The Primal Screen: A History of Science Fiction Film

by John Brosnan

Excellent Book

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In

402 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

* Pen names:
Harry Adam Knight, Simon Ian Childer, James Blackstone, John Raymond

John Raymond Brosnan was an Australian writer of both fiction and non-fiction works based around the fantasy and science fiction genres. He was born in Perth, Western Australia, and died in South Harrow, London, from acute pancreatitis. He sometimes published under the pseudonyms Harry Adam Knight, Simon Ian Childer (both sometimes used together with Leroy Kettle), James Blackstone (used together with John Baxter), and John Raymond. Three not very successful movies were based on his novels–Beyond Bedlam (aka Nightscare), Proteus (based on Slimer), and Carnosaur. In addition to science fiction, he also wrote a number of books about cinema and was a regular columnist with the popular UK magazine Starburst.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok this is a tricky one - the book is an interesting read - it basically charts the authors travel through science fiction movies as he grew up - it follows a combination of his own personal observations, personal thoughts linked to the time and place he saw that movie or in some cases didn't see but was aware of in the context of his own growing up. So on one had its a personal travelogue of his adventures in science fiction.
However on the other hand and this varies from chapter to chapter - there is also a general treatise the state of science fiction and a genre within the film industry - what does class as a science fiction movie - what does not and really the general health of the genre as a whole.
The reason why I gave it three out of five is a personal reason - now I am sure I could look up the authors age - but his introduction to sic fi films obviously happened at a different time and with different range of films to me - so what he concentrates on differs to me - now in one respect that s good it makes me think but on the other he dismisses some films far too quickly that i want to spend more time.
Finally this book was written in 1991 - i would love to see an updated version and see what he has to say about the recent explosion of films - their quality their impact on the general public and how the film industry now views the whole topic. that would be an interesting follow up.

[Michael Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my go-to books, and have read it several times.

It reads more as a personal journey through sci-fi cinema, rather than an analytical study. His knowledge and passion is incredibly engaging. As such he does focus more on films that he has a personal connection with.

The book is a joy to read!

[Cat Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An update from his earlier "Future Tense," but not as informative. A personal observation of the history of science fiction in the cinema.