James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction is the official companion book to AMC's six-part documentary series of the same name. Rather than being a work of science-fiction fiction itself, it examines the history, development and cultural impact of the science-fiction genre, particularly through the films, television programs, books and creators that shaped it.

The book is built around interviews conducted by James Cameron with some of the most influential filmmakers associated with modern science fiction, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Their conversations explore why science fiction has remained such a powerful form of storytelling and how filmmakers use imagined futures, extraterrestrial life, technology and fantastic worlds to explore real human concerns.

A particularly interesting feature is that the book doesn't concentrate solely on movies. It considers the wider science-fiction ecosystem, including literature, television, visual design and technological imagination. Major themes include alien life, time travel, outer space, dark or dystopian futures, monsters and intelligent machines.

The book also contains an in-depth interview with James Cameron himself and essays from science-fiction experts. These essays provide additional context for the ideas explored throughout the documentary series and help explain how science fiction has evolved from a niche genre into one of the most influential forms of popular entertainment.