List of Old Sci Fi Horror Movies You Might Like

I just wanted to give you a list of a couple science fiction horror movies you might be interested in.  Most of these are based on books (and not just made for the big screen or T.V.) so even if you deplore black and white movies, you can still read the books to get the story.

The Puppet Masters (1994) - based on Robert Heinlein's 1951 novel

They (They Watch) (1993) - based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling

They Came From Beyond Space (1967) - based on the book by Joseph Millard called T"he Gods Hate Kansas"

Village of the Damned - (1960 & 1995) - based on the book "The Midwich Cuckoos" by John Wyndham

Children of the Damned (1963) - sequel to Village of the Damned

Frankenstein (1958) - based on Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" (this movie plot has been redone many times, so it may be worth reading the book before you see any of the movies to decide which one you like best and which one best follows the original story.)

The Blob (1958) - not based on any book that I know of, but worth watching.  Also re-done in 1988.

The Quartermass Experiment (1956) & The Quartermass Conclusion (1979) - The Quartermass Experiment may be found under the U.S. title: The Creeping Unknown

In my mind science fiction and horror stories go hand-in-hand and make a great combination.  Of course, you can find many science fiction movies that are just that - based on space stories and science experiments gone wrong, but are not necessarily classed in the horror genre.  Then you can also find horror stories on the other hand that are just that - horror, but they do not have a science fiction 'bend' to them. (Consider the "Silence of the Lambs" as one such.)  Stephen King (who is a writing genius) can write both kinds. (Tommyknockers and The Dome, just to mention two that include both science fiction and horror stories together, while other of his books like Carrie or Cujo are just horror stories.)

If you like obscure stories, out of the oridinary, you might like to try "Brother Mine", a story of what might happen in Those Forgotten Shelters (the bomb shelters of the '50's and '60's).  This is the second story in a series.  Available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077SH74K

Do Monster Movies Belong in the Horror Film Genre?

In the minds of some people, monsters and horror movies go hand in hand.  If the movie (or book) has some kind of monster in it, then it should be classed as horror.  This isn't necessarily true.  Although there are many horror movies that contain monsters (consider 'Alien') there are other monster movies that are simply comedies, such as Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstien (1948).  Horror books and movies (at least in my mind) need to be sit-on-the-edge-of-your-chair scary...and they don't necessarily contain monsters.  Consider Alfred Hitchcock's horror movies where the horror comes in through a murder victim or some psychologically thrilling plot.  Or consider even Stephen King's books, which often don't have any monsters in them, other than the human kind.

Monsters can come from outer space and can be given space in the science fiction genre.  Monsters can be scary, such as Frankenstein or Dracula, but they are not always.  Monsters can be portrayed in an endearing manner, and sometimes even 'cute' (take a look at E.T., who Steven Spielburg transformed into an almost fairy-tale like alien.)

In my mind, it depends on the type of monster and the plot to say if a particular monster movie should be placed in the horror genre.  If its scary, then it should be placed in the horror genre, but it its cute or funny, then monsters should not be included in this film class.

What do you think?

If you like reading science fiction stories, consider my own works:

"The Dolls" a story of alien invasion.

Available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ICN2F4

Greetings! to my new Science Fiction and Horror Stories Blog

Ever since I was a child and my father introduced me to science fiction and horror stories, I was hooked.  I remember sitting in the back seat of the car at a drive-in (yes, I'm old enough to have gone to drive-in's!) and watching "The Giant Claw", a 1957 sci-fi horror film about a giant bird that terrorizes the world.  I was deliciously frightened and couldn't sleep for a week, but oh how I loved it!  There is nothing quite like the thrill of a science fiction horror movie. 

Another old sci fic movie I remember fondly (which could also be considered a horror story) is "The Day of the Triffids" a movie based on the book by John Wyndham.  In this horror story, it's walking killer plants that are the deadly force that must be reckoned with in order for the earth to be saved.

Science fiction and horror stories have developed as a literary art form and have been embraced by the world over a long period of time.  There are a great many story lines and ideas, some good, some bad, that can be discussed and reviewed.  That is what I intend to do in this blog.  Many of the old stories have been made into movies, which I will also touch on.  In fact, the science fiction and horror stories that some movies are based on are classics in their own right.

I would also like to discuss some of the authors of those terrorizing books and movies, like Stephen King or even Edgar Rice Burroughs.  The recent "John Carter" movie was based on a series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs (the Barsoom series).  More recently "The Hunger Games" (also a science fiction story) has gained worldwide acclaim (written by Suzanne Collins).

Perhaps you have your own favorite science fiction or horror stories that you would like to read about.  Hopefully I can cover at least some of them for you in this new blog of mine.

Also, with my love of science fiction and horror stories, I have felt the urge to blunder into writing stories of my own.  Perhaps you will be interested in reading some of my own efforts into this genre.  Look forward to seeing some of my work offered on this blog in the future.

I look forward to your future visits, and I look forward to posting blogs about a subject that so interests me. 

As Alfred Hitchcock once said:

"Fear isn`t so difficult to understand. After all, weren`t we all frightened as children? Nothing has changed since Little Red Riding Hood faced the big bad wolf. What frightens us today is exactly the same sort of thing that frightened us yesterday. It`s just a different wolf. This fright complex is rooted in every individual."