Although it has actually been around since the early days of filmmaking, science fiction cinema is a contemporary and futuristic genre. It deals with events that usually take place at a far-off time and often faroff place; thus it appeals to the human desire to understand and perhaps predict the future. It also helps to explain science and technology and where they could be leading us. Science fiction cinema tackles prickly problems, often in a context that make them more real than reality— problems such as environmental degradation; overpopulation and pressure on space and goods; friction between the sexes, races, and nations; and the coming and substantially greater difficulties in dealing with rogue computers, robots, clones, and possibly even aliens (if we can believe what we see in the movies). Although science fiction cinema is often termed escapism, it is also an attempt to come to terms with a rapidly changing world. Consider the words of the great science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke: “We all want to escape occasionally. But science fiction is often very far from escapism, in fact you might say that science fiction is escape into reality. . . . It’s a fiction which does concern itself with real issues: the origin of man; our future. In fact I can’t think of any form of literature which is more concerned with real issues, reality.” This Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema is an excellent guide to the field. The chronology illustrates how long the movies have been around and charts some of the major advances—and films—over the years. The introduction then provides an overview, reminding us that science fiction cinema is hardly monolithic; rather, it consists of different genres, produced in an increasing range of countries, and using varying techniques. The bulk of the information, as usual, appears in the dictionary, with entries on directors, actors, and films. Other entries deal with topics such as monsters, alien invasions, utopia, and dystopia, as well as production sites (half a dozen countries), technical aspects, and new technologies (computer-generated imagery). The bibliography provides resources for further information. It was written by M. Keith Booker, who is the James E. and Ellen Wadley Roper Professor of English at the University of Arkansas. He is also the director of the university’s Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Therefore, Dr. Booker does not simply deal with science fiction in the abstract; he shows how films and their writers, directors, actors, and genres fit into a historical context and relate to us in the present. He has also written dozens of books on literature and popular culture—more broadly and more specifically, half a dozen books on science fiction, with two recent publications dealing with science fiction cinema: Alternative Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture and The Science Fiction Handbook. This volume, therefore, presents a wealth of experience and knowledge for a variety of audiences.