British Science Fiction Cinema
is the first substantial study of a genre which, despite a sometimes troubled history, has produced some of the best British films, from the prewar classic
Things to Come to Alien
made in Britain by a British director. The contributors to this rich and provocative collection explore the diverse strangeness of British science fiction, from literary adaptions like
Nineteen Eighty-Four
and
A Clockwork Orange
to pulp fantasies and 'creature features' far removed from the acceptable face of British cinema.
Through case studies of key films like
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
, contributors explore the unique themes and concerns of British science fiction, from the postwar boom years to more recent productions like
Hardware
, and examine how science fiction cinema drew on a variety of sources, from TV adaptions like
Doctor Who and the Daleks
, to the horror/sf crossovers produced from John Wyndham's cult novels
The Day of the Triffids
The Midwich Cuckoos
(filmed as
Village of the Damned
). How did budget restrictions encourage the use of the 'invasion narrative' in the 1950s films? And how did films such as
Unearthly Stranger
Invasion
reflect fears about the decline of Britain's economic and colonial power and the 'threat' of female sexuality?
celebrates the breadth and continuing vitality of British sf film-making, in both big-budget productions such as
Brazil
Event Horizon
and cult exploitation movies like
Inseminoid
Lifeforce
.