George R. R. Martin's Underrated '80s Sci-Fi Movie Is Nearly Impossible To Watch Today

George R. R. Martin's mainstream reputation might be tied to a certain neo-medieval epic fantasy series, but the prolific author has also dabbled in other literary genres. For instance, Martin wrote an intriguing sci-fi horror novella in 1980, which was later adapted into an eponymous 1987 film and a SyFy series adaptation released in 2018. This novella, "Nightflyers," is a culmination of Martin's deep love for science fiction, as the author had professionally published numerous sci-fi stories in the early stages of his career (his first sci-fi story even earned a nomination for the prestigious Hugo Award). This passion would later branch into horror and speculative fiction, with (vampire) novels like "Fevre Dream" exemplifying Martin's appetite for the bizarre and the macabre, which he later funneled into his fantasy novels through a distinct lens.

Martin's "Nightflyers" story is set in the distant future, where the discovery of a certain stardrive has propelled humanity towards a technologically advanced society torn apart by bloodshed. The enemy in question is an alien species named the Hrangan, who have managed to push human civilization to the brink of collapse. To combat these dire circumstances, humanity must acquire advanced interstellar technology that can potentially help them fight back and defeat the Hrangan. This leads to a telltale human space expedition, and the rest is a compelling pit of dark fantasy and space horror, conveyed as a suspenseful page-turner in a way that only Martin can accomplish.

While "Nightflyers" isn't extraordinary by genre standards, it is a worthwhile story whose appeal lies in the tense atmosphere that keeps readers hooked until the big reveal. 1987's "Nightflyers" does a poor job of translating these aspects onto the screen, but evaluating the film's merits (if any) becomes tricky when it is so hard to find.

Producer/screenwriter Robert Jaffe co-wrote 1987's "Nightflyers" alongside Martin himself, but the author was somewhat dissatisfied with the final product as the adaptation was based on a shorter version of the story (as opposed to an expanded version Martin had penned in 1981). What's more, Robert Collector, who was using the pseudonym "T. C. Blake" while directing the project, abruptly left before post-production due to unknown reasons. The film's limited budget certainly did not help matters, as the high-concept plot couldn't be visually fleshed out convincingly without being shrouded in smoky, hazy aesthetics (that add to an unintended sense of surreality).

While the film didn't do well at the box office, Martin acknowledged that its modest presence might've saved his career at the time (via his personal blog): 

"'NIGHFTLYERS'... the movie... was not a huge hit. But it's a film that I have very warm feelings toward. 'NIGHTFLYERS' may not have saved my life, but in a very real sense, it saved my career, and everything I have written since exists in no small part because of that 1987 film."

Given how Martin feels about the film, it is a shame that "Nightflyers" was never resurrected in the postmodern DVD era after it got a limited home video release in 1987. No, the film isn't available to stream on any platform at the moment, nor can you digitally purchase it by any means — but you might stumble across its existence on some corner of the internet. 

Every work of art deserves to be preserved, irrespective of its creative quality, and "Nightflyers" does have a lot to offer as a moody piece of '80s science fiction that accomplishes a lot with very little. I hope it will be easily accessible someday.