Although George RR Martin is primarily associated with A Song Of Fire & Ice and HBO's adaptation, Game of Thrones, he also had a varied career as an author doing everything from young adult fiction to sci-fi horror.

It's been confirmed by Variety that George RR Martin's 1980 novella, Nightflyers, is being turned into a TV series for Syfy and a full pilot has been ordered by the television studio. Provided it makes the cut, Syfy will then order it to full series.

The novella was originally made into a film back in 1987, for which Martin adapted into a screenplay. The story follows a group of eight scientists who are travelling to the edge of space to make contact with an alien life-form aboard a ship called The Nightflyer, but soon find themselves terrorised by the onboard computer and subject to horrific and terrifying hallucinations.

Sadly, however, George RR Martin's contract with HBO has a specific clause for exclusivity - which means Martin won't be involved in the production beyond it being based on his novel and the film adaptation. No casting has been announced as of yet, but Doug Liman - director of The Bourne Identity and Edge Of Tomorrow - is involved as executive producer, and could possibly be involved with the series in a bigger way if it's ordered to series.

Sci-fi horror is something that's never really been attempted in a meaningful way on TV, so it'll be interesting to say how it pans out and if it gets ordered to a full series.

 

Via Variety