Forbidden Planets [Paperback]

Peter Crowther (Editor), Ray Bradbury (Introduction), Stephen Baxter (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2006

An anthology of science fiction short stories by some of today's top authors to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet. Filled to the brim with provocative tales of worlds where humans were never meant to go.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

MGM's sf thriller Forbidden Planet (1956), about the search for an expedition lost on a hazardous planet, has been the model for a cottage industry's worth of TV series and movies. Any show featuring a starship, a captain, and crew--particularly Star Trek and its many spin-offs--owes a debt to the Shakespeare-inspired motion picture. For the fiftieth anniversary of the movie's premiere, editor Crowther solicited 12 new stories set on other treacherous planets humans would have more wisely avoided. Ray Bradbury introduces the volume with the twin revelations that he declined writing FP's screenplay and would have exterminated its famous robot, Robby, if he hadn't. Jay Lake's story offers an alternate "forbidden" plotline based on King Lear instead of the movie's template, The Tempest, while Matthew Hughes' dissects a forbidden and deadly alien plant instead of a planet. Other notable contributions come from Ian McDonald, Michael Moorcock, and space-opera specialist Stephen Baxter, who gives a penetrating analysis of the film's enduring influence on his own work as well as his chosen genre. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (November 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756403308
• ISBN-13: 978-0756403300
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent homage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet, November 18, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forbidden Planets (Paperback)

Paying homage to the landmark science fiction movie Forbidden Planet on the fiftieth anniversary of its release, these twelve tales focus on humans visiting other worlds or dimensions where they are unwelcome and unwanted. Each tales is fun to follow as humans bravely go where they should not. The original movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest so the twist of using King Lear (Jay Lake's "Lehr, Rex") is a fascinating spin; others are just as good as mechanical sidekicks like Robert the Robot (see "Forebearing Planet" by Michael Moorcock) and "The Singularity Needs Women" by Paul Di Filippo are fun twists from the film. The remaining tales, all new, are quality contributions that make for a fine collection. In addition to a dozen terrific entries, Ray Bradbury in the Introduction provides two shockers about the movie and Stephen Baxter in the Afterward analyzes the impact on his work. This is an excellent short story collection that reverently salutes a movie that many Trekkies know that Kirk and company should journey where no one did before except Forbidden Planet.

Harriet Klausner

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for lovers of vintage SF, December 2, 2010

By 

Maxwell Johnson "Cook, musician and teacher" (Orlando,, FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forbidden Planets (Kindle Edition)

This is a review of the Kindle edition.

Those readers of a certain age (like me) who remember reading some of this material when it was originally published will find it a trip down memory lane. The authors are familiar names in the history of science fiction and any serious reader of this genre will likely have some of the titles already on her/his bookshelf.

Younger readers will find the stories somewhat dated as the authors speculate about "future" technologies that are already obsolescent in 2010. Some of the stories suffer from the stereotypy and benign misogyny that were common in the time they were written. Nonetheless, many of the included titles demonstrate that good science fiction writing is timeless. Highly recommended for SF fans of all ages.

3 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars christmas present, January 18, 2007

By 

Susan M. Keeney - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forbidden Planets (Paperback)

This was from my husband's wish list. He could not find this book in any of the local stores. He was very pleased to get it for christmas.