What Monster and or Sci Fi Reference Books do you recommend having on the shelf? These can be for movies, collectibles, etc. Once again, being a newbie here, if there is a thread already on this, a link would be most appreciated.
Just for starters. If you'd care to refine your particular interests, there are many other books I (and others) could recommend (on Hammer, Harryhausen, SPFX, movie posters, etc.).
Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946 by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas, and John Brunas
Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties by Bill Warren
Golden Horrors: An Illustrated Critical Filmography of Terror Cinema, 1931-1939 by Bryan Senn is another must have.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 26, 2008, 06:30:13 PM
Just for starters. If you'd care to refine your particular interests, there are many other books I (and others) could recommend (on Hammer, Harryhausen, SPFX, movie posters, etc.).
Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946 by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas, and John Brunas
Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties by Bill Warren
Golden Horrors: An Illustrated Critical Filmography of Terror Cinema, 1931-1939 by Bryan Senn is another must have.
Thanks for the list. All three bookmarked on my wish-list. Are you able to look at the cover of Golden Horrors, Mike and let me know what it originallly sold for?
A lot of us started out on Dennis Gifford's A Pictorial History of Horror. It's more to look at the pictures though.
BK
Quote from: Bogey on August 26, 2008, 06:45:00 PM
Are you able to look at the cover of Golden Horrors, Mike and let me know what it originallly sold for?
Those McFarland hard covers don't have a price on them and I can't remember what it sold for. The currently available PB version is $39.95. The HC was probably not much more than that 12 years ago?
For some reason I'm thinking SKIES! retailed for about $75 in hardcover, sold more as a reference book. I could be a little off, but it wasn't cheap.
Quote from: Monster Bob on August 26, 2008, 08:14:03 PM
For some reason I'm thinking SKIES! retailed for about $75 in hardcover
Originally published in two volumes, I believe they were selling the two, together, for $85, at one point, but don't remember the individual volume prices. The current combined PB ed. sells for $40...something.
BTW, a revised 2nd ed. is in the works, so you might want to wait for that.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 26, 2008, 08:52:29 PM
Originally published in two volumes, I believe they were selling the two, together, for $85, at one point, but don't remember the individual volume prices. The current combined PB ed. sells for $40...something.
BTW, a revised 2nd ed. is in the works, so you might want to wait for that.
Excellent. Will wait on that one. I believe the Universal Horrors book will be my first grab.
Quote from: Bogey on August 26, 2008, 08:54:59 PM
I believe the Universal Horrors book will be my first grab.
Be sure to get the revised 2nd ed. of that one, too.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 26, 2008, 08:57:53 PM
Be sure to get the revised 2nd ed. of that one, too.
Yeah. Fortunately that is the one they have on Amazon for 44 bones, and the used ones after shipping are not much cheaper.
Try www.abebooks.com; you might have better luck in finding the books you want at a lower prices. It is one of my favorite hunting grounds for out of print books.
"Meek"(book 'em)
Hello Bogey, Harris Lentz reference guides to science fiction horror and fantasy film and television three volumes, are a great set of books and they can be found quite cheap on ebay and abe books. Also Donald Willis' set of books are fantastic for reference they are called horror and science fiction films in four volumes. Here's looking at you kid.
Personally, the 2 books I highly recommend is: The Overlook Film Encyclopedia. There is one for Horror and one for Science Fiction, by Phil Hardy. I also believe he wrote a a Western one as well. It's a must have for movie buffs.
Quote from: kklloo on August 28, 2008, 11:02:00 AM
Personally, the 2 books I highly recommend is: The Overlook Film Encyclopedia. There is one for Horror and one for Science Fiction, by Phil Hardy. I also believe he wrote a a Western one as well. It's a must have for movie buffs.
I actually have those two....love 'em. There is a Western one and a Gangster one is on its way I believe.
I would love to find the hard cover editions. I used these books so much, the binding is coming off. LOL!!!!!!
Quote from: kklloo on August 28, 2008, 11:07:37 PM
I would love to find the hard cover editions. I used these books so much, the binding is coming off. LOL!!!!!!
Never have seen them in HC. I picked my used ones up in a shop down the street. Dude has watch a lot of films!
Ok, if you are into Posters, you must get: Graven Images by Ronald Borst and Children of the Night by James A Greshen.
Another good book is: Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman and Godzilla, by: Auguste Ragone and a nice Universal Book would be: Monsters: A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios, and a good illustrated book would be: Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos. There are tons of stuff out there but this covers a lot.
Quote from: michblk on August 26, 2008, 06:51:05 PM
A lot of us started out on Dennis Gifford's A Pictorial History of Horror. It's more to look at the pictures though.
How does Carlos Clarens' book hold up? I haven't read it in years, but I used to get it out of the library monthly when I was a kid.
MDG
I'm a big fan of David J. Skal's books. The Monster Show and Hollywood Gothic are a couple of my favorites.
(My first post! Whoop!)
Brother D,
Welcome to the UMA !! This is a great site with the friendliest and most helpful people
on the web.Make yourself at home and enjoy your stay.
As far as Monster magazines go, I would recommend "Monster Magazine & Fanzine Collector's Guide" by Michael W. Pierce and John M. Ballentine. Lists American and foreign magazines.
Hello everyone. Just joined last week, so this is my first post. How about this book: Monsters, A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios.
Quote from: GeekDragon on September 18, 2008, 08:02:52 PM
Hello everyone. Just joined last week, so this is my first post. How about this book: Monsters, A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios.
I like this book quite a bit. It's a little light on textual information, but the photographs are gorgeous! I've got this book on display face out on my bookshelf in our living room . . .
Hollywood Horrors from Gothic to Cosmic
by Mark Vieira
An excellent book with plenty of great B/W photos.
Covers the entire genre, intelligently written.
One of the best books on the subject, but for some strange reason is very rarely found in bookstores.
Get it from an on-line source.
I rarely buy a book unless I have had a chance to browse it first.
This is an exception and is worth every penny.
And what would be the recomended biographies for misters Karloff and Lugosi?