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Top 10 Science Fiction Movies (by Script)

So here is my list of the Top 10 Science Fiction Movies by Script. There are a lot of amazing Science Fiction movies out there. These, I think have the best writing, best dialogue, and best character development. If you haven’t seen these movies, I highly recommend them.

1 2001 by Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke

Based on the 1964 Novel of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke. Kubrick was a genius. There is no doubt about this. 2001 A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece of visuals, plot, dialogue, and everything. The characters are well down. The entire script is terrific. It has both great character arcs and a message about humankind. The striking symbolism at the beginning, and the star baby, are all fantastic movie tropes at that point. The movie influenced all space movies to come.

2 The Terminator Writers: James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher

Created out of the fevered dream of James Cameron’s The Terminator is still surging through the internet after almost 40 years. Anytime you get into a discussion online about AI, you’ll find someone will bring up Skynet. The movie and the storyline are iconic. Cameron worked on a meager budget and created a film that has stood the test of time. Again the commentary on humans is very telling. The characters, dialogue setting, and script work so well. It’s a fantastic movie.

3 Blade Runner Writers: Hampton Fancher, David Webb Peoples, Philip K. Dick

Based on Phil K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep…

Probably one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, Blade Runner set the standard for visuals in science fiction films. It even surpasses Star Wars in its setting and effects. With the storyline of androids being alive or not and the ending of final empathy, the movie is an outstanding piece of filmmaking.

4 Alien Writers Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett

Dan O’Bannon needs to get the credit he deserves. He also wrote Total Recall and Return of the Living Dead. With the characters, setting, plot, and theme, the movie is a tight script. Characters and conflicts are tightly constructed and presented to the audience. The film is a thrill ride at the same time as being a clever piece of exciting writing. There are plenty of plot twists here, and O’Bannon manages to make them all questions at the heart of modern science fiction.

5 The Martian Writers Drew Godd and Andy Weir

Based on Andy Weir’s serialized novels about a man stranded on Mars, I don’t think anyone would have guessed he would be such a smash hit. The movie captures so much of the novel, making what could be very dull movements exciting or even triumphant. Matt Damon does a great job in this movie, but the script pulls him through by keeping the action going when there isn’t any action. This movie could have been like Castaway, but it does not. It’s an intense piece of movie-making that keeps the drama and suspense going from the beginning until the end.

6 The Matrix Writers Lilly WachowskiLana Wachowski

The Matrix was an Original work by the Wachowskis, but it was said Gibsons’ Neuromancer heavily influenced them; The Matrix is a science fiction movie that changed all films. I know the visual effects changed movies, but when you watch this movie again, there are so many inventive ideas and scenes. Neo was taking instruction on a cell phone to his being pulled into the outside world, so many original ideas have almost become a cliche, but at the time of the movie, they were completely new. Are we living in a simulation? If we are, I hope it’s the Matrix.

7 Inception Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is a genius. His original scripts were all Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige, Dunkirk, Interstellar, and Tenet. Interstellar and The Prestige could be on this list if it weren’t for how great Inception is. The movie is all sci-fi, even though so little of it shows up in the film. The characters, conflict, plot, original concept, and everything about the movie are original, feel fresh, and suck you in. You couldn’t ask for a better movie script to guide you through all the unsanded background scenes.

8 Contact Writers James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg, Carl Sagan

Based on Carl Sagan’s 1985 novel of the same name, Contact speaks to some truth about humanity that many sci-fi scripts miss. We can’t travel faster than light to go and meet others in the universe; maybe they will have to come to us. It also puts us uniquely positioned to measure our Faith with Science. This script has a lot going on, and it’s all masterful. Some people watch this movie once and walk away, but give it a second chance, and you’ll see a lot more going on here than once it first appears on the screen. Faith in god. Faith in Science and the fundamental question of Faith in humanity.

9 Dune Writers Frank Herbert, David Lynch

Dune 1984/2021/2023

Dune the novel is hailed as one of the greatest pieces of Science fiction of all time. Star Wars famously stole many of its more “intellectual” ideas from it. Odd that Spice is a drug in both universes. Anyway, the story from the 1984 movie is a beautiful epic film with great characters and a great storyline. The movie diverges from the book a lot, but those invented ads capture some of the feelings of the original work. I’m also including the 2021 version in this. The movie sticks to the book more closely, but they’ve done a fantastic job. The script is thick with

10 Total Recall Writers Philip K. Dick, Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon

Dan O’Bannon once again writes a masterful script that twists and turns until the unexpected ending. The characters are well-developed, and the movie keeps you guessing about what’s real and not real. Even after you finish the film, you may wonder if you know the story’s reality. There are some cheesy lines for Arnold in the movie, but honestly, that shows more skill on O’Bannon’s part. It’s a great script, and the movie sucks you in from beginning to end.

