About the Author

Ian Nathan is a film critic, author, producer, broadcaster and journalist based in London. Previously the executive editor of Empire, the world's leading film magazine, Ian has regularly contributed to books, newspapers such as the London Times and Independent and various magazines. He is the author of the Alien Vault, Tim Burton and Terminator Vault for Aurum Press.

Reviews

FEAR.net, October 11, 2011
"The problem with most "vaults" -- scrapbooks, if you will, offering a variety of paper ephemera devoted to a specific genre franchise -- is that the bulk of any such franchise is pretty lame. (If I'm paying top dollar for a Star Wars boutique item, I'd prefer that eighty percent of it not be devoted to prequels and spin-offs.) Fortunately for fans of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece, such is not the case with The Alien Vault, a handsome, lavishly illustrated slipcased book packed with concept art, designs, photos and info on the original classic (no AvP nonsense here, thank you very much). While at 176 pages I'm not sure it is, as it boasts, the "definitive story of the making of the film," it's certainly the most gorgeous; and the first vault I've seen that -- though affordably priced -- is worth every penny one puts into it. Now I just need an Aliens Vault and my life will be complete."SUVUDU.com, October 1, 2011
"This is the single most comprehensive volume on the making of the original classic film that I've ever seen. Author Ian Nathan's beautifully packaged book begins with the film's embryonic stage to its final explosive burst into the horrified psyche of the American public. Full of exclusive interviews, never before seen script notes, photos, behind the scenes stories and more, this is the definitive guide to this groundbreaking film. I imagine that this is going to be on a lot of fans' Christmas lists this year."Cinema Spy, October 8, 2011
"Finally, somebody took on the task of chronicling the production, from script to final cut: author and executive editor of Empire Magazine Ian Nathan. In it, Nathan has collated interviews and anecdotes, and amassed a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material that has rarely been seen before... and Voyageur Press' Alien Vault is the result. How does it fare? Well, the writing is clear, concise, and makes for an entertaining and informative read, and the pages are illustrated with a good number of never-before-seen photos, paintings and screen captures. Particularly interesting is the description of how the project came to be, from the initial inspirations to the studio green light. I especially liked the on-set accounts of the filming of key scenes..."Making the Movie (blog), October 10, 2011"Part book, part fetish object, Alien Vault lives up to its subtitle. I cannot imagine a more definitive tome on the seminal sci-fi/horror film Alien. With creature concept art by H.R. Giger, scads of intimate behind-the-scenes photos and duplicates of script pages cramped with director Ridley Scott's handwritten notes, author Ian Nathan and publisher Voyageur Press amply illustrate the making of the film."

The Insider.com (CBS Television online), September 28, 2011
"As the excitement builds towards the release of Prometheus, a brand-new book on the making of Alien has arrived: Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film. Written by Empire magazine executive editor Ian Nathan, the book is a film geek's dream, with amazing, never-before-seen photos and insightful, new details about one of my all-time favorite films in crisp detail with a colorful layout. The handsome hardcover also features the added interactive element of vellum envelopes containing cool, meticulously recreated artifacts -- "show-and-tell" style sleeves containing posters, storyboards, blueprints, Giger art, a Nostromo logo sticker and much more -- to enhance the experience."As I sponged up page after page of revelations from the Vault, it dawned on me that with all the time I spend time web surfing, watching movies and TV, reading magazines and just being social, that I haven't actually read a book cover to cover in years. Scarier than the Facehugger itself, I know. But I broke that streak with Alien Vault, and for good reason."I guess in space, no one can hear you read?"AVPGalaxy.com, September 20, 2011
"Ian Nathan writes with a passion that only a fan can. It almost felt as if I was sat across from him, talking to him and hearing the excitement in his voice as we discussed his favorite movie. If Nathan considers this a biography of Alien then he a very close friend determined to tell its story...It collates plenty of information from multiple sources (all indexed at the back of the book) and is quite probably the paper equivalent of the Quadrilogy set in that it's detailed but not quite "definitive" yet. Ian Nathan has written with so much passion and love you can't help but want to go pop that disc in the Blu-ray player again. If you can spare the pennies or find a good deal it's definitely worth picking up." (4 out of 5 stars)

Topless Robot, October 17, 2011"All in all, the Alien Vault is a fitting testament to a film that has not only fresh and frightening in the 30-plus years since its original release, but has rightfully become a cinematic classic."