One of the most acclaimed science fiction sagas of the last 25 years is headed for adaptation.
The Wrap reports that producer Vince Gerardis (Game of Thrones, FlashForward) has just landed a development deal at Spike TV for Red Mars, a drama series adapted from Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy, made up of 1993’s Red Mars, 1994’s Green Mars, and 1996’s Blue Mars. The series is considered a modern science fiction classic and garnered a combined two Hugo Awards, two Locus Awards, a Nebula Award and a British Science Fiction Association Award. Robinson will serve as a consultant on the project. Featuring dozens of characters and decades of story, The Mars Trilogy is the story of humanity’s efforts to colonize and terraform Mars as the Earth suffers from overpopulation. The series explores not only the struggle to make the Red Planet habitable but also the effects that corporations as large as governments, genetic engineering, extended lifespans, further human space exploration and more have on civilization. There’s a lot to unpack in these books, so exploring the story via long-form television seems like a good fit, if Spike (a network not known for scripted dramas) can deliver the production value.