10 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of The 1970s That Were Based On Books

The 1970s were a fantastic time for sci-fi cinema, and many of the greatest movies of this era were based on books. With a treasure trove of literature to adapt and special effects finally starting to catch up with the imaginations of science fiction writers, this was a time when stories previously thought to be unfilmable were able to receive big screen adaptations. Whether it was from works by legends of the past such as H. G. Wells or books that addressed contemporary concerns around issues like overpopulation, the 1970s saw the release of plenty of great sci-fi book adaptations.

Some of the best sci-fi movies of all time were based on books, as filmmakers took the thought-provoking concepts of cult-favorite novels and turned them into awe-inspiring motion pictures. While some of the special effects may look dated today, all these films have retained their unique style and are as entertaining as ever for modern sci-fi fans. Although there’s merit to the old belief that the book is always better than the movie, these films showcased the benefit of enjoying both, as the two media complement each other and allow sci-fi lovers to enjoy the same story twice.

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10

Damnation Alley (1977)

Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny

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Damnation Alley

PG

Science Fiction

Release Date

October 21, 1977

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Runtime

91 minutes

Cast

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• 

  George Peppard

• 

  Jan-Michael Vincent

• 

  Dominique Sanda

• 

  Paul Winfield

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Damnation Alley was an adaptation of Roger Zelazny’s fascinating post-apocalyptic story that saw the survivors of a nuclear war from 30 years before attempting to carve out lives among the police states that emerged in the years since. With unpredictable weather and hurricane-force winds wreaking havoc, one man tries to be pardoned for his crimes by undertaking a perilous mission through Damnation Alley, one of the few U.S. passageways free of radiation. While Zelazny was reportedly pleased with the initial script for Damnation Alley, a revised screenplay eliminated much of the content of his novel to make production more affordable.

Damnation Alley was sadly panned by critics upon release and was overshadowed by other post-apocalyptic movies like Day the World Ended and On the Beach. However, it’s since built up a cult following, and although much was lost from Zelazny’s original novel, it remains one of the major underappreciated sci-fi releases of the 1970s. With some interesting ideas as well as giant radiation-mutated scorpions, sci-fi fans should check out the book and the movie of Damnation Alley.

9

Logan’s Run (1976)

Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson

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Logans Run

PG

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

10/10

Release Date

June 23, 1976

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Runtime

119 minutes

Cast

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• 

  Farrah Fawcett

• 

  Roscoe Lee Browne

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The 1967 novel Logan’s Run depicted a dystopian society where everyone over the age of 21 was killed, although the 1970s film version upped this age to 30. While the world of Logan’s Run initially presented itself as a type of utopia, it quickly became apparent that the only way equilibrium is achieved among the community is by killing off all its older inhabitants. With Michael York as Logan 5, a citizen due for termination, Logan’s Run explored his attempts, along with a group of survivors, to escape their untimely death.

With an engaging premise that has remained an iconic piece of sci-fi pop culture ever since, Logan’s Run helped elevate the book’s reputation and even continued as a short-lived sci-fi spin-off TV series for CBS in 1977. By leaning into contemporary concerns, Logan’s Run was just one of several 1970s dystopian sci-fi movies that addressed contemporary fears around overpopulation. As the recipient of the Special Academy Award for best visual effects, while Logan’s Run may look dated today, at the time it was truly cutting edge.

8

Phase IV (1974)

Empire of the Ants by H. G. Wells

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Phase IV

PG

Horror

Science Fiction

Release Date

September 1, 1974

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Runtime

86 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Nigel Davenport

• 

  Michael Murphy

• 

  Lynne Frederick

• 

  Alan Gifford

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With adaptations including The Invisible Man, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and War of the Worlds, the legendary sci-fi author H. G. Wells has had plenty of his works translated to the big screen. One of the lesser-known Welles-inspired releases was Phase IV, a 1970s sci-fi movie inspired by his story Empire of the Ants. This fascinating tale tells of Captain Gerillo and his crew on a mission to assist the people of Badama in fighting an ant invasion.

