Böcker av Paul Meehan

The alien abduction phenomenon is one of the enduring enigmas of our time. While the reality of alien abductions is a hotly debated topic among UFO researchers, scientists, skeptics and true believers alike, the phenomenon indisputably exists as an artifact of popular culture. This book analyzes more than 75 films that draw their inspiration from allegedly fact-based accounts of alien contact, from 1951's The Man from Planet X to Contactee in 2021. These films are examined in terms of both their cinematic qualities and their exploration of thematic elements derived from abduction reports. Abduction motifs that appear in science fiction classics such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001 and Close Encounters are analyzed, as well as those in lesser-known films like The Stranger Within, Starship Invasions, Dark Skies and Proximity. Special attention is given to movies based on the famed experiences of abductees Betty and Barney Hill, Whitley Strieber and Travis Walton. The book also addresses skeptical theories about the origins of the phenomenon in science fiction and examines an uncanny prescience that appears to anticipate these inexplicable occurrences.

Chronologically examines 75 films that depict voyages into outer space and offers the historical, cultural, and scientific context of each. Each film is analysed not only in terms of its direction, screenplay, and other cinematic aspects, but also its scientific and historical accuracy.

Traces the common origins of film noir and science fiction films, identifying the many instances in which the two have merged to form a distinctive subgenre known as Tech-Noir. This text examines over 100 movies in which the common noir elements of crime, mystery, surrealism, and human perversity intersect with technology of science fiction.

A popular phenomenon since antiquity, the image of the haunted house is one that has translated elegantly into the medium of film. The haunted house transcends genre, appearing in mysteries, gothic romances, comedies and horror films. This book is the first comprehensive critical study of themes surrounding haunted houses in film.

The theme of the double has inspired works by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Poe, de Maupassant, Dostoevsky and others, and has been the basis for classic films in the genres of mystery, horror and science fiction. This theme is examined in film noir and neo-noir, with a special emphasis on the works of Alfred Hitchcock.

Examines the history of vampires within the science fiction realm, and analyses the role of science and pseudo-science from the 18th century to modern times. The vampire's connection with science fiction is traced to its literary origins during the Victorian Era in seminal works by Bram Stoker, H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle later refined by modern SF writers. The history of the science fiction vampire in the cinema, from the silent era to the 21st century is also given in detail.

Explores the depiction of paranormal powers in fiction films, examining how popular films like ""Star Wars"", ""Independence Day"", ""The Green Mile"", and dozens of others reflect and influence the way modern society perceives the notion of psychic abilities. This book explores the psychic theme in nearly 100 films.