American Science Fiction Film and Television

In this critical history of late 20th century American science fiction film and television, Geraghty (film studies, U. of Portsmouth, UK) maps themes and trends in the genre and relates them to cultural, industrial, political, and social developments in the wider culture. Each chapter represents a separate chronological moment and offers consideration of an iconic film and an iconic television show in relation to concerns of that era. For example, the film Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the television series The Twilight Zone are discussed in relation to the Cold War and the space race, while the film Transformers and the reworked television show Battlestar Galactica are examined in the context of the post-9/11 era. The other films discussed are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Soylent Green, *batteries not included, and The Matrix and the television shows are Star Trek, The Six Million Dollar Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and The X-Files. Distributed in the US by Palgrave Macmillan. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)