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leesmyth's review
4.0
A nice collection of essays introducing a wide range of fantastical works from books to films to textiles and beyond.
adamcagey's review
4.0
No matter your level of interest in sci-fi, you’ll find things to love in this expansive, generous book. Articles explore the hidden corners of sci-fi and expose its effects on the broader culture (and vice versa). And would it be crass to mention that it would make a great gift for someone who lives sci-fi? Well, it would.
lamusadelils's review against another edition
5.0
Me gusta que no solo se trate de literatura o películas, sino de diversas expresiones artísticas que marcaron o influenciaron a la ciencia ficción.
Algunas son obvias, como James Cameron y sus expediciones marinas, David Bowie y sus personas musicales o Giger. Sin embargo, lo interesante viene con historias que no se contaron, que fueron mas underground o que influencian desde otras bases, como la ilustración o la moda.
La variedad de artistas mencionados es muy buena y con grandes ejemplos. Me gustan estos libros que te dejan muchas ideas que pensar y nombres que revisar. Este libro mas que discutir una cronología, se trata sobre ideas y como estas influencias otros productos, otros conceptos y otros géneros. Lo que es obvio y ahora parte de la cultura popular no salió de un vacío.
Algunas son obvias, como James Cameron y sus expediciones marinas, David Bowie y sus personas musicales o Giger. Sin embargo, lo interesante viene con historias que no se contaron, que fueron mas underground o que influencian desde otras bases, como la ilustración o la moda.
La variedad de artistas mencionados es muy buena y con grandes ejemplos. Me gustan estos libros que te dejan muchas ideas que pensar y nombres que revisar. Este libro mas que discutir una cronología, se trata sobre ideas y como estas influencias otros productos, otros conceptos y otros géneros. Lo que es obvio y ahora parte de la cultura popular no salió de un vacío.
tikimoof's review
3.0
Essays were grouped by media type, but they were pretty disjointed otherwise.
As somebody who doesn't listen to much mainstream music, essays about music you've never heard are pretty lame.
But I got a few recs out of it. Not bad, just not great.
As somebody who doesn't listen to much mainstream music, essays about music you've never heard are pretty lame.
But I got a few recs out of it. Not bad, just not great.
jvan's review
3.0
Very mixed bag of essays, think pieces, interviews and a good amount of art about SF/F. Some great, some mediocre, some (to me) dull as toast, but with a broad variety of pieces covering books, visual media, music, art and architecture and more, there's going to be something that connects with you and tells you things you didn't know and are happy to learn. I got this from the library based on an essay about fantasy maps that I read elsewhere which, sadly, turned out to be my favorite piece in the collection? But there were other good ones, too.
pretty_little_bibliophile's review
4.0
This book is a full on storehouse when it comes to lost or under-appreciated works in literature, music, architecture, art, films etc., and also for the magnificent illustrations! It is an amazing collection of essays, interviews, etc. and if you are into sci-fi/fantasy, this is definitely a book you need to pick up. Specifically, the book has been divided into segments of Literature, Film & TV, Architecture, Art & Design, Music, Fashion and Fandom & Pop Culture.
I personally have been interested in fantasy for quite some time now. However, sci-fi is a genre that I need to explore more, and so this was a perfect revelatory starting point for me. Whatever your interests might be, it covers wide ground and that is why, I believe, this book has something for everyone! The content is very expansive and since it covers a myriad of different topics, it also throws light on how sci-fi has affected broader culture. Not only is this a very informative book, it is also really fun to read.
While the literature segment was my favourite, I skimmed through the fashion and music segments. I am sure that for some others, those two might be interesting. One of the pieces worth mentioning about is ‘On Fantasy Maps’! A mention by me about a piece on the Voynich Manuscript was enough to make Dad eager to read the book too!
The cover as well as the whole presentation of the book is superb. The illustrations also help make this a definitive book in the genre. The title was also very apt – as the book does talk about forgotten sci-fi related stuff – “transmission” is a really well chosen word.
I rate this book 4/5 stars!
I personally have been interested in fantasy for quite some time now. However, sci-fi is a genre that I need to explore more, and so this was a perfect revelatory starting point for me. Whatever your interests might be, it covers wide ground and that is why, I believe, this book has something for everyone! The content is very expansive and since it covers a myriad of different topics, it also throws light on how sci-fi has affected broader culture. Not only is this a very informative book, it is also really fun to read.
While the literature segment was my favourite, I skimmed through the fashion and music segments. I am sure that for some others, those two might be interesting. One of the pieces worth mentioning about is ‘On Fantasy Maps’! A mention by me about a piece on the Voynich Manuscript was enough to make Dad eager to read the book too!
The cover as well as the whole presentation of the book is superb. The illustrations also help make this a definitive book in the genre. The title was also very apt – as the book does talk about forgotten sci-fi related stuff – “transmission” is a really well chosen word.
I rate this book 4/5 stars!