They are classics of science fiction. The chillers and thrillers made during the remarkable years following the second world war. The era when the world was shaken from its adolescence and abruptly thrust into the atomic age. An era in which the fanciful notions of science fiction suddenly became science fact and danger lurked around every corner. Danger from alien invaders hellbent on world destruction...danger from deranged geniuses using the marvels of science to wreak havoc...danger from prehistoric beasts re-animated by radiation fallout from millions of years of slumber and unleashed upon our cities...even danger from unknown forces usurping the very bodies and souls of our friends and loved ones and infesting the very core of humanity. While modern films have elevated the art of special effects to undreamt of artistry, the classics of the 1950s have left a legacy unmatched by any other era in film history. They represent a time of innocence and awakening, and they celebrate an era of teenagers, Friday night shock fests and drive-in theaters. They may be a bit "hockey" by today’s standards, but the images they conjure up remain to this day as the definitive icons of science fiction...sleek alien spacecraft, fire-breathing prehistoric beasties and, of course, the little green men from Mars.

Now for sci-fi aficionados of all ages, Ray Ferry—renowned editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland and Classic Monsters magazines—has compiled this special portfolio edition which highlights over 70 delicious moments from over 40 of the most loved classics of science fiction and fantasy ever filmed. Each photograph has been painstakingly digitally restored, allowing the viewer to delight in the richness of design and depth of the images. The Classic Sci-Fi Filmbook is a celebration of the weird and wonderful pioneering days of science fiction films...the days when malevolent mad geniuses and hordes of alien invaders from other worlds meant hours of screen excitement for teens and adults at movies and drive-in theaters all across the country. So grab your trusty ray gun and join us on a wondrous journey back through the days of futures past...the classic days of science fiction and fantasy!

Ray Ferry is one of the leading authorities and aficionados of what he terms "the films of Classic Horrorwood." He began his love affair with the genre in 1960 as an 8-year-old charter reader of a popular 1960s era pulp magazine titled Famous Monsters of Filmland, which was the "bible" of the monster craze of the time, influencing the careers of a whole generation of then adolescent readers. Today Ferry is the editor and publisher of that very same magazine that so influenced him in his youth.

Having worked for some 20 years as a professional photographer before applying his energies to FM, Ferry has a unique appreciation of and respect for the craftsmanship of the horror classics. Since reviving the magazine from the realm of the literary "undead" in 1993, Ferry has devoted his efforts to introducing the era of the classic fright films to a new generation who have been weaned on a diet of blood and gore in modern films. An outspoken voice concerning graphic violence in film and its desensitizing effect on young minds, Ferry's retro-horror approach has resulted in reestablishing Famous Monsters of Filmland, as the leading publication of its kind. By merging the magazine’s original 1960s flavor with a 1990s edge, he has bridged the gap of several generations and created an entertaining and educational forum, with both adult and child readers sharing the innocent fun of the Halloween spirit all year long.

Ferry has worked with many diverse talents in the fantasy film genre with whom he shares a love of the classics including Academy award winning animator Ray Harryhausen (one of the most influential personalities of his youth); legendary comics Phyllis Diller (MAD MONSTER PARTY), Mel Brooks (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN) and Gary Owens; renowned performers Gloria Stuart (THE OLD DARK HOUSE), Adam West (TV's Batman), Frank Gorshin (Batman TV's Riddler), Cassandra Peterson (TV's ELVIRA), Al Lewis (THE MUNSTERS), and world renowned mentalist and occult authority The Amazing Kreskin, among others.

Ferry believes the old horror films will never be equaled. His credo is "there’s no ghoul like an old ghoul."