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The Geek's Guide to SF Cinema: 30 Key Films that Revolutionised the Genre
'Awesome. Everything you've ever wanted to know about big-screen sci-fi' - James King, film critic
'Don't leave Planet Earth without it' - Dan Jolin, film critic
'A wonderfully accessible, fascinating, flat-out treasure chest of science fiction cinema, from an author whose love of the subject leaps off the page' - Simon Brew, Editor, Den of Geek
Why do SF movies matter? What do they tell us about the interests of storytellers and the changing tastes of cinema-goers? How have SF movies evolved with filmmaking technology over the past 110 years?
The Geek's Guide To SF Cinema provides an entertaining and in-depth history of the science fiction genre's pivotal and most influential movies. From the pioneering films of Georges Méliès to such blockbusters as Avatar and Inception in the 21st century, the book will explore how these key movies were made, how they reflected the mood of the time in which they were released and how they have influenced other filmmakers in the years since.
Historians and experts contribute to answer questions such as: 'How important was Fritz Lang's contribution to cinema?' and 'What did Alien say about the cynical climate of the 1970s?'. Providing nostalgia for long-time SF addicts and context for those whose knowledge and love of the genre is still growing, this is a pop-culture book with depth.
'Don't leave Planet Earth without it' - Dan Jolin, film critic
'A wonderfully accessible, fascinating, flat-out treasure chest of science fiction cinema, from an author whose love of the subject leaps off the page' - Simon Brew, Editor, Den of Geek
Why do SF movies matter? What do they tell us about the interests of storytellers and the changing tastes of cinema-goers? How have SF movies evolved with filmmaking technology over the past 110 years?
The Geek's Guide To SF Cinema provides an entertaining and in-depth history of the science fiction genre's pivotal and most influential movies. From the pioneering films of Georges Méliès to such blockbusters as Avatar and Inception in the 21st century, the book will explore how these key movies were made, how they reflected the mood of the time in which they were released and how they have influenced other filmmakers in the years since.
Historians and experts contribute to answer questions such as: 'How important was Fritz Lang's contribution to cinema?' and 'What did Alien say about the cynical climate of the 1970s?'. Providing nostalgia for long-time SF addicts and context for those whose knowledge and love of the genre is still growing, this is a pop-culture book with depth.
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 20, 2020
My exposure to the Sci-Fi genre came really late, in fact it was, of all films, Planet of the Apes and I thought it was amazing. Needless to say that I caught up quickly.
Really the book’s title is self explanatory. Den of Geek’s Ryan Lambie presents the history of Sci-Fi cinema through 30 classic films of the genre. Each chapter contains a summary of the film and then some other movies that are similar in plot and a brief explanation of the particular subsection of Sci-fi.
Due to the structure of the chapters, this is a book one dips into rather than read cover to cover, however if you do so Lambie likes to emphasize that with each film has some sort of technological advance – Voyage to the Moon used a special camera, The Abyss used the nascent Photoshop, Jurassic Park use of CGI was groundbreaking etc.
The Geek’s Guide to SF Cinema is a fun read and along with the main 30 films featured there’s probably a 100 other titles mentioned so I guess your ‘to watch’ list will increase a bit.
Really the book’s title is self explanatory. Den of Geek’s Ryan Lambie presents the history of Sci-Fi cinema through 30 classic films of the genre. Each chapter contains a summary of the film and then some other movies that are similar in plot and a brief explanation of the particular subsection of Sci-fi.
Due to the structure of the chapters, this is a book one dips into rather than read cover to cover, however if you do so Lambie likes to emphasize that with each film has some sort of technological advance – Voyage to the Moon used a special camera, The Abyss used the nascent Photoshop, Jurassic Park use of CGI was groundbreaking etc.
The Geek’s Guide to SF Cinema is a fun read and along with the main 30 films featured there’s probably a 100 other titles mentioned so I guess your ‘to watch’ list will increase a bit.
August 16, 2022
O mais legal desse livro e que me chamou a atenção e o interesse em lê-lo é ter esse aspecto de guia para filmes de ficção científica sem ser somente uma grande lista com vários títulos sendo citados. A ideia era mesclar isso com uma pequena história introdutória e ir pontuando com os filmes de cada tema e época. Os 30 filmes escolhidos, por exemplo, são os mais conhecidos (vi quase todos, os que não vi foi apenas por falha minha e não por desconhecimento). Mesmo conhecidos vale não ver o índice e ir descobrindo a cada capítulo qual o filme e tema que será abordado.
