Intelligent science fiction films have been a rarity in Hollywood over the last 25 years. After Star Wars' success, most studio executives tried to jump on the bandwagon with their own sci-fi epic. Some were successful, most weren't. What almost all had in common is the intended audience was not adults - the younger demographic that turned out in droves to see the first adventure of Luke Skywalker and friends.

Sadly, not much has changed over the last quarter-century. Sci-fi movies are almost always loud, pretty and vacuous these days. Those that aren't (Steven Soderbergh's Solaris comes to mind) never find their audience and are generally rejected by the viewing public. The latest example of this is director Alex Proyas' retelling of Issac Asimov's I, Robot. The marketing gurus over at Fox have made the film look like a cross between Bicentennial Man and Bad Boys. Not exactly the kind of big-screen treatment you'd think one of the best-known SF works would recieve. Sadly, it's not far from the truth, despite everyone's best intentions. Moments that work are buried by Will Smith's unnecessary one-liners and a couple of ridiculous action sequences.

However, this isn't the screenplay of that version. This is the script Warner Brothers commissioned back in 1977 from noted SF writer (and Asimov's good friend) Harlan Ellison. The project had been laying in state for about 20 years until producer Ed Lewis approached Ellison at the MGM commisary and asked him to take a crack at turning nine separate stories into one cohesive screenplay. With Asimov's suggestions, Ellison took about nine months to put together a screenplay that promised, in Asimov's words, 'the first really adult, complex, worthwhile sci-fi movie ever made'. Those at the studio who read the script loved it.

Just one problem, however: during a meeting with the head of production, Ellison deduced that the studio head hadn't read the script. He decided to let the exec have it. Combine the exec's natural response with the projected $30 million budget and it's not surprising that the script would be put into the nether regions of development hell. There were brief moments in 1980 and 1985 where director Irvin Kershner and producer Gary Kurtz, respectively, were attached to the project, but nothing ever came out of it. Ellison got the rights back to the screenplay in 1987, and it was subsequently published in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, where it was nominated for a Hugo Award. Warner Books published the screenplay seven years later, complete with intros from Asimov (posthumously) and Ellison (who recounts the behind-the-scenes story with more than a touch of bitterness). There's also sixteen illustrations by Mark Zug, which make for very nifty pre-production drawings.

The story begins on the planet of Aldebaran-C XII in the year 2076, where the leaders of the universe have gathered to celebrate the life of Stephen Byerley, the President of the Galactic Federation. Byerley has led the universe to a new Golden Age after a terrible war, and a smattering of delegates have come to celebrate his life. While covering the event for Cosmos magazine, reporter Robert Bratenahl recognizes a familiar face - robopsychologist Susan Calvin, who has come out of hiding after twenty years. Calvin is regarded as the mother of modern robotics, since she was the creator of the LNE model, the finest multipurpose robot on the market.

After trying to get an interview with the good doctor and failing, Bratenahl begins his obsessive quest to find the connection between Calvin and Byerley. Were they lovers, as rumored? Or was there something more? His desire for answers will take him to the edge of the galaxy, back to the beginning of Calvin's life and ends where it started on Aldebaran-C XII. In between, he has to deal with a sleazy boss, a reclusive Calvin, a possible love interest and one overriding question: Are people basically good?

I admit it: I'm completely blown away with this script, and have been for roughly 18 months. I have not read the Asimov novel, so I went into my first reading of the script nearly blind. I'd heard of the Three Laws of Robotics through my keeping up with the current state of the project, but was unfamiliar with other aspects of Asimov's universe. Think of it as a cross between A.I., Citizen Kane and Asimov's stories, and you've pretty much got the basic plot figured out. (Ellison makes no bones about using Kane's script as his template in the introduction.)

There are many highlights within the 269 pages of script. The atmospheric opening with the Three Laws (almost exactly the same as the current film). The early days of Susan and Robbie tug at the heartstrings. The sequence at the Church of the Mortal Flesh reads like something out of The Exorcist. The flashback sequence on Kitalpha XVI. Visiting with Norman Bogert and Milton Ashe. The one action sequence in the film would have been amazing onscreen. Other than that, this is a drama, and a very good one at that.

Is it perfect? No. I could only imagine the outcry from Joe Sixpack and friends when they realized the only major action sequence was decided by duelling physics equations. (It works well despite that, however.) They probably wouldn't have liked the telepathic ants, either. Still, those are extremely minor nitpicks in what is otherwise a gripping read.

Ellison also gives us his dream cast in his introduction. Not exactly a star-studded lineup, but all quality actors - Joanne Woodward as Calvin, Martin Sheen as Bratenahl, George C. Scott, Ernest Borgnine, and Keenan Wynn. "You can picture them as you read." he says. "Or substitute your 90s star alternatives if you wish." I'm guessing Will Smith wasn't top of the list... George Clooney would make for a good Bratenahl, and for some reason I keep seeing Judy Greer as the adult Calvin.

Happily, the book has been reprinted with to tie in with the release of Proyas' version. The only difference is that the cover has been slightly modified. Sadly, the folks at I-Books missed a great opportunity to update Ellison's introduction, which likely would've contained the author ripping into Hollywood even more. (He has, however, made his comments about the project online. As you might expect, they're quite unkind.)

Could this still be filmed one day? Never say never, though since Warner Brothers still owns the script and Fox has the rights to the Asimov stories, it's highly unlikely that this will hit the big screen. The best-case scenario might be a cable adaptation along the lines of the Sci-Fi Channel's two Dune miniseries some years down the road. Failing that, your best option is to find a copy of this and imagine the film in your head. Highly recommended.

Recommended: Yes