What AH novel would you like to see as a movie or mini-series?

Frankjc3rd · Feb 21, 2004

I'll start with "Probability Broach" by L. Neil Smith, along with the other books in the series. There are four, five if you count "Forge of the Elders". "Pallas", same theme as "Broach".

"Apacheria", and a few others.

robertp6165 · Feb 21, 2004

A lot of the things Turtledove writes would make fine movies or miniseries. The best ones...

"Must and Shall" (short story)
"The Guns of the South"
"Ruled Britannia"

I don't think the World War series or the Great War series (and their follow-ons) would be translateable to the screen...there is simply too much material there. But the single volume works should do well. Unlikely that it will ever happen, though.

NapoleonXIV · Feb 21, 2004

Frankenstein Unbound an ISOT by Brian Aldiss was made a TV Movie in 1990 and wasn't bad at all, but I believe the ratings were lackluster. Byron and Shelley don't compete well with Monday Night Football

Guns of the South would be excellent as a Miniseries but most of the other Turtledove books are too involved or fantastic or both.

Harrison's Hammer and the Cross would make another good miniseries.

Unfortunately, I think most AH is too involved for all but the longest format movies. As miniseries they might work but most are too controversial for Television, athough that is changing.

Michael E Johnson · Feb 22, 2004

Resurrection Day , The Two Georges and In the Presence of Mine enemies could be easily turned into a 4 hour two day miniseries that both the general "alternate history ignorant " public could follow and actual alternate history fans would love to see.

As for Must and Shall- I really wish Turtledove would turn it into a full length novel like he did IPME.

MerryPrankster · Feb 22, 2004

"The Guns of the South" could run as science fiction. The general-SF market is much larger than the "AH market" and this could be a way to get AH into the mainstream faster than OTL (it's beginning to get there).

Melvin Loh · Feb 23, 2004

What about Daniel Easterman's K IS FOR KILLING on the big screen ? Wouldn't that be such a confronting AH movie ? Who'd you reckon to be in the starring roles ?

I also wouldn't mind seein DISASTER AT D-DAY by Peter Tsouras portrayed on the big screen, esp focussing on prominent characters in the book involved in the major PODs thruout the story, such as that 101st Airborne lt (can't recall his name) whose squad captures Rommel, Gen Clarence Huebner of the BIG RED 1 who in this ATL gets killed at Omaha Beach after the beach-head is overrun by the 12th SS HITLER JUGEND, and Col. Birks of the 117th Inf Regt, 30th ID (OLD HICKORY), whose men cover the retreat from the British beaches.

Flocculencio · Feb 23, 2004

Ressurection Day would make an excellent movie.

tom · Feb 23, 2004

Maybe DRAKON?

zoomar · Feb 23, 2004

Melvin Loh said:
What about Daniel Easterman's K IS FOR KILLING on the big screen ? Wouldn't that be such a confronting AH movie ? Who'd you reckon to be in the starring roles ?

I also wouldn't mind seein DISASTER AT D-DAY by Peter Tsouras portrayed on the big screen, esp focussing on prominent characters in the book involved in the major PODs thruout the story, such as that 101st Airborne lt (can't recall his name) whose squad captures Rommel, Gen Clarence Huebner of the BIG RED 1 who in this ATL gets killed at Omaha Beach after the beach-head is overrun by the 12th SS HITLER JUGEND, and Col. Birks of the 117th Inf Regt, 30th ID (OLD HICKORY), whose men cover the retreat from the British beaches.

"Disaster at D-Day" and the other non-fiction style AH books like "Third Reich Triumphant" might be better done as high-quality pseudo-documentaries than dramatic films. Given the completely ridiculous stuff on the History Channel, I've come to think a neat idea would be a "What IF?" series, done as if they were straight documentaries from an ATL created by different "turning point" outcomes. For post 1900 PoD's a lot of footage exists which could be turned anyway one wanted, with false interviews, pans of pictures/paintings of the truly alternate stuff, and CGI maps, etc. It would sure beat "Most Extreme Disasters in the Hidden Sex Lives of the Pharoahs" featuring reenacted scenes of bronzed hunks and babes in gilt Egyptian garb and slow motion action. Well...maybe not, but it would be better history.

zoomar · Feb 23, 2004

For straight dramatic movies, I'd most like to see "Proteus Operation:, "Guns of the South" or "In the Presence of My Enemies" - all of which have fairly tight plots with great ('Proteus") or decent (" GOTS, IPME") narrative drive.

Adam Parsons · Feb 23, 2004

Resurrection Day would be perfect as a movie. You might have to tighten the story up a bit, but it could be done.

The Years of Rice and Salt, to me at least, seems like one of those arty films, or, more sensibly, a 6-7 part miniseries on public TV. You might have to cleave some of the metaphysical dialogue though (which might be a blessing...).

I've also been wonering for some time if anyone has a really good idea for a "US gets invaded" movie that won't degenerate into a lot of obvious chest-thumping patriotism (well, it can have that, but not too much). I think "Not This August" has a possibility, but I haven't read it yet, so I don't know.

Diamond · Feb 23, 2004

Alasdair Czyrnyj said:
I've also been wonering for some time if anyone has a really good idea for a "US gets invaded" movie that won't degenerate into a lot of obvious chest-thumping patriotism (well, it can have that, but not too much). I think "Not This August" has a possibility, but I haven't read it yet, so I don't know.

"Not This August" is an excellent book, and might work well as a film. Other 'invasion USA' themes to consider are "I, Martha Adams" by Pauline Winslow, or maybe that book by the guy that wrote "ARC Light"... you know, the one about a Chinese invasion of the US.

Or what about a movie where parts of the US are occupied by Britain after the War of 1812?

An AH book that I would absolutely love to see in film is "The Crystal Empire" by L. Neil Smith. One of my all-time favorites.

MarkWhittington · Feb 24, 2004

What AH novel would you like to see as a movie or mini-series? Reply to Thread

I'll join the consensus with Guns of the South by Turtledove. Also Ruled Brittannia.

Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, originally future history, now alt history would certainly be great.

Also
Voyage by Stephen Baxter
A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Anderson
The Eden Trilogy by Harry Harrison
Lest Darkness Falls by L. Sprauge de Camp
The Goodwife of Orleons by Roland Green
1632 by Eric Flint
The Wild Blue and the Gray by William Sanders
Gettysburg by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen
Lighter than a Feather by David Westheimer
The World Next Door by Brad Ferguson

Paul Spring · Feb 24, 2004

Of the books that I've read, "Resurrection Day" and "Guns of the South" would probably be the two most suited for feature-length movies, at least in the US. They both take place in times and places that are known to most people, and they both focus on a small number of characters and a relatively limited amount of time and space. A lot of AH is written as a whole series of books, and only a series of movies or (much more likely) a TV miniseries would have any chance of doing the stories justice without completely butchering the plot and characters.

Melvin Loh · Feb 26, 2004

Which actors ?

So, guys, which actors would you have then in the starring roles in these AH movies/documentaries/miniseries ?

Re K IS FOR KILLING- what about Daniel Day-Lewis as John Ridgeforth ?

Also, in the DISASTER AT D-DAY movie (which I still reckon would make a great AH movie a la an AH version of THE LONGEST DAY), what about the following ?

Lt Eberly (the 101st Airborne lt who captures Rommel)- James van der Beek
Lt-Col Birks- Josh Jackson
Gen Huebner- Chris Cooper