Every year, we are treated to plenty of movies that are based on books, especially when it comes to the sci-fi genre. Some of the most iconic and most popular films in the genre were born from the pages of a novel or short story, even if the finished product on the big screen made some key changes.
The best sci-fi movies based on books cover an impressive array of subgenres. Some center on time travel, some focus on a mission through space, and some involve aliens. Many of them received strong reviews from critics, allowing them to rank among the best sci-fi films ever.
Annihilation (2018)
Annihilation is one of those movies that came and went without much fanfare, yet it deserved more appreciation. Based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer, it’s one of the best sci-fi films of the 2010s.
The premise of Annihilation centers on a group of female scientists who enter a mysterious, quarantined zone known as the Shimmer. It’s unclear what caused the Shimmer, though it features mutated animals and plants.
Natalie Portman leads a tremendous cast in Annihilation, which is written and directed by Alex Garland. Though the film flopped commercially and was shut out of major awards, critics appreciated it to the tune of an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Minority Report (2002)
When it comes to sci-fi movie adaptations, not many names are more prominent than Philip K. Dick. His novels and short stories are sprinkled throughout Hollywood history.
One of his best pieces is The Minority Report, which is a novella that was adapted into a Steven Spielberg movie. With a cool concept, lots of action, and Tom Cruise leading the way, this was a certified blockbuster.
Minority Report centers on John Anderton, the commanding officer of the Precrime division, which uses precogs to stop crimes before they happen. When John becomes the suspect in a precrime case, a cat-and-mouse game ensues that makes for a thrilling sci-fi movie.
Solaris (1972)
Solaris might not have the same level of fame as some of the other films included here, but there’s a reason it often gets mentioned among the best sci-fi movies ever made.
Based on Stanisław Lem’s novel of the same name from 1961, the arthouse film follows a psychologist who is sent to a space station orbiting the titular planet. He’s assigned with learning why the astronauts have fallen into an emotional crisis, only to end up facing the same fate.
Solaris is a deep watch, nearly running three hours and featuring some heavy themes. The film was praised for exactly those things and is considered by many to be a legitimate sci-fi masterpiece.
The Martian (2015)
Andy Weir is quickly becoming a writer that Hollywood wants to adapt. Known for his technical, scientific writing style, he’s crafted some brilliant stories and the first to come to the big screen was The Martian.
The novel was released in 2011 and the film, directed by the great Ridley Scott, arrived in 2015. The Martian is about an astronaut who gets left behind on Mars and struggles to survive on the planet, while NASA tries to find a way to bring him home.
Matt Damon delivers one of the best performances of his career as the astronaut, Mark Watney, in this critically acclaimed film. The Martian was up for several Oscars, including Best Picture, and features one of the most loaded supporting casts in history, including Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sebastian Stan, Michael Peña, and more.
The Wild Robot (2024)
For the most part, sci-fi movies based on books tend to come from stories that are aimed at adults and have complex themes. The Wild Robot is different because the 2016 book it’s based on is technically meant for children.
The Wild Robot tells the story of a service robot who gets stranded on an island in the wilderness and learns to adapt to that world. The robot befriends a fox and becomes a mother figure to an orphaned goose.
The emotional aspect of The Wild Robot is its driving force, while the stunning visuals and great voice work from the cast put it over the top. The film was up for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars among its three nominations.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
You simply can’t talk about the sci-fi genre without discussing 2001: A Space Odyssey. Stanley Kubrick’s film is one of the most important and most influential pieces of sci-fi media ever crafted.
Interestingly, it isn’t based on one book and is instead adapted from several short stories by Arthur C. Clarke. Part of why this adaptation works so well is that Clarke co-wrote the screenplay alongside Kubrick.
That means 2001: A Space Odyssey is as accurate to the book as it possibly can be. The story sees scientists, astronauts, and a supercomputer known as HAL 9000, as they voyage to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith. The visual styling is masterful, especially considering the film is from 1968.
Project Hail Mary (2026)
The most recent major sci-fi book-to-movie adaptation is also already one of the biggest. Written by the aforementioned Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary has a similar vibe in that it mostly deals with an astronaut who is all alone in space.
The twist here is that the astronaut is a scientist named Ryland Grace who partners up with an alien he encounters. Both are out to save their planets, which are dying due to the same cause. It’s the friendship they develop that makes the story such a hit.
This kind of bond is relatable and it makes the audience root for them to succeed. Ryan Gosling delivers a powerhouse performance, while James Ortiz does incredible work as the voice actor and puppeteer for the alien. Critics are already hailing it as a sci-fi classic and it’s sure to be a hit come awards season.
Blade Runner (1982)
We return to two notable names for Blade Runner. The movie is directed by Ridley Scott, who went on to helm The Martian, while the original story was written by Philip K. Dick, who also wrote Minority Report.
Blade Runner is based on Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and is set in a dystopian Los Angeles in 2019. It sees blade runner Rick Deckard come out of retirement to execute a quartet of replicants (synthetic humans), who head to Earth to try and extend their lifespans.
Upon release, Blade Runner was mostly overlooked. However, time has been kind to it, with the film being realized as a true classic in cinema beyond its genre. The 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049, was also fantastic, and both are must-sees for fans of sci-fi
Dune: Part Two (2024)
For a long time, it was believed that Dune, a novel by Frank Herbert, was unadaptable. The attempt to do it in the ’80s felt jumbled, even if it’s something of a cult classic now.
Denis Villeneuve took on the challenge in 2021, adapting the first half of the novel to major acclaim. The sequel adapted the back half and was even better, filled with great performances, captivating visuals, and big-budget action.
Dune: Part Two was up for Best Picture at the Academy Awards among its many major nominations. The movie holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Dune: Part Three is one of the most anticipated films of 2026.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park has gone down as one of the greatest movies in history. It’s practically perfect in terms of world-building, character dynamics, visual effects, action, thrills, and everything else it attempts to pull off.
The franchise is still popular to this day, to the point where it’s hard to even remember that the first film is based on a book. Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel of the same name is good but it’s a rare case of the movie being even better.
The titular park brings back dinosaurs through the experiments of genetic scientists. The humans on the ground are people we can get behind (an issue the sequels had), the dinosaurs look incredible (especially for 1993), and the entire movie is a gripping two-hour thrill ride.