Liquid Metal: The Science Fiction Film Reader

Like everyone else, I was forced to purchase this book for class. The entire book is made up of essays by various authors, usually focusing on one specific film, like Blade Runner or Back To The Future. That might sound interesting, but it's really a bunch of BS. Speaking of Back To The Future, the essay by Andrew Gordon is real obnoxious fun. In that particular essay, Gordon believes that everything in Back To The Future is phallic, including the clock tower, the DeLorean, Marty's guitar, and so on. I wonder if he has ever seen a penis before.If you enjoy pretentious essays, where every single aspect of a film must have some connection to society, and where 90% of the words written are opinions and perceptions but are presented as fact, you will love this book.

This book is broken down into different case studies or critical essays. It is 100% on critical theories. The editor tends to repeat himself incessantly in each chapter (I've even seen a whole two sentences repeatedly word for word). The good part is he keeps up with contemporary films and critiques them with as much enthusiasm as the oldies, but to get the basics of his point, all you need to do is skim each chapter and read the topic sentences. He likes to talk just for the sake of talking.

Before going to film school, I thought that sci-fi movies were sci-fi movies. When I went to film school, I discovered that sci-fi movies were not sci-fi movies. Now that I have graduated from film school, it turns out that sci-fi movies are sci-fi movies.If you've been assigned this book for a class, don't worry, the professor doesn't understand a word of it either. It's really easy to BS if you just skim it and memorize the rhetoric. And if you're really stuck, just say, "Genre films reflect and represent society's collective fears and desires" and you'll probably pass the class with a 'C'Take it from me, don't take any film classes. Godspeed.

A very interesting read. Offers many perspectives on the idea of man and machine, both as allies and enemies.

Got this book to work on myBachelor's dissertation, intended to only use a couple of chapters but its content is so amazing I've just been reading all of it!Perfect for every scifi enthusiasts

I enjoy this scholarly book so much I read it for fun and share it with friends.

Great film studies book.