McFarland & Company (series)

Science Fiction America

Description by OLDIES.com:

Science fiction films lend themselves to a kind of social commentary that other forms of cultural expression do not. Viewers find it easier to accept explorations of domestic violence, war, xenophobia and other difficult topics when the worlds depicted are only vaguely similar to our own.

Here, 22 essays examine how particular science fiction films - from 1930's High Treason to 1999's The Iron Giant - comment on the prevailing issues of their time. Sixteen contributors provide insight on how the genre's daydreams and nightmares are often grounded in grim realities. Films covered include It Came From Outer Space, Godzilla, The 27th Day, Alien and Starship Troopers, plus television's "The Adventures Of Superman," the Flash Gordon serials, and vintage space cartoons by Fleischer.