Science Fiction Film: A Critical Introduction (Film Genres) Paperback – 1 January 2011

This is the second book in the series that I have read and both has focused heavily on genre theory. What constitutes Science Fiction is a constant reason for debate within SF fandom but if al the books in the series constantly concentrate so heavily on one particular aspect of film theory then the appeal is quite limited. The writing is clear and accessible, and the content is interesting. Overall, I would say it was an interesting and worthwhile read for most fans of the genre at only 158 pages plus notes and bibliography.

A good, if detailed, overview for students looking for a foundation in Science Fiction. I used this text for a six-week summer course, and although students were a little overwhelmed with the amount of information (as they sometimes are), I thought it gave a good consideration of several key moments in the evolution of the genre, linking advancements and changes with broader film history and cultural trends. The biggest problem was explaining those historical and cultural concepts to students who may not have ever taken a film course at all. I would cover it in more depth in a sixteen-week course, but it served its purpose here.

One of the issues with trying to write a comprehensive guide to science fiction as a genre is how fast the genre is expanding. With that being said, I think that this book has a lot of interesting theories and lenses that can be applied to science fiction film. I do hope that they are working on updating their text at some point soon.

The content of this book could be facinating but it is mired in such stodgy academic language it is barely readable. It looks like someone has put an attractive cover on an MA disertation and left it at that. Each section is preceded by a summary of what is to come and then this is dutifully fleshed out in tedious academy speak. Major genre works are name-checked but there is almost no close analsysis and insufficient details are given on little known titles. Definitely not a book for the casual reader.

Great shape, great content.