Richard Edwards Editor in Chief

Richard Edwards has a BFA in Creative Writing and Journalism from Bowling Green State University and an M.S. in Education from the University of Akron. Managing editor of Drunk Duck, poetry editor for Prairie Margins, reporter for Miscellany, Akron Journal, Lorain Journal, and The BG News. He has also worked as a professional writer and editor in the medical publishing industry for several years. For the last 15 years Richard has also taught literature and writing at the secondary and post-secondary levels. He works much of the time with at-risk students.

His work has been published in Deep Cleveland, Poems Niedgres, Voice, ProseAx, Quill and Ink, imagines inscript, Able Muse, Red River Review and many more. He is the recipient of the Claiborne Quinn award in Fiction. He published a collection of poetry, Misdirection and Hallucination in the Heart in 2006. His collection of short stories is forthcoming.

Desidera “Desi” Mesa Managing Editor

Desideria (Desi) Mesa worked as a Media Director in Kansas City, Missouri for the last three years. She is an avid reader with an eclectic taste, and her favorite novels range anywhere from Anne of Green Gables and The

Help to Mistborn and Ready Player One. Getting lost in a historical, sci-fi, or high fantasy novel is one of her favorite pastimes. She is a science fiction and historical fantasy writer as well as the author and producer of several plays she has directed for her community. Her experience and sassy writing style eventually gained her representation by BookEnds Literary Agency, and her manuscripts are currently out by request to several large publishing houses. Having battled through the query trenches herself, Desi has extensive experience with the querying process, agent research, and manuscripts. Aside from churning out novels, she enjoys writing songs, poetry, and short stories.

Desi has also run successful media campaigns for Remax and local community organizations, and is an entrepreneur. After two of her full-length manuscripts landed the interest of several literary agents in different genres, she has come on board EveryWriter as a Managing Editor with the passion to address the needs of writers in an ever-changing publishing environment.

Amy Westphal Section Editor

Amy Westphal is an artist from Sonoma County, California. With a BFA from the Academy of Art San Francisco, Amy’s eclectic background has led her from gallery artist, selling pieces in several renowned West Coast galleries, to co-owning a boutique cake studio called Da Bombe Cake Co. The last several years have been devoted to raising her children and writing her debut novel, but Amy has kept her keen and intuitive eye sharp with freelance consultation in the areas of fine art, branding, and writing.

An artist from root to tip, people always ask Amy, “What makes something art?” She always gives them the same answer: “Art is expression. It’s an emotional, visceral reaction to the world.” And art comes in many forms. Writing, painting, cooking. It doesn’t matter the shape. Creation is a gift that connects us. A gift worth sharing. Don’t be afraid to impart it.

Jahmin Comments Editor

Jahmin is a lover of art and photography, and his journey has brought him full circle to rediscover his love of writing. As such, he currently writes poetry and short stories of fiction.

Since discovering his love of reading when a teacher handed him Roald Dahl’s The Witches, Jahmin has become an avid reader of all genres of fiction.

When he’s not reading or writing, he enjoys road trips and trekking through new cities with a camera in his hands.

Jonny West Fiction Editor

Jon West has been professionally copywriting and editing for over 12 years, and has been a social media manager and strategist for over a decade. Blogging, emails, Tweets, short stories, poetry, and flash fiction: if it’s out there, Jon has probably written it.
He has a voracious appetite for fiction books, and he majored in creative writing and theater in his youth. He currently is completing several works in progress, with his first novel due spring 2020.

Jon can be followed online at @thetruejonwest on Twitter, where you can bother him at any time and ask him why he writes about himself in the third person in bios.

Ian “Ice” Broderick Page Editor

Ian was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has worked as a freelance editor for nearly a decade. In his free time, you can find him writing science-fiction, working on leather, or juggling. He collects hobbies like stamps but would never collect stamps as a hobby.