Turner Classic Movies: Must-See Sci-fi: 50 Movies That Are Out of This World

It’s a bold move to call your movie guide “Must-See.” You’d have to be pretty confident that every film mentioned from cover to cover is truly worthy of the moniker. Well, Sloan De Forest has nothing to worry about here, as Turner Classic Movies: Must-See Sci-Fi is a worthwhile trip through the history of science fiction, with b-movies, true game-changers, and underappreciated entries alike featured.

The book not only highlights some unsung entries in the genre — including certain shorts that inspired later full-length endeavors — but the author chooses to highlight the best of each entry and the role it played in influencing new films/other aspects of science fiction to come. It would be easy to downplay or lampoon the influence of films like The Incredible Shrinking Man or It Came From Outer Space, so it’s refreshing to see them treated with respect.

Foreign classics, thought-provoking plodders, and iconic films that have suffered over time from special effects advancements and hokey acting choices are nonetheless celebrated as equals in this well-researched and fascinating collection. This is the perfect book not only to introduce new viewers to some sci-fi classics of old but a tome that any sci-fi historian or film historian should have on the shelf.