would have to alter the religious themes and the lack of action. Then there is all the group sex and the Fosterities which would be like the Golden Compass. ect. ect.

[Simon_Jester]

Of course, ECR and I have both been completely overlooking the real reason why the Lensman universe is unfilmable:

After that debacle with the anime TV show that took the name and made a bizarre generic version of Star Wars out of it, the Smith estate doesn't let anyone have the rights to make another representation of the good doctor's work. Period.

[CaptJodan]

The Culture novels would probably qualify as near unfilmable. Especially the one's that deal with the actual culture alot like Excession or The Player Of Games

I'm not sure The Player Of Games isn't workable. It still follows a very human character throughout his adventures, even if some of the setting is on Culture ground. I'd think if you couldn't do TPoG, then you couldn't do LtW.

On the other hand, I completely agree that you couldn't really pull off Excession. Somehow conveying the fantastic speeds Mind's talk about, or the space battles, or even the drone vs possessed ship battle at speeds beyond the sound barrier inside corridors would be next to impossible. Mores the pity.

[Netko]

Sure you can - just use the usual everything-but-the-character-we're-focusing-on-freezes effect with the character being the droid.

Consider Phelbas would be filmable pretty easily I think. The first half of the book is practically already a standard actiony sci-fi script. The ending though is somewhat more of a problem.