The 1930s was a decade in which older, established, non science fiction specific novelists ran neck in neck with rising young pulpsters who, for the first time, began to challenge their elders in. In the 1930s, the most popular films were the lowbudget, lessserious, space exploration tales portrayed in the popular, cliffhanger saturday matinee serials with the first two sciencefiction heroes flash gordon and buck rogers. The short story will never fade away completely because of wouldbe novelists, mfa creative writing students, and legions of fan fiction writers. X minus one was a science fiction series that was an extension, or revival, of the earlier science fiction series, dimension x. The first science fiction old time radio shows were primary adventure serial shows intended for juveniles coopted with a scientific theme, most notably buck rogers and flash gordon. In honor of neill blomkamps highlyanticipated film, elysium, we offer our picks for the best sciencefiction movies of the last 5 years. It was a strange decade, with much of a literate 20volume fantasy magnum opus by james branch cabell and the poetic sophistication of edward john moreton drax plunkett lord dunsany at one end of a spectrum and the antiliterary raw stories of pulp magazines at the other. Executive summary of the decade what happened in the world of science fiction and fantasy between 1920 and 1930. A list of science fiction films released in the 1940s. The defining science fiction books of the 1950s science fiction at its best captures the times in which it was written, reflecting the desires and fears of individuals and the society. The exception are the films on the madefortv list, which are normally not released to a cinema audience.
The success of the television versions inspired the company to commission a series of film adaptations. Production company title chapters genre director cast notes 193 0 ben wilson productions. This juicy example of 1930s raygunandromance by paul ernst. A tribute the year of magical reading remembering fritz leiber a tribute to richard matheson samuel delanys 70th birthday the scifi of kurt vonnegut curse you, neil armstrong. The format is still in use for some lengthy serials, like the german science fiction weekly perry rhodan. Timeline 1940s page of ultimate science fiction web guide. As such, it will be of particular interest to scholars and students of sf, adaptation and crossmedia intertextuality. Chapterplays, cliffhangers, science fiction serials on. Today is the birthday of the great star of the serials larry buster crabbe 19081983. Stories from these early pre1912 issues may be found in the space annihilator and other early science fiction from the argosy anth 2010 edited by gene christie. List of science fiction films of the 1930s wikipedia.
Some would argue that science fiction is as old as civilization itself as humans gazed up to the stars and wondered, what if juvenile serials of the 1930s. What happened in the world of science fiction between 1940 and 1950. The goofy 1930s serials that inspired star wars mashable. Science fiction films this is a list of science fiction films organized chronologically. This is a very wildly twisted dreamworld of remorseless assassins and. Flash gordon and the 1930s and 40s science fiction serial wheeler winston dixon motion picture serials, the forerunner of todays serialized television dramas, have been around since the earliest days of the narrative cinema. Over the course of their evolution, there were a huge number of pulp magazine titles. Creature features the science fiction, fantasy, and horror movie guide by john stanley an illustrated history of horror and science fiction films by carlos clarens the republic chapterplays. Public domain films catalog from the retrofilm vault. Motion picture serials, the forerunner of todays serialized television dramas, have been around since the earliest days of the narrative cinema.
However there are pretty good fantasy specific lists that should be used instead. Old time radio science fiction shows golden age of radio. Scifibabes of the 1940s films scifi babes home page. The flash gordon serials of the 1930s changed the face of scifi. The best science fiction movies of the 1940s flickchart. There are 36 hotlinks here to authors, magazines, films, or television items elsewhere in. In britain, there was a period of notable production, with hammer films adaptations of nigel kneale s quatermass series. Sciencefiction film costume designers create sartorial future worlds and, if they get it right, can influence current trends along the way. In the case of the flash gordon serials that universal created from 1936 to 1940, the debate over such materials worth is a significant matter to science fiction fans.
Told in installments, it was the first screen adventure for the comicstrip character flash gordon, and tells the story of his first visit to. Today, a coworker and i were discussing forbidden planet, which. Rather than otherworldly, these costumes for science. A concise history of science fiction short stories.
Harry steeger of popular publications claimed that his company alone had published over 300, and at their peak they were publishing 42 titles per month. Pulp fiction, old time radio and cliffhanger serials at. Flash gordon and the 1930s and 40s science fiction serial. Spawn of the comet is a 1931 science fiction short story by harold thompson rich.
