Peter Haining - Space Movies (1995)

[pbsplatter]

A truly bizarre collection of stories that inspired movies, except in at least one case they didn't ("The Lawnmower Man" and The Lawnmower Man have absolutely nothing to do with one another), and Candyman isn't science fiction at all! Some of these pieces are excerpts. I finally re-read "The Forbidden" last year having only ever encountered it before in this collection, and was surprised when the story continued past what I thought was the ending! I think the Dick story got similar treatment. 


1 • Prologue: The Cinema of Possibilities • essay by Peter Haining

5 • Destination Moon • (1950) • novelette by Robert A. Heinlein

15 • It Came from Outer Space • (1953) • short story by Ray Bradbury

50 • The Conquest of Space • short story by Wernher von Braun [as by Werner von Braun]

87 • Panic in the Year Zero • [David Jimmon] • novelette by Ward Moore (variant of Lot 1953)

120 • 2001: A Space Odyssey • • short story by Arthur C. Clarke (variant of The Sentinel 1951)

133 • Logan's Run (excerpt from Logan's World) • [Logan] • (1977) • short story by William F. Nolan

158 • Star Trek: The Motion Picture • [Star Trek Original TV Series Adaptations] • short story by James Blish (variant of The Unreal McCoy 1967)

174 • Total Recall • (1966) • novelette by Philip K. Dick (variant of We Can Remember It for You Wholesale)

201 • The Lawnmower Man • (1975) • short story by Stephen King

214 • Candyman • novelette by Clive Barker (variant of The Forbidden 1985)

[helrunar]

Thanks for posting this. The topic of Mr Haining's approach to compiling these selections is a fascinating one, often Byzantine in its complexity.

For instance, I doubt that James Blish story had anything to do with the screenplay of the 1979/80 Star Trek: the Motion Picture.

It's a long time since I looked at any of these books by him, but they were one of the things that helped keep me sane as a teenager. I'm surprised (but somehow, not surprised) if he fails to note it when a particular entry is an excerpt rather than the complete work.

cheers, Hel.

[pbsplatter]

He followed it up with this, a year later. Some of these are real reaches—the Kneale story certainly has a proto-Quatermass feel to it, but that’s it.


1 • Prologue: 'Worlds of Space in the Living Room' • essay by Peter Haining
4 • Superman • short fiction by George Lowther
32 • Tales of Tomorrow • short fiction by Evan Hunter (variant of What Price Venus? 1953)
68 • The Quatermass Experiment • short story by Nigel Kneale (variant of Enderby and the Sleeping Beauty 1946)
78 • The Twilight Zone • short story by Rod Serling (variant of The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street 1960)
102 • Out of This World • short fiction by John Wyndham (variant of Dumb Martian 1952)
134 • Doctor Who • short fiction by Bill Strutton (variant of The Lair of the Zarbi 1965)
159 • The Outer Limits • short fiction by Jerry Sohl (variant of The Invisible Enemy 1955)
190 • Out of the Unknown • [Susan Calvin] • short fiction by Isaac Asimov (variant of Liar! 1941)
213 • The Martian Chronicles • [The Martian Chronicles] • short fiction by Ray Bradbury (variant of Ylla 1950)
230 • Final Reward • (1988) • short story by Terry Pratchett

[helrunar]

Interesting. Is Bill Strutton's "variant" of the Zarbi serial from a Target novelization, or something altogether unrelated?

One has to admire his ingenuity in coming up with some of these.

cheers, Hel.