Phase IV was not a direct adaptation and changed many aspects of the original story as a mysterious cosmic event caused an astounding mutation that led ants to develop a hive mind, rapidly evolve, and build strange towers in the Arizona desert. As a cult classic that was the first movie to depict a geometric crop circle, Phase IV may have influenced the later hoaxes of genuine crop circles created by real-life pranksters.

7

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

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The Andromeda Strain

G

Sci-Fi

Thriller

Release Date

March 12, 1971

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Runtime

131 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Arthur Hill

• 

  David Wayne

• 

  James Olson

• 

  Kate Reid

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Two years before Westworld and 22 years before Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton saw his sci-fi novel The Andromeda Strain adapted for the big screen. Tracking the outbreak of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in Arizona, The Andromeda Strain explored a secretive government project as scientists urgently tried to uncover the mystery of this mysterious being and determine how the deadly contagion that killed the residents of a small town must be stopped.

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As a heart-racing techno-thriller, The Andromeda Strain was the first in a long list of Crichton adaptations and showcased just how well this author’s work translates to the screen. With a plot that’s only become more relevant in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years, this fascinating sci-fi film brought up important questions about the way society and scientists react to deadly, seemingly unstoppable threats.

6

Soylent Green (1973)

Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison

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Soylent Green

PG

Sci-Fi

Crime

Mystery

Release Date

May 9, 1973

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Runtime

97 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Charlton Heston

  Detective Thorn

• 

  Edward G. Robinson

  Sol Roth

• 

  Leigh Taylor-Young

  Shirl

• 

  Chuck Connors

  Tab Fielding

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The 1960s saw many writers exploring increased fears around the consequences of overpopulation and the potential for worldwide famines and major social upheaval. Among these was Harry Harrison’s Make Room! Make Room!, a sci-fi dystopian novel that depicts a world plagued by overcrowding, resource shortages, and crumbling infrastructure. This was then turned into the cult movie Soylent Green, which was a compelling combination of police procedural and science fiction starring Charlton Heston.

Heston starred as the NYPD detective Robert Thorn, who finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that’s likely to turn even the most iron-stomached off their dinner. Soylent Green addressed the darkest side of consumption imaginable, as the poor masses survived on food that was revealed in a shocking twist to be made out of human meat. As a terrifying glimpse into a world where humans were not just disposable but actively in the way, Soylent Green showcased a horrifyingly plausible future.

5

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)

The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis

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The Man Who Fell to Earth

R

Sci-Fi

Drama

10/10

10/10

Release Date

March 18, 1976

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Runtime

139 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  David Bowie

• 

  Rip Torn

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So much of the discourse around The Man Who Fell to Earth surrounds its star, David Bowie, and the depths of drug addiction the glam rock icon was in during its production. However, this was a shame as discussion often overshadows how well director Nicolas Roeg adapted Walter Tevis’s original novel and captured its themes of greed, xenophobia, loneliness, and resource depletion. Following the humanoid alien Thomas Jerome Newton’s journey to Earth seeking water for his drought-stricken planet, the extraterrestrial soon found himself at the mercy of human vices.

While Tevis’s novel captured the alienation, depression, and alcoholism, it must be admitted that Bowie was perfectly cast in the role, as he similarly looked like a man from another planet, and his gaunt demeanor captured an otherworldly presence. Through surreal imagery and thoughtful dialogue, The Man Who Fell to Earth was a thoughtful meditation on the values of 1970s culture and what had been lost through the advent of modernity. As a clever sci-fi that was reaching for something higher, those who haven’t seen it should seek out this criminally underseen film.

4

Solaris (1972)

Solaris by Stanisław Lem

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Solaris

PG

Drama

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Release Date

September 26, 1972

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Runtime

167 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Natalya Bondarchuk

• 

  Donatas Banionis

• 

  Jüri Järvet

• 

  Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy

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Famed Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky adapted Polish author Stanisław Lem’s 1961 novel Solaris to produce one of the most unique and fascinating sci-fi movies of the 1970s. Telling the story of three space station scientists falling into an overwhelming emotional crisis, a sense of bleak melancholy hung over this ethereal and deeply psychological tale. This overbearing sense of ennui became even more pronounced as the psychologist Kris Kelvin, played by Donatas Banionis, attempted to enter the ship and resolve the situation, only for the same existential crisis to befall him.

