Now for all you purists out there, who are likely to be put off by the sci-fi term in the titles, just get over it. The introduction details why the author has used this term. Now it's never been a term I worry about. SF, sci-fi or science fiction all amounts to the same thing in my book

And there are good, indifferent and fairly awful films that have been labelled sci-fi or science fiction. For the most part sci-fi to Hollywood means lots of explosions and flashy special effects, and any considerations to the plot are a distant second, or maybe third forth, fifth... It depends on whether you believe they consider the eye-candy stars, and even the buffet car as more important than the integrity of sf.

A lot of the time, SF seems to just be spectacle. But it's not always the case. There are some good movies, but all too often celluloid sf disappoints.

This book covers all types and all qualities. In these pages you'll find guides to the classics of science fiction film, animated sf, the sci-fi films that have seen the most remakes (a Hollywood tradition it seems), and a whole section on the biggest turkeys to see the light of a cinema projector.

Oh, and in keeping with the noir films book we also get a section listing some of the most important directors in sf moviedom, from the best (Kubrick, Cronenberg and Burton) to the absolute worst (Ed Wood).

And also we are treated to a section of sci-fi meets sex, sf films with sex as the central concept – Barbarella to Species and beyond.

As you will probably know (if you've read my review of the Noir Film book in this range) I am a great fan of trivia. Add this to my liking for sf in all forms and we get a book almost designed for me.

Oh, and one of the best things for me about this book is getting to read someone else's choices of the best films. Seeing how close John Grant's tastes run to my own, where we agree or disagree, and then pondering on what I would have added onto this list.

Splendid stuff!

Synopsis
This book is for film-lovers of all ages. Of all movie genres today, sci-fi probably has the highest profile, and certainly has a dominant position in the box office - from blockbusters like the latest Star Wars episode or The Day After Tomorrow or Spider-Man or War of the Worlds, with numerous other sci-fi movies released each year. The high-tech gloss and the massive budgets all seem a far cry from the sci-fi movies of that previous Golden Age, the middle of the 20th century, when for the most part the appeal of sci-fi cinema was its low-budget cheesiness. In this book the renowned writer on fantasy, sci-fi and animated cinema, John Grant conducts a lightning survey of the best - and the worst - of the world of sci-fi movies. Here you'll find the celebrated masterpieces as well as the beloved turkeys, along with separate sections on remakes, sequels, award-winners and even sci-fi erotica. A must for any fan of sci-fi cinema, and an ideal book for settling pub arguments! Award-winning author of many non-fiction books on Science Fiction and fantasy and of some 50 fantasy novels. Scottish-born John Grant lives in New Jersey., USA. He is pretty well-known in sci-fi circles around the world.