We knew that Syfy was interested in a pilot of George R.R. Martin’s ‘Nightflyers‘ and now the network has committed to a series order. You have to imagine that they’re hoping Martin’s creation will pull off the same kind of interest as HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ adaptation of his “Song of Ice and Fire” series. With the pilot having been ordered in June it seems that things must have gone quite well with where it stands to already have a series order.

The pilot was penned by Jeff Buhler (‘Midnight Meat Train’) and Doug Liam will be one of the primary executive series on it. While Martin won’t be involved as he has conventions and possibly writing to keep himself busy, the famed author has previously described the work as a “haunted starship story.” This could be an excellent mix of horror and science fiction if the network can pull it off and not cancel it after a single season as they did with say ‘Blood Drive.’

‘Nightflyers’ was initially published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in 1980 and followed a group of scientists who are on a mission to the edge of our solar system. Their goal is to make contact with an alien race called the Volcryn but even as they start out things aren’t normal. The captain mainly keeps to himself, and there is a powerful psychic on board who is in the early stages of suffering a nervous breakdown which everyone suspects mean that the arrival of the Volcryn is imminent.

A movie, which didn’t do the story justice, was released back in the 80s so hopefully, we’ll be getting a slightly more faithful adaptation this time around.

As the network had just canceled ‘Dark Matter,’ maybe this is the show they hope can take its place with how many fans were annoyed by the premature ending of the series.

Are you looking forward to ‘Nightflyers’? Do you think Syfy can translate one of Martins’s work with their recent string of successes such as ‘The Expanse’ and ’12 Monkeys’ or is this series set to crash and burn? Share your thoughts below!