Okay, I guess this is further proof of the phenomenon that is the Peter Jackson King Kong movie...

Now with a film of such hype I guess it was inevitable that it spawned many associated products, and a range of books was only to be expected. But that inevitability is no guarantee of quality of the tie-ins – and I have to say I have encountered a fair number of rather shoddy such releases.

Thankfully so far I have encounter high-class tie-in King Kong books, and this continues this run. But then again, given that this is edited by Karen Haber (who edited a similar Lord of the Rings book) and feature some great sf writers. (Including a long time favourite of mine, Robert Silverberg, Harry Harrison, Jack Williamson, David Gerrold and a couple of my recent favourites Paul Di Filippo and Howard Waldrop.) My hopes were high.

My hopes were also well placed – this is a great set of essays.

These essays in this book cover the technology involved in the original film, the background of the film and the times in which it was filmed, and personal essays explaining how the film affected the young versions of themselves when they first saw the film in movie theatres back in the day – the original day in the case of the Grand Master of SF Jack Williamson. And more than once they show the boyish love of the dinosaur, debating the species and their displacement from their original disparate eras to co-exist on the mysterious Skull Island.

This is a strong set of essays, but even amongst this high standard collection, one stands out. King Kong was a twentieth century icon, and featured repeatedly in the popular culture from his original outing in the first 1933 movie, through the almost instant and vastly inferior sequel and on into many other film appearances and other inspired films and TV appearances. One essay in this collection (the Paul Di Filippo essay) explores this infiltration of Kong into all areas of modern culture and its diminishing of the original impact of Kong.

This is a fascinating set of essays, an ideal book to delve into from time to time - a book that will give insight into social conditions, early film techniques and the personal feelings of people looking back at their first introduction to Kong.

Don't be put off this book just because it is a film tie-in. This is more than just a way of making extra cash on the back of a movie phenomenon. This is a fine collection.

Synopsis
One of the most popular movie monsters of all time is fully explored in this captivating collection of essays, which highlights the cultural impact of the movie and its enduring legacy. The collection will include original contributions by luminaries, such as Ray Bradbury and Robert Silverberg, and is edited by Karen Haber, who has previously worked on similar books, essays and collections for both "The Matrix" and "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. The essays in "Kong Unbound" will explore everything from a cinematic analysis of Kong, to the film's seminal role in the genre of horror and monster movies; while science fans will enjoy an explanation of whether or not giant gorillas actually existed, an exploration of the film's other fantastic animals from the Age of the Dinosaurs, and the possible existence of isolated island ecologies that may still harbour creatures from the Mesozoic Era.