Soon came along astounding stories and astonishing stories which launched the golden age science fiction and speculative fiction. A complete filmography of the serials released by republic pictures corporation, 19341955 by r. What elements of star wars were derived from flash gordon. Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the golden age of science fiction. Wells and his historic literary counterparts behind for a moment, it was the second world war and the creation of the atomic bomb and other technological advances, which created a stimulus for this golden era. Alternate history dystopian and post apocalyptic fiction space opera science fiction by decade. The media professionals choice for quality film masters. When this list was originally created it was expected to have both fantasy and science fiction. Science fiction film, television, and adaptation is a welcome and timely collection of essays that draws together cognate critical discourses in its analysis of the migration of visual texts across various media screens. Barefoot also examines less familiar science fiction, western, jungle, and crime serials, and considers the production of sound serials, highlighting how they drew upon earlier conventions of silent cinema and melodrama.
Movie serials movie serials from the 1930s and 40s. The 1930s was a decade in which older, established, nonscience fiction specific novelists ran neck in neck with rising young pulpsters who, for the first time, began to challenge their elders in. Flash gordon is a 1936 science fiction film serial. Project muse science fiction film, television, and. What were the most significant science fiction stories of. These shows for children tended to glamorize scientific progress and featuring larger than life heroes. Sort through 44,000 public domain films and television programs from the retrofilm vault. Besides being set in the future, various episodes involve different sciencefiction themes, including robots, mind control, human cloning, time travel, really icky medical operations and on and on. Classic science fiction 19301939 best scifi of the 1930s this list is for science fiction only.
A medalwinning olympic swimmer, he first got into films like fellow olympic swimmer johnny weismuller by playing tarzan the apeman in serials in 1933. This genre of speculative fiction captures and combines a variety of styles and topics including futuristic technology, space exploration, alternative realities, time travel, extraterrestrial life, and supernatural abilities. Almost all of the few remaining pulp magazines are science fiction or mystery magazines now in formats similar to digest size, such as analog science fiction and fact and ellery queens mystery magazine. What were the most significant science fiction stories of the 1940s. Nov 18, 2015 when asked what the dividing line between horror and scifi is, a friend once. Featuring the action packed pulp fiction stories from the 1930s and 1940s. During this time science fiction gained wide public attention, particularly through literature. In phil hardys book science fiction 1983, the 1930s were described as a period where both science fiction literature and cinema were in turmoil and that by examining films of decade that it is clear that science fiction, in no sense, can be seen as an ongoing genre in the thirties. We are a specialty, online bookstore featuring the fantastic worlds of pulp fiction, old time radio and cliffhanger serials.
E, van vogt tribute the p uzzling case of robert sheckley the avantgarde scifi of brian aldiss. The goofy 1930s serials that inspired star wars flash. Buster crabbe, publicity shot for the buck rogers serials, 1930s. Best science fiction best science fiction of the 21st century best science fiction of the 20th century best forgotten science fiction of the 20th century sf subgenres. One of the first things i watched when i signed up for netflix was a suspense serial from the silent film era called phantomas, and while it was. Cliffhanger action and hollywood serials of the 1930s and 1940s exeter studies in film history. List of science fiction films of the 1940s wikipedia. Science fiction may strike one like a rather schizoid term, but although science and literature seem to reside at opposite ends of the academic spectrum, a more intricate relationship between the sciences and the humanities in fact has been operating from the start in western cultural thought. Im no pc whiner, but be advised that there are some brief but unfortunate racist aspects that were fairly typical for the 1930s that will make. In phil hardy s book science fiction 1983, the 1930s were described as a period where both science fiction literature and cinema were in turmoil and that by examining films of decade that it is clear that science fiction, in no sense, can be seen as an ongoing genre in the thirties. This is a list of science fiction films that premiered between 1 january 1930 and 31 december.
The defining science fiction books of the 1950s wwend. Although most of the major contributors of science fiction were appearing first in. A concise history of science fiction short stories lets face it, the short story is a fading art form that most modern readers ignore. Timeline 1920s page of ultimate science fiction web guide. Discoverall the pulp scifi serials in chronological order imdb. Space scifi of the 1950s and serials of the 1930s and 40s. The success of science fiction films also saw the genre grow internationally. The first science fiction old time radio shows were primary adventure serial shows intended for juveniles coopted with a scientific. It is about a comet that seeds the earth with the eggs of a fiery insectlike species. Today we often remember the 1950s by its pop culture, watching old reruns of i love lucy and leave it to beaver, and forgetting it was the height of the cold.
Science fiction movies 1930s brian stelly entertainment inc. This is a list of science fiction films that premiered between 1 january 1930 and 31 december 1939. Classic science fiction 1930 1939 best scifi of the 1930s this list is for science fiction only. Here are a few examples of ways you can filter the charts.