Mad Max: Fury Road and 8 More Car-Based SF/F Stories

Christine, by Stephen King
The 1983 novel presents a twist on a teenager’s coming-of-age story: the 1958 Plymouth Fury the young protagonist buys turns out to be haunted, evil, and bloodthirsty. It’s a goofy concept that King still manages to imbue with horror (you might be surprised to learn how many different ways a demonic car can kill you). If you enjoyed Fury Road’s throwback feel, you might want to check out John Carpenter’s 1983 suspense film based on King’s book. It’s ’80s horror instead of post-apocalyptic ’80s, but it’s just as sincerely wacky.

The Roads Must Roll, by Robert A Heinlein
Heinlein’s 1940s short story is a genuine classic, with a retrospective Nebula Award to prove it. In it, the workers who operate massive moving roadways go on strike, injuring thousands as the roads immediately stop moving. The engineer hero must stop a rebellion with only the aide of a one-wheeled, gyroscopically stabilized “tumblebug.” Basically, Heinlein predicted the Segway.

Death Race 2000
You’ll need a strong stomach for cheesy 1970s films for this one, but there’s no better way to see Sylvester Stallone as a gangster in a car with tommy guns for headlights, alongside David Carradine in a disturbing black leather mask, carving a path through a race full of murder cars. I’d call it a Mad Max rip-off, but it beat the apocalyptic Australian film to theaters by several years.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, by Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming is known for James Bond, but all those trick spy cars were pale imitations of the title ride in Fleming’s only other novel, this 1964 kid’s book about a magical car. It was revamped considerably for a musical film four years later, and the producers had the good sense to get Roald Dahl to write the screenplay. I’m still waiting for the 24 sequels a Fleming franchise seems to promise.

Back to the Future
I don’t need to explain the plot, do I? It’s a masterpiece of filmmaking, and it all hinges on a certain souped-up DeLorean. Heck, it’s the only reason I know what a DeLorean is. Fun fact: the original script called for a time machine built out of a refrigerator, and it was only changed due to a fear that kids would be inspired to play inside old fridges and suffocate. Which mean this film almost ended up on that list of refrigerator-centric genre fiction that I’m never going to write.

Knight Rider
The indestructible, self aware super-car KITT was the Batmobile of the ’80s. Come to think of it, a lot of the entries in this list are from the ’70s or ’80s.  David Hasselhoff knew a good thing when he saw it, and earned his place in vehicular lore.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
The Weasley’s flying Ford Anglia plays an important “Deus ex Forbidden Forest” role in Rowling’s novel. But do you know why she settled on that particular car?
“The Flying Ford Anglia was based on a real car driven by Séan Harris, the first of my friends to learn to drive,” Rowling mentioned in an interview. “We were at school together. At the time I lived in the middle of nowhere and had to rely on my parents for transport. Sometimes Séan would come for me in his car. The sight of that car meant freedom to me…my heart still leaps whenever I see a Ford Anglia! That’s why , when I thought of Ron’s flying car, I immediately pictured a Ford Anglia.” Magical.

The Revolt of the Pedestrians, by David H Keller
The prose in this short story was probably a bit more gripping in 1928. But the concept is enjoyably bizarre: the upper class own automobiles and shun the proletariat pedestrians, thinking nothing of the occasional hit-and-run. How does the inevitable pedestrians revolt succeed? The ruling class has lost the ability to use their legs. Tell me villains who can’t walk due to their live-in luxury vehicles wouldn’t be amazing for Mad Max 5.