None. Whatever I choose, I know for a fact that Hollywood would water them down, PC the crap out of them, and turn them into a politically liberal statement.
I just cant take it anymore. ;)
For the record, I thought both "Battlefield Earth" and "Clan of the Cave Bear" were great books, but today they are forever marred by the pitiful and ignorant attempts to turn them into movies...
I agree with you that many adaptations have sucked. However, here are some that worked, at least for me:
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) (Harry Bates' Farewell to the Master): **** - even though it was outright pro-United Nations and Soviet-friendly propaganda.
The Thing From Another World (1951) (John W. Campbell Jr's Who Goes There?): ***1/2 - John Carpenter's 1982 remake, The Thing: ** - even though it was closer to the original story.
When Worlds Collide (1951) (Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie): ***
The War of the Worlds (1953) (H. G. Wells): ***1/2 - but still looking forward to the Spielberg remake.
This Island Earth (1955)(Raymond F. Jones): ***
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)(Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers): ***1/2, 1978 version: ***, 1993 version (Body Snatchers): **
Forbidden Planet (1956) (Shakespeare's The Tempest): ****
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (Richard Matheson's The Shrinking Man): ***1/2
The Time Machine (1960) (H. G. Wells): ***, 2002 version: **
Village of the Damned (1960) (John Wyndham's The Midwich Cuckoos): ***1/2, John Carpenter's 1995 version: **1/2
The Power (1968) (Frank M. Robinson): *** - but still deserves a remake!
Planet of the Apes (1968) (Pierre Boulle): ***, 2001 version: **
There are probably some others that I've forgotten.