Secret of the Lost Planet and Television Hill


Book Description

Armchair Fiction presents classic science fiction double novels. The first novel is "Secret of the Lost Planet" by David Wright O'Brien. All Wade Baron wanted to do is get back to Earth. He'd given three years of his life to government service and now it was time to go home. His fiancée would be waiting for him, and Wade practically glowed at the thought of their reunion. The image of her beautiful face was foremost in his mind. But there's nothing worse than a rude homecoming, and that's what Wade got when he stepped onto Terran soil after three years of charting asteroids out in the loneliest sector of the Solar System. First he was arrested as a traitor; then he was banished to the planet Cardo, home of the worst Penal Colony in the Galaxy. And all of this at the hands of the man Baron believed to be his friend. It had to be a joke of some kind--but it wasn't; and soon Wade found himself on a spaceship headed for a planet where escape was impossible and death was a certainty. The second novel is George McLociard's "Television Hill," which is one of the most unusual novels from the pages of Amazing Stories during the 1930s. McLociard fashioned what is essentially two stories within one novel. It begins as a tale of great scientific achievement--a true "hard science." It describes in great detail the building of a revolutionary television device, a device so fantastic in nature that it allowed its creators to peer into even the most secret chambers of mankind. Nothing could be concealed from its prying eyes--nothing. Such scientific achievements are not without peril, though, and the second half of this fantastic tale sends the reader down one of the wildest paths of scientific intrigue ever concocted. It is a tale of conflict, utter suspense, and betrayal. The final eight chapters of "Television Hill" are filled with so much excitement that they will keep you on the edge of your seat.




An Analytical Guide to Television's Battlestar Galactica


Book Description

When the space drama Battlestar Galactica debuted on ABC in 1978, it was expected to be the most popular new program of the year. Instead, it was attacked as a Star Wars rip-off and canceled after a mere 17 stories. The author acknowledges the show was full of dramatic cliches and scientific inaccuracies, but despite these shortcomings, Battlestar Galactica was a dramatically resonant series full of unique and individual characters, such as Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) and ace warrior Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch). The author contends that Battlestar Galactica was a memorable attempt to make science fiction accessible to mainstream television audiences. The brilliant work of artist John Dykstra brought a new world of special effects to network television. Battlestar Galactica also skillfully exploited legends and names from both the Bible and ancient mythology, which added a layer of depth and maturity to the weekly drama.




Expedition


Book Description

In 2358 Wayne Douglas Barlowe joined the first manned flight to Darwin IV, a newly discovered world beyond our solar system. Here he provides naturalistic paintings that vividly capture the alien creatures he encountered. Illustrations, full-color paintings, and maps.




RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929-1956


Book Description

King Kong and The Thing from Another World are among the most popular horror and science fiction films of all time and both were made by RKO Radio Pictures. Between 1929 and 1956, RKO released more than 140 genre features, including The Most Dangerous Game, The Phantom of Crestwood, Before Dawn, The Monkey's Paw, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, You'll Find Out, The Spiral Staircase, The Enchanted Cottage, It's a Wonderful Life, Captive Women and Killers from Space. RKO is remembered for its series of psychological horror movies produced by Val Lewton, including Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, The Seventh Victim and The Body Snatcher. The studio also produced films in the adventure, comedy, fantasy, mystery and western genres. They released many Walt Disney classics--Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Peter Pan--as well as several "Tarzan" features. This volume covers these movies in detail with critical and historical analysis, in-depth plot synopsis and numerous contemporary reviews.




Science-fiction


Book Description

Complementing Science-Fiction: The Early Years, which surveys science-fiction published in book form from its beginnings through 1930, the present volume covers all the science-fiction printed in the genre magazines--Amazing, Astounding, and Wonder, along with offshoots and minor magazines--from 1926 through 1936. This is the first time this historically important literary phenomenon, which stands behind the enormous modern development of science-fiction, has been studied thoroughly and accurately. The heart of the book is a series of descriptions of all 1,835 stories published during this period, plus bibliographic information. Supplementing this are many useful features: detailed histories of each of the magazines, an issue by issue roster of contents, a technical analysis of the art work, brief authors' biographies, poetry and letter indexes, a theme and motif index of approximately 30,0000 entries, and general indexes. Science-Fiction: The Gernsback Years is not only indispensable for reference librarians, collectors, readers, and scholars interested in science-fiction, it is also of importance to the study of popular culture during the Great Depression in the United States. Most of its data, which are largely based on rare and almost unobtainable sources, are not available elsewhere.




From Silent Film Idol to Superman


Book Description

A popular romantic actor with a fan club rivalling that of Ivor Novello, John Stuart was frequently mobbed by his adoring fans. He starred in films by Alfred Hitchcock and G.W. Pabst, played opposite British stars such as Madeleine Carroll, Fay Compton, Gracie Fields, and German actor Conrad Veidt, and was also the first actor to ever speak on screen in Britain. Yet despite a film career lasting six decades and 172 films, his name and achievement are little known today. With access to Stuart's private archive, his surviving films, press cuttings, film reviews, interviews, profiles, features, and gossip columns, his son Jonathan Croall presents a detailed account of an actor who made a significant contribution to the British film industry of the 20th century.




The Writers Directory


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TV Guide


Book Description




Vampire Films of the 1970s


Book Description

The 1970s were turbulent times and the films made then reflected the fact. Vampire movies--always a cinema staple--were no exception. Spurred by the worldwide success of Hammer Film's Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969), vampire movies filled theaters for the next ten years--from the truly awful to bonafide classics. Audiences took the good with the bad and came back for more. Providing a critical review of the genre's overlooked Golden Age, this book explores a mixed bag from around the world, including The Vampire Lovers (1970), Dracula Versus Frankenstein (1971), Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973), 'Salem's Lot (1975), Dracula Sucks (1978) and Love at First Bite (1979) and many others.




Gothiniad


Book Description

Gothiniad of Surazeus - Oracle of Gotha presents 150,792 lines of verse in 1,948 poems, lyrics, ballads, sonnets, dramatic monologues, eulogies, hymns, and epigrams written by Surazeus 1993 to 2000.