"13 stories of dripping, creeping, gurgling, purling, trilling, oozing, seeping, gushing deadly monsters" --

Speculative fiction--both science fiction and fantasy--reflects, among other things, the fears of the culture that created it, contributing (perhaps unconsciously) to our efforts to prevent our fears from coming true. While the names and media change over time, the themes of speculative fiction have a long history. Nineteenth century works such as Frankenstein and The Invisible Man contain many of the same messages as the more modern tales of Terminator, Jurassic Park and even Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, although almost a century separates their creation. This critical study discusses the ways in which speculative fiction reflects societal fears and analyzes how such cautionary tales contribute to society's efforts to avoid the realization of these fears. Beginning with a discussion of the nature of speculative fiction, it takes a look at the characteristics of the cautionary tale. The core of the book, however, is the concept of the "Nightmares Model," which examines and categorizes the repetition of specific themes within the genre. The dangers of science and technology, the perils of power, and the threat of the unknown are discussed as recurrent themes within a variety of works in prose, film and television. Works analyzed range from Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea to 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Blair Witch Project. Sources include the author's own observations as a member of the genre's fandom, a variety of published commentaries and the perspectives of contemporary professionals gained through personal interviews and panel discussions.

Who better to parody science fiction than science fiction authors themselves? *** In this classic collection of stories, compiled by Mike Resnick (winner of five Hugos, plus a plethora of other awards in multiple categories), such prominent authors as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Barry Malzberg and a host of others take their pens and wits to make fun of themselves and the genre they live for. *** This collection was originally titled Shaggy B.E.M. Stories and was compiled exclusively for the 1988 Worldcon (Nolacon II). Seventy- five percent of the original edition sold out over the Worldcon weekend and the rest disappeared soon after. *** Phoenix Pick is proud to republish this classic collection of parodies. All the original stories are included and the only changes that have been made are corrections of typos and other mistakes. One new poem ('There's a Bimbo on the Cover' by Michael F. Flynn) has been added to the book for obvious reasons-it just begged to belong to this irreverent collection.

From the enrapturing tales of H. G. Wells to the punishing dystopian visions of 1984 and beyond, the evolution of science fiction from the 1890s to the 1960s is a fascinating journey to undertake. Setting out this span of years as what we can now recognize as the 'classic' period of the genre, Mike Ashley takes us on a tour of the stars, utopian and post-apocalyptic futures, worlds of AI run amok and techno-thriller masterpieces asking piercing questions of the present. This book does not claim to be definitive; what it does offer is an accessible view of the impressive spectrum of imaginative writing which the genre's classic period has to offer. Towering science fiction greats such as Asimov and Aldiss run alongside the, perhaps unexpected, likes of C. S. Lewis and J. B. Priestley and celebrate a side of science fiction beyond the stereotypes of space opera and bug-eyed monsters; the side of science fiction which proves why it must continue to be written and read, so long as any of us remain in uncertain times.

Of all the movie genres, science fiction has provided poster artists with thereatest imaginative freedom and wildest sources of inspiration, and thertists have responded by creating some of their very best examples of theirork, from the iconic figure of the female robot in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis"o the familiar shapes of R2D2 and C3P0 from "Star Wars".;This collection,tarting with the original 1912 French poster for "Conquest of the Pole",eatures posters for all the sci-fi fans' favourite movies: "2001", "laderunner", "Close Encounters", "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", "orbidden Planet", "Planet of the Apes", "Rollerball" and series such as the "tar Wars", "Star Trek" and "Alien" films, as well as lesser known orong-forgotten works like "Girl in the Moon", "Invaders from Mars" and-feature films featuring Flash Gordon and the 1940s American superheroesuch as Superman and Batman.;Moreover, although many of the films may beamiliar, a fair proportion of the posters will not. For alongside theidely-used British and American posters the editors have juxtaposed the work,

Large, full-color posters for 46 films including King Kong, Godzilla, The Illustrated Man, and more. A bug-eyed bonanza of heroes, heroines, monsters, and assorted other creatures.