The only book to completely examine the origins of classic fantasy films by including an in-depth examination of the source material and its author, the screenwriter’s contribution in adapting it, and an analysis of how that combination resulted in the production of the final film.
It Came From…
The Stories and Novels Behind Classic Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction Films
by Jim Nemeth and Bob Madison
Genre: Film History, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction
How many times have you said, the book was better? And how many times was that actually true?
The cinema of the fantastic has benefitted from literary adaptations on a level unlike any other genre. With such brilliant authors as Mary Shelley, Robert Bloch, Pierre Boulle, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert Louis Stevenson to choose from, it’s no surprise that fantastic film shares its pedigree with literary fiction.
But do films never live up to their literary inspirations? Or are some movies just … better than the books that inspired them?
Join genre critics Jim Nemeth and Bob Madison for a rule-busting examination of 21 classic – and not so classic – horror, fantasy and science fiction films, and the classic – and not so classic – books that inspired them.
It Came From…The Stories and Novels Behind Classic Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction Films will delight legions of movie buffs along with devoted readers of cherished fantastic fiction.
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By day, Jim Nemeth is a technical writer within the fields of computer software and biotechnology.
As a professional writer, in 1993, Jim won 1st Prize in a national magazine’s short story writing contest for which novelists Ray Bradbury and Robert Bloch were judges. Winning held special meaning for Jim, as Robert Bloch remains his favorite writer and main literary influence. Jim has had essays, articles and reviews printed in a variety of magazines, including Filmfax, Mad About Movies, and Scary Monsters.
A long-time community activist, Jim is particularly committed to the causes of animal rescue and breast cancer research.
It Came From…: The Stories and Novels Behind Classic Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction Films is his first book.
Born and raised in Chicago, Jim now lives with his husband in historic Marblehead, Massachusetts.
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If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
Be curled up in bed with one of my all-time favorite novels (quite possibly And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, or Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke).
What are some of your pet peeves?
Cruelty. Rudeness. People talking on phones in the “quiet car” of the train. My cats waking me up at four in the morning for breakfast.
Where were you born/grew up at?
Chicago, IL. Lived there until 2005 when we moved to the coastal town of Marblehead, MA, which is about 20 miles north of Boston. Chicago is a wonderful town, but the winters just grew to be too much.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
This is a bit on the gruesome side, but I’ve been involved in not one, not two, but three near-fatal car accidents (only one my fault!).
Q: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I haven’t done on this yet, but someday I hope to follow the trail of Jonathan Harker (from Dracula) as he journeys through Transylvania on his way to Castle Dracula.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Starting. J Getting my first words down on the computer is agonizing. I can struggle for weeks.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer.
It Came from… is an interesting book. The professional design and in-depth look at films and the books that they are based on is fantastic and highly entertaining.
The book tends to stick to more well-known films and books but also features some very interesting “B” films as well.
Divided into three subsections which are horror, science fiction and fantasy, with Dracula and Frankenstein getting their own section each, it is easy to read and has something to offer for everyone.
Each part of the book has an introduction that describes the origins of the book and movie, and gives wonderful insights into comparative irrelevances.
Included is information about the film’s production team, actors, settings and other relevant details that allow readers to really get a sense of what it was like to watch these films as they were being made. Along side this is the comparison of the movies with their source material (usually books; sometimes short stories, comic book characters, etc.), telling the history of their development, their merits and failures, and commenting a bit on the culture they reflect.
I loved all the details! It seemed for every bit of information we were provided we are given dozens more! Not to mention the differing opinions there are about each film/media source, and how even if the author disliked a certain film, he took care and didn’t outright slander it.
I really liked when there were comparisons on a film and it’s remake several years down the line.
The backmatter is full of additional references for one to check out and get a complete list of source material named in the book. I have a lot of movies to watch and reading to do!
The co-authors, Jim Nemeth and Bob Madison have such similar writing styles and senses of humor that I couldn’t distinguish who had written what. Both authors having similar backgrounds, growing up in the 1970s “in different states and a few, scant years apart,” and are equally remarkable in that neither reflects the values of the turbulent era of their youth.
It Came From.. is an entertaining read, great for movie lovers of all genres and for young people who might someday want to make great movies themselves.
I rated It Came From.. four stars.
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