In 2012, Peter Öberg published Science fiction så in i Norden, a comprehensive list of all Nordic science fictions films. Now an updated sequel is here, Spektakulärt.
If you want to educate yourself on Nordic science fiction films, there are only a few specialized sources you can turn to. Peter Öberg’s new book Spektakulärt is one of the most comprehensive overviews available today. It is an updated version of his 2012 book on the same topic. The original book provided details and short reviews of around 220 science fiction features, TV series and short films, including very low budget amateur productions. The new book lists over 500 titles, with colour stills from all of them, as well as short descriptions and basic meta data. The short reviews did not find any place in the new book, but that only emphasizes the book’s profile as an encyclopedia.
The scope of the book seems to have been expanded too, since nazisploitation movies like Gisela and zombie/horror films like Operarion Ragnarok are included, films that may not fit the normal definition of science fiction. That’s OK though, because the title of the book means “spectacular” which also can be applied to horror and fantasy. The A5 book covers the years 1916 – 2018; that is over 100 years of science fiction films from the Nordic region!
There are also bonus articles on Nordic directors making genre films outside their home regions.
Unfortunately for international readers, the book is only available in Swedish but for readers in the Nordic region, it’s a must-have if you are interested in the local and the fantastical.
(Disclaimer: Nordic Fantasy received a free review copy of the book.)
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