<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Overview

Walt Lee's Reference Guide to Fantastic Films is one of those amazing labors of love that can occur in fandom. Lee had been compiling a list of movies that had elements of fantasy (including science fiction). These had been kept on file cards. Even in 1972 (when the three-volume set was copyrighted), Lee said it would have been more efficient to use electronic data storage, but said that had not been available.

Literally thousands of films are listed, even though Lee suggests this is just a beginning.

While mere knowledge of all these films would be impressive, the books also have a classification system that has been well-respected.

The books include an introduction, appendices, exclusions (films which people might think have fantasy elements, but don't), and more.

Lee begins his introduction with a fannish observation: "When people first realize how much time I've spent researching fantastic filsm, the question that invariably arises in one form or another is 'Why?' What they really mean is, 'Why would a supposedly mature adult wast so much time on that junk?"

More than thirty years later, the books are still valued and recognized for their scholarship. They are often cited as the authority, and a used copy of the set is worth over $100.

Details

Title: Reference Guide to Fantastic Films (although commonly referred to as "Walt Lee's Reference Guide to Fantastic Films)
Subtitle: Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror
Compiler: Walt Lee (assisted by Bill Warren)
558 pages (plus appendices)
Photographs