As a moving and thought-provoking exploration of man’s place in the universe and the quest for individual inner purpose, Solaris was a slow-burning classic that rewarded a viewer’s complete attention and patience. Clocking in at nearly three hours, Tarkovsky took his time building toward the film’s daunting and impactful conclusion. Solaris was a sci-fi masterpiece that deserves to stand alongside Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey as one of the great sci-fi examinations on the very nature of humanity itself.

3

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers

PG

Sci-Fi

Horror

9/10

Release Date

December 22, 1978

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Runtime

115 minutes

Cast

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• 

  Jeff Goldblum

• 

  Donald Sutherland

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Jack Finney’s novel The Body Snatchers has been adapted for the screen several times, and that’s because its premise of sinister doppelgangers who are indistinguishable from normal people taps into ever-present fears and anxieties within society. While the classic 1950s version was famously produced in the midst of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1978 addressed the political corruption, loss of individuality, and societal collapse of a post-Watergate America.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers tells the thought-provoking story of humans being replaced with identical copies of themselves who maintain the memories and traits of the person they assimilated. With these new pod people being totally devoid of empathy and humanity, these body snatchers quietly shape and influence society and slowly start to devastate the Earth. As one of the greatest sci-fi remakes of all time, Invasion of the Body Snatchers captured Finney’s novel’s essence while updating it for then-modern times.

2

Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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Slaughterhouse-Five

R

Drama

Science Fiction

War

Release Date

March 15, 1972

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Runtime

100 minutes

Cast

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• 

  Michael Sacks

  Billy Pilgrim

• 

  Ron Leibman

  Paul Lazzaro

• 

  Eugene Roche

  Derby

• 

  Sharon Gans

  Valencia

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While readers would be forgiven for thinking that Kurt Vonnegut’s original 1969 novel was an unfilmable journey into time travel and the nature of free will, director George Roy Hill managed to capture the essence of Slaughterhouse-Five with his 1972 movie. As the recipient of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Slaughterhouse-Five was a wild journey into the experience of Billy Pilgrim (Michael Sacks), a WWII soldier “unstuck in time.”

With a sci-fi affliction that sees Billy experiencing his life in non-linear order, this unique narrative addresses deeply philosophical questions about the very nature of living one’s life. As a powerful anti-war statement, both the film and Vonnegut’s original novel tapped into the horrors of warfare in a truly unique way. From experiencing the bombings at Dresden to living life on a distant planet, Slaughterhouse-Five was as thought-provoking as it was totally original.

1

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

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A Clockwork Orange

R

Crime

Documentary

Drama

Sci-Fi

8/10

10/10

Release Date

February 2, 1972

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Runtime

136 minutes

Cast

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• 

  Malcolm McDowell

• 

  Patrick Magee

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Anthony Burgess’s satirical dystopian A Clockwork Orange showcased a near-future society overrun with extreme violent youths as juvenile delinquents run rampant, sexually assault victims, and cause carnage on horrific crime sprees. Through the use of invented slang known as Nadsat, Burgess’s book had a unique voice that has ensured it has remained relevant to this day. While the novel itself was controversial, Stanley Kubrick’s 1970s film adaptation took things to another level and was banned in several countries around the world.

With Malcolm McDowell as the teenage gang leader Alex DeLarge, A Clockwork Orange was infamous for its graphic depiction of violence and brutality with which Alex’s crimes and subsequent re-education were portrayed. As a reflection of the perceived degradation of cultural values seen throughout the 20th century, Kubrick’s adaptation has remained an iconic and thought-provoking look at the ways youth and crime coalesce. While it makes for a brutal viewing experience, it was also a masterful piece of sci-fi filmmaking from one of the greatest directors of all time that should be watched at least once.

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Category: Entertainment