Friday, December 30, 2016

101 SCI-FI MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE

2017 promises to be full of films arriving at theaters throughout the year that will delight science fiction fans ranging from original movies such as LIFE, SLEIGHT, THE SPACE BETWEEN US and VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS to sequels from popular franchises like ALIEN: COVENANT, BLADE RUNNER 2049, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2, STAR WARS EPISODE VIII, and WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES.  Before delving into the newest crop of sci-fi movies, take some time to delve into the history of this genre of film making by reading 101 SCI-FI MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE.

Edited by film critic Steven Jay Schneider, 101 SCI-FI MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE exams the films that over the last 100 years have excited the imaginations of movie goers and inspired the science fiction creations of directors and producers on the silver screen.  This 411 page book filled with images of movie posters and pictures of iconic scenes from sci-fi films ranging from VOYAGE TO THE MOON (1902) to GRAVITY (2013) includes a synopsis of each motion picture selection within it and commentary from Schneider on its importance within the science fiction genre.  The book also includes interesting movie trivia such as the sound of TIE fighters flying about in STAR WARS (1977) was created by combining an elephant's scream with the noise of a car on wet tarmac and the original MAD MAX (1979) movie had a limited release and wasn't very popular in the United States so its sequel was titled THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981) instead of MAD MAX 2 to make it more appealing to American audiences.



Schneider looks into how the social / political issues of the times has influenced the themes of movies and how special effects have developed from the use of elaborate sets to computer generated imagery as you make your way through his chronologically ordered list of influential science fiction movies.  Early movies tied into the first advancements in aviation showing how mankind could actually fly into the sky and beyond to the stars, 1950's era films focused on alien invasions that played off Cold War fears of a Communist takeover by the Soviet Union, and more recent productions have had themes tied to the rapid advancement of technology's impact on society as we've seen high-tech advances impacting our real lives.  Any fan of science fiction will find this an interesting read and with its compact size it is easy to peruse through.  I've thrown 101 SCI-FI MOVIES YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE in my brief case and pulled it out when I've had a break at work.  It is just the right size to place in a backpack, purse, or messenger bag to read during an airplane, bus or train ride or to stash in a desk drawer at work to read during a lunch break.



I really enjoyed flipping through the pages of this book and particularly learning about sci-fi movies from the 1920s through the '50's that have inspired the films I love from the 1970's to today.  101 SCI-FI MOVIES YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE is available at a variety of retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target.

**A Geek Daddy received the featured book for free to review**

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