Science Fiction Films

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-- While offering a few historical tidbits, this is basically a short, annotated catalog. The book starts off promisingly, discussing such movie pioneers as George Melies and Fritz Lang, but soon just lists science-fiction films that fit into the categories that comprise each chapter, such as ``Future Worlds'' and ``B-Movies.'' What little information is given is accurate, except for the questionable inclusion of Total Recall in ``Robots & Replicants'' for no other reason than it offered an easy transition from another Arnold Schwarzenneger film, The Terminator . In addition, the ``Star Trek'' films are mentioned only in passing. On a positive note, the full-color and black-and-white photographs are in focus, a vast improvement over the publisher's ``Tales of Terror'' series, which featured blurred stills from horror movies. Overall, though, there is not enough here to make this a worthwhile purchase. --George Delalis, Oakland Public Library, CA

Ilene Cooper

This overview of science fiction films will work best for browsers who want an introduction to the topic. Haycock begins with such silent films as "Metropolis" and works her way through the early comic strip serials like "Flash Gordon", the UFO films so popular in the 1950s, and the incredible special effects movies such as the "Star Wars" series. Each topic takes up several pages and is illustrated by several black-and-white and color photographs, well reproduced if not always the most exciting choices. A glossary and a short bibliography are appended. Pair this with Staskowski's "Science Fiction Movies", also reviewed in this issue.