A post by @ManOrAstroMan in another thread, just reminded me of an idea I have had ticking away in the back of my head for some time now. My hard sci-fi piece has largely stalled and become over-serious and pompous to the point that it is just irritating me to read it or work on it. So I thought I should actually work on this other idea that has been rattling around my head for a while. It is a sci-fi slasher/ murder mystery set on a spaceship. For the purposes of this thread can we pretend that Jason X never happened? The intention is that it will be kinda light-hearted and schlocky in tone (not a comedy at all, just a light-ish tone), but with a more serious undercurrent that will come to the fore towards the end of the second act as the body count rises. Thoughts?
There's been a few sci-fi spaceship slasher/ thrillers, like Leprechaun 4: In Space, Supernova, Dracula 3000, Pandorum, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Sunshine, Apollo 18, Event Horizon, and obviously Alien. No reason not to do it. You can really play with the normal elements of a teen slasher, but even more so, like isolation from help. No need to explain away phone reception.
I don't see any reason not to do it, if the project intrigues you. Your take on it and how well you pull it off is what is important, not the extent to which similar works may exist. Have at it.
I am loving the thought of Poirot in zero gravity. I think it would be a great idea. I mean, if a gothic mansion is a good setting for a murder mystery, how perfect is a space ship? It doesn't get any more "locked door" than that.
A group of astronauts on the international space station and suddenly they start dying.... imagine the paranoia when you know one of you is doing the killing somehow... until you realize it isn't.
Exactly that; Poirot in zero-gravity, but with a bit more of a slasher slant to it; so the body count would be higher and the tension should be greater. The ship will have to be a little larger than the ISS to support a reasonable cast. I'm also gonna have some sort of centripetal force for gravity and the like. The craft will also be going somewhere rather than sitting in orbit... which will relate to the motive.
Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe, not quite Poirot, but it's a kick along the same line. Hmmm, looks like there are volumes I've not yet listened to. [leaves to check the library web site]
