Opening this illustriously designed tome, Planet Wax instantly transports one back to a bygone era in grand sci-fi scores, as the best soundtracks of the genre are poured over with incredible detail. These pages are filled with gorgeous art work that span decades. And no stone is left unturned, from the biggest interplanetary thrillers to obscure oddities alike. Everything is given an equal spotlight. This is the music that makes dreams possible, and it has laid the foundation for imaginations to grow for decades to come.

The book itself is eons in the making, and a fun page turner that will be irresistible to ignore once laid upon any coffee table in the universe. Its grand design pulls you in, and within a few moments of perusing its content, you'll be hurrying to your turntable to see if any of these gems are hidden away in your own vinyl collection. Chances are, if you are a collector of soundtracks, you own some, if not many, of the scores collected and reviewed here. It's a nice treat to throw some of them on, and listen while sailing through this encyclopedia of sound.

More than anything, Planet Wax is an invitation to explore a vast and cavernous sea of exotic and often times pulse pounding music. A lot of which has been remastered with all new art by various boutique distributors. This is the definitive guide to collecting Sci-Fi soundtracks. And it's hard to put down, wether you decided just to flip through and look at some of the all-time greatest album covers ever created from movie art, or if you want to dig deeper and read each page. It's a captivating time capsule that also ventures into the modern era of genre filmmaking with an expert grasp on the subject material.

Planet Wax appears to be the second in a series of books coming from Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas. The duo previously gave us Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl, which brought home every important score in that genre. It's an exceptional read for all movie fans, and served as a check list catalogue for collectors eager to buy more records that celebrate slasher fandom and axe murders, giving us a blood-soaked soundscape to study and admire with new admiration for how some of these sounds were created and utilized.

Planet Wax now does the same for Sci-Fi movies. And it's easy to see that Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas could further expand their vinyl research, stretching into other genres such as action, comedy and even romance. Great scores are hiding in every corner of your DVD shelf, hopefully these guys will continue to explore.

This particular book takes a deep dive into all corners of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy world, giving us a tour of Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek: The Motion Picture score with all-new insight. But that's just scratching the surface. The book also looks at the rest of the Star Trek franchise from Wrath of Khan to The Undiscovered Country. From there, this coffee table must have leaps to some stone cold classics, delving into other Jerry Goldsmith works such as his first animated feature The Secret of Nimh.

Disney's Tron, the original Rollerball, and Heavy Metal continue down the road of what can be found in this thick bible. Cult classics like Tank Girl are equally adored and given as much space as a heavy hitter like Basil Poledouris' Conan the Barbarian soundtrack. Queen are recognized for their Flash Gordon work alongside the 'dreamy electronic soundscapes' of Vangelis' Blade Runner.

While there are many new facts to discover about some of the most iconic Sci-Fi movies of all time, locked away for all of history in these pages, we also get to learn more about some of the forgotten movie soundtracks. The unique and underrated scores that most vinyl collectors are missing and don't even know exist. That's perhaps the one frustrating thing about pouring over these pages. It's a tantalizing tease to show and talk about music that is perhaps impossible to hear at the moment. Though it thrusts forth with a lust for future treasure hunts and Ebay scouring to find some of these pieces of genuine pop art.

There are over 240 pages to flip through, with some of the greatest original vinyl LP artwork on display. Many of the biggest franchises are explored, with installments from Mad Max, The Terminator and Indiana Jones getting their due along with one-off classics like Stanley Kubrick's A clockwork Orange from composer Wendy Carols and Legend, once again complimenting the amazing work of Jerry Goldsmith, who is all over this thing.

Planet Wax even shines a spotlight on some unexpected soundtracks such as the comedy Space Balls, which mixes John Morris' score with hit pop songs. This isn't just a celebration of John Williams and Star Wars, which automatically comes to mind when you hear the premise behind the book. Along with facts and fun details behind the making of this music, the book also rewards readers with over twenty interviews that include such maestros as Stu Phillips (Battlestar Galactica), Laurence Rosenthal (Clash of the Titans), and directors Richard Donner (Superman) and Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II),

What we have here is a grand exploration of the best scores ever built within the constructs of the sci-fi genre, zooming though the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s with brisk narration that makes it impossible to put down once you open that delicious green cover. For audiophiles, vinyl collectors and soundtrack lovers, this is a must-have book for your collection.

Buy Planet Wax: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Soundtracks on Vinyl at Amazon or directly from 1984 Publishing where you can snag the limited edition Invaders from Mars 7-inch.