Em cada capítulo há uma listinha dos principais filmes abordados para que sirva mesmo de guia para quem não viu algum deles.
Não tenho o costume de ler este tipos de livros e ir aprofundando vendo os filmes citados (descobrindo ou revendo), o que pode ser um erro, mas é como funciono. Provavelmente só agora é que verei alguns dos vários que fiquei interessado.
Pela proposta o livro cumpre muito bem seu papel. É uma ótima introdução ao tema para quem quer conhecer o gênero sem grandes análises que podem ser descobertas em outras obras. Não é um texto que fique apenas no histórico do gênero, mas tem o estilo de reportagem que pode abordar bastidores das produções, curiosidades e algum contexto social / cultural. É uma leitura prazerosa que faz com que queiramos conhecer os filmes não vistos e rever outros.
A edição nacional é ainda melhor por ter dois textos iniciais de Claudia Fusco (mestre em estudos de ficção científica) e Roberto Causo (autor do estudo Ficção Científica, Fantasia e Horror no Brasil). E no final 30 listas de filmes feitas pelo editor classificadas em vários subgêneros e temáticas, além de um pequeno texto de Alfredo Suppia sobre 16 filmes brasileiros de ficção científica.
Em cada capítulo há uma listinha dos principais filmes abordados para que sirva mesmo de guia para quem não viu algum deles.
Não tenho o costume de ler este tipos de livros e ir aprofundando vendo os filmes citados (descobrindo ou revendo), o que pode ser um erro, mas é como funciono. Provavelmente só agora é que verei alguns dos vários que fiquei interessado.
Pela proposta o livro cumpre muito bem seu papel. É uma ótima introdução ao tema para quem quer conhecer o gênero sem grandes análises que podem ser descobertas em outras obras. Não é um texto que fique apenas no histórico do gênero, mas tem o estilo de reportagem que pode abordar bastidores das produções, curiosidades e algum contexto social / cultural. É uma leitura prazerosa que faz com que queiramos conhecer os filmes não vistos e rever outros.
A edição nacional é ainda melhor por ter dois textos iniciais de Claudia Fusco (mestre em estudos de ficção científica) e Roberto Causo (autor do estudo Ficção Científica, Fantasia e Horror no Brasil). E no final 30 listas de filmes feitas pelo editor classificadas em vários subgêneros e temáticas, além de um pequeno texto de Alfredo Suppia sobre 16 filmes brasileiros de ficção científica.
May 24, 2018
In any list there are entries you think do not deserve to be there and ones you think should be but, overall, Ryan Lambie does an admirable job of surveying the history of SF in cinema by highlighting 30 films. Each film is not over-analysed but its themes are explored and contrasted with others in the genre. I have seen all on the 'Top 30' list but will definitely seek out some titles that at are mentioned in passing.
July 25, 2018
The book tells trivia about 30 sci-fi movies and puts it into the context (mostly technological). It mostly slides over the surface and doesn't go deeper. Sometimes it just jumps from one movie to another. Each movie chapter is followed by sub-chapter about related topic (Matrix and Virtual reality, Avatar and Motion capture etc.) that are even more general than main chapters. I would recommend this book to sci-fi fans and to people who are interested about trivia.
October 28, 2021
I really enjoyed these essays. The writing style flowed smoothly, informing me about specific films without boring me with excruciating philosophical details. The end of each chapter included a list of films similar to the film highlighted in that chapter. Before I read this book, I wouldn't say I was into SF films, yet, I now have a much keener interest in watching them, especially those included in the aforementioned lists.
September 20, 2021
Excellent read and overview of Sci-fi films. I've seen most of them, yet I appreciate the historical background and details that I didn't know went into making the films. The only downside is that with a lot of references to other films, a master list at the end would have been appreciated. I know there were lists at the end of each chapter, but a full list would have been nice as well.
March 3, 2018
The films themselves aren't dealt with in great depth, the book is interested more in the developments of cinema where it deals with science fiction, mainly technical though some philosophical points.
Would like to see a similar book dealing with the horror genre.
Would like to see a similar book dealing with the horror genre.
August 7, 2019
Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.
I’m ordering myself a copy right now.
I’m ordering myself a copy right now.
August 20, 2023
If you like sci-fi movies, read this book!! Well written, easy to follow, and there is a list of movies talked about at the end of each chapter.
June 19, 2021
One of the joys of post-graduation life is the gradual return to what one loves, and had to put on some level of hiatus in order to make it to commencement. For me, that is my passion for reading, writing, and screening films in the name of film history and scholarship, critique and review. After reading Ryan Lambie's "The Geek's Guide to SF Cinema: 30 Key Films that Revolutionised the Genre", I feel as though those initial baby steps back into my passion have been worth it.
Personally, my favorite chapters were the ones related to "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), "Metropolis" (1927), "Godzilla" (1954), "Planet of the Apes" (1968), "Blade Runner" (1982), "Brazil" (1985), "Akira" (1988), "District 9" (2009), and "Inception" (2010). It was not because these nine films were my favorite of all time (although "A Trip to the Moon" remains a personal all-time favorite), but because of how Lambie reflects on each film's primary and secondary layer of meaning. The films that support or counter his thoughts to each of these films also broadened my knowledge, and curiosity, of the nine sub-genres represented here.
As someone who approaches remakes with hesitancy, I found Lambie's observation and argument of the successes and failures of several remake attempts to be well thought out and well composed. Just because something can feel 'tried and true' does not mean we crave it daily, so Lambie's push for studios big and small to give remakes a second thought before the green light was much appreciated.
Like many readers, I am grateful for the list of films mentioned at the end of each chapter, and hopefully will come across a similar list of the literary work referenced in each chapter someday soon. As someone who loves to "read it before I see it", that would be most helpful in continuing my love for both the cinematic arts, and the books that inspired them.
I look forward to the next anthology of essays related to the history of cinema, as well as any book on or related to the subject of film history, criticism, and theory I can find. I would also love to make this next adventure communal, so if you have any recommendations please feel free to share them!
Personally, my favorite chapters were the ones related to "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), "Metropolis" (1927), "Godzilla" (1954), "Planet of the Apes" (1968), "Blade Runner" (1982), "Brazil" (1985), "Akira" (1988), "District 9" (2009), and "Inception" (2010). It was not because these nine films were my favorite of all time (although "A Trip to the Moon" remains a personal all-time favorite), but because of how Lambie reflects on each film's primary and secondary layer of meaning. The films that support or counter his thoughts to each of these films also broadened my knowledge, and curiosity, of the nine sub-genres represented here.
As someone who approaches remakes with hesitancy, I found Lambie's observation and argument of the successes and failures of several remake attempts to be well thought out and well composed. Just because something can feel 'tried and true' does not mean we crave it daily, so Lambie's push for studios big and small to give remakes a second thought before the green light was much appreciated.
Like many readers, I am grateful for the list of films mentioned at the end of each chapter, and hopefully will come across a similar list of the literary work referenced in each chapter someday soon. As someone who loves to "read it before I see it", that would be most helpful in continuing my love for both the cinematic arts, and the books that inspired them.
I look forward to the next anthology of essays related to the history of cinema, as well as any book on or related to the subject of film history, criticism, and theory I can find. I would also love to make this next adventure communal, so if you have any recommendations please feel free to share them!
November 10, 2019
Lambie (deputy editor, denofgeek.com) highlights 30 pivotal films in this history of sf cinema spanning 1902–2010. The author devotes a chapter to each film, discussing its plot, production, and legacy. Although he relies on more recent research, he largely works within the established sf canon, and he's not saying anything new about, for instance, Forbidden Planet in only four pages. Where Lambie succeeds is in contextualizing a movie, demonstrating its importance by showing how it drew from previous works and inspired later ones. He is careful to point out this is a compilation of influential films, not a "best of" list—Close Encounters of the Third Kind, for example, is only mentioned. Lambie draws parallels between Frankenstein (1931) and RoboCop and illustrates how Godzilla (1954) launched a genre. He also displays a deep knowledge of his field, citing Soviet-era films, obscure silent titles, and plenty of direct-to-video efforts. The writing is playful and insightful, and each chapter ends with a list of view-a-likes, which is sure to please genre buffs.
VERDICT A fascinating, focused book for sf followers.
Library Journal. Apr2019, Vol. 144 Issue 3, p88-91
VERDICT A fascinating, focused book for sf followers.
Library Journal. Apr2019, Vol. 144 Issue 3, p88-91
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews