George R.R. Martin’s ‘Nightflyers’ Show Canceled by Syfy After 1 Season

Syfy’s Nightflyers, based on George R.R. Martin’s science fiction short fiction series, has reportedly been canceled after just one season.

Martin, the author of A Game of Thrones, was excited about Syfy‘s TV adaptation of his other project. However, according to a new report by Deadline, the show will not get the same cinematic treatment as his other work did. Nightflyers was co-produced by Netflix, and Syfy worked hard to promote the ten-episode series across streaming and cable platforms.

Nightflyers began as a novella by Martin, which came out in 1980. It was adapted into a movie in 1987. Meanwhile, Martin wrote other stories set in the same fictional universe as Nightflyers, including Dying in the Light, Sandkings, A Song for Lya and “The Way of Cross and Dragon.”

All of this material easily could have made for an ongoing series, though Syfy opted not to move forward. Executives reportedly aren’t thinking of this as a cancellation so much as a limited series, keeping Nightflyers confined to its own storyline.

Nightflyers starred Eoin Macken, Jodie Turner-Smith, Angus Sampson, Sam Strike, Maya Eshet, Brian F. O’Byrne and Gretchen Mol. David Ajala, who starred as the reclusive captain of the ship, was recently cast in a new series on CBS, which could have contributed to the end of Nightflyers. Ajala will star in Under the Bridge, a medical drama.

Martin has not addressed the cancellation on his blog, where he often updates fans directly about his various projects and adaptations. The author is still promoting Hulu’s new adaptation of Wild Cards, an anthology series he has written on and edited since 1987. Meanwhile, HBO is preparing for the release of Game of Thrones Season 8, the final installment of the fantasy epic. The premium cable network also has a few spin-offs in development, including one prequel series that is shooting a pilot episode this month.

The series still has no title, though Martin has written that he would like it to be called The Long Night. It is set between 8,000 and 5,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones, following humanity’s first war against the White Walkers and perhaps even the construction of the Wall.

The series has been cast as well, with Naomi Watts in the lead role. She is joined by Josh Whitehouse, and a cast of actors known for theater, film and TV work.

Nightflyers is currently available through Syfy’s website and associated streaming app.