Syfy is teaming with Paramount Television to adapt A Stranger in a Strange Land as a television series. The show will joins a roster that includes the Superman prequel series Krypton, Grant Morrison’s Happy, and an adaptation of another classic, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. These shows will all be part of the network’s push toward high-profile sci-fi and fantasy projects like The Magicians, The Expanse, and 12 Monkeys.
A Stranger in a Strange Land was originally published in 1961, and soon became a touchstone for a variety of countercultural movements. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who was raised by Martians, and who has to find way to adapt to human society after coming to live on Earth. Robert Heinlein used the book to explore concepts of free love and non-violence, and also introduced us to the phrase “grok” – which is a sort of empathy-based understanding.
Two of the heads of the co-producers expressed enthusiasm for the project, with NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment chairman Bonnie Hammer saying, “…Stranger in a Strange Land isn’t just a science-fiction masterpiece … it also happens to be one of my favorite books ever” and Paramount TV president Amy Powell saying “This novel has resonated with me since college and there’s a reason it has continued to find new fans for over 40 years. Syfy’s understanding of imaginative and futuristic programming is unmatched, making them an ideal partner for this series.”
You can read more about the project over at The Hollywood Reporter. In the meantime, who do you see as Valentine Michael